Yeah, I've gotten a couple of requests for that one. I guess it is like a comforting blanket just knowing it was out there until the old forum data went off to binary heaven.
I have the photos of course but not any text to go with it so I have to rebuild the info. Not a problem but I am pressed for time right now and actually packing for a local group bike thing in PA tomorrow. I should be back Sunday night so hopefully I can put something up early next week.
Brian
You're in luck this time.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:-NGaA-EpOWMJ:forum.concours.org/index.php%3Ftopic%3D54708.0+concours.org+kipass+bypass&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&source=www.google.comSome folks have had a problem with KiPass not working, and occasionally stranding them. There are a couple of ways to deal with this in an effort to get 'unstuck'; the K-rock (banging the ignition switch housing with something heavy) and removing and reconnecting the gray connector under the top / left fairing cover are the most common it seems. Pulling the connector will always work to address a stuck switch but it is not easy to get at, especially in the dark, in the rain, etc. The K-rock method is not certain and let's face it, it is a little less than elegant beating the ignition into submission with a rock. So I did a circuit trace to find specifically what connection(s) in the gray connector power the KiPass activation switch and have what may be a more reasonable work- around to the stuck key problem. Please bear in mind that that DOES NOT fix a stuck KiPass switch, it only allows it to be bypassed one time to start the bike; the switch will still need to be fixed. Also, because the bike needs the circuit I have interrupted to start, there is always a risk of adding another failure point to the entire system- in other words; this modification that is supposed to make KiPass more reliable could actually cause reliability issues should the fix itself fail. This is why I chose to use a fuse rather than a N.C. switch, they are simply more reliable. A switch is more convenient but again, this whole bypass will hopefully never have to be used in the first place so convenience is not the main concern, reliability is.
Under the top / left black fairing cover is a black rubber boot with several wiring harness connectors in it. Find the gray connector and the BLACK / WHITE wire and cut it. There, now the bike is disabled for all time :-) Strip back both ends of each wire.
I used a Gerbing fuse holder because I have several already and the quality of them is better than most. Also it contains a very large fuse, 15 Amp, which is what I wanted to use here. I do not want to fuse this circuit, I just want the fuse to be used as a switch. There is no risk of ever blowing a fuse that big in this circuit. Again, if something like a 1 amp fuse were used and it were to blow at some point, the bike would be completely disabled until the fuse was replaced.
Connect the fuse in- line with the wire that was cut earlier. Again, use a good, robust connection method and insulate the wires very well, this connection is to the KiPass control unit and critical to the operation of the bike. I soldered the wires and covered the joints in shrink- wrap tubing (two layers each) because it is the most robust method of wiring that I know. I also coat the fuse contacts with grease to prevent any possible corrosion over the years.
That's it. Make sure to leave at least a few inches of wire on each end of the fuse holder so the holder can be found and removed without taking off any Tupperware, even in the dark. Just tuck the fuse holder back under the fairing cover. If at some point the bike won't respond when you push the ignition switch down, just reach under the black fairing cover, find the fuse holder and pull it out a bit, remove and replace the fuse and you will have five seconds to turn the key to 'ON'.
If the fuse is removed (or the bypass becomes electrically disconnected for any reason) while the bike is running, the red warning light on the dash will light. The bike will KEEP RUNNING but the warning light will indicate the circuit has failed. This is why I used the BLACK / WHITE wire, it sinks (pulls to ground) the KiPass control unit. This result could be considered a benefit or a flaw depending on your point of view. I hereby declare it a benefit.
Of course we are now going to have a disposal problem what with all the old K-rocks clogging landfills from coast to coast :-)
Update: 28.April.09 The rest of the circuit that activates the KiPass system is the Green wire in the same connector. If the fuse is installed in this wire instead of the Black / White wire mentioned above, it works the same way except that it won't generate a fault if the circuit is opened after the bike is running. I have tested installing the fuse in the Green wire and it works well also. It was suggested by another forum member (he can jump in here so I won't speak for him) that using the Green wire is the more direct method with possibly less chance of disturbing anything else in the KiPass system. I agree with that thought and the simplest method is almost always the safest and cutting into the KiPass circuitry certainly carries some risk.
Brian
