Motorcycle won't start or attempt to swing, and the headlights don't come on, but the hooter sounds healthy

Question

My motorcycle (Kawasaki Ninja 300) does the normal dashboard light-up sequence when I turn the key, but the normal electrical whine that happens simultaneously stops earlier than usual. The headlights don't come on, but the tail light does. When I push the start button, there isn't even an attempt at swinging the motor. Strangely, the hooter works perfectly and at normal volume. The bike worked perfectly until this morning. I've checked the killswitch.

This seems like some sort of electrical problem with the ignition system. Is there anything I can do myself to diagnose/repair the problem without being an autoelectrician?

Answer 1

If you have a multimeter, check the battery voltage. Should be something between about 12 and 13 volts. If it drops significantly when you press the starter button, you could have a battery problem.

Check that the neutral light is on. Make sure you're in neutral and try pulling the clutch in to see if it makes a difference. It could be a problem with the neutral switch.

Realistically, you're going to need to trace the starting circuit to see where you have power and where you don't. Otherwise, we're just guessing at what the problem could be. Grab a multimeter, start at the battery, and work your way toward the start switch and toward the starter motor.