Clutch Switch

[siai47]

I am a new Victory Empulse owner and have a question that maybe some of you that have the Brammo Empulse can answer.  There is a clutch switch that activates when you pull in the clutch lever.  It is a normally open switch mounted to the clutch lever pivot bolt.  There are two wires attached that go down behind the headlight switch and terminate with two male bullet connectors.  The problem is the wires on the Victory aren't connected to anything.  Looking at the bikes wiring diagram, it shows that one wire from the switch should be connected to chassis ground.  The other wire should go to connector P85 terminal #9 on the motor controller,  The input is listed as "digital input 6".

My question is if this switch is used on the Brammo and if it is, what does it do?  There are no extra wires in the Victory harness going from the headlight area to the motor controller.  Could this be to limit motor output (torque, RPM, etc.) with the clutch pulled in?  I could just ground terminal #9 and see what happens unless the current firmware doesn't enable digital input 6.  Everything appears to be working normally so just a question as I am trying to learn everything I can about the bike---Thanks  !

[siai47]

I answered my own question (at least on the Victory).  The clutch switch is a pressure switch piggybacked on the banjo fitting at the clutch master cylinder.  The mechanical switch is just left over from another time.  I don't have a Brammo Empluse but from pictures I have of them, the pressure switch isn't there.  I assume the mechanical switch is used in place of it. 

This leaves a couple of questions---I still don't know the purpose of the switch.  I know it interfaces with the motor controller---but why?  Also it seems odd to abandon the existing mechanical switch for the clutch switch and retain the mechanical switch for the front brake light control.  The rears use a pressure switch.

Nothing earth shattering here, just trying to understand a little more about the Empulse.

[katacrak]

It may be to record if the clutch is always used. You will lose the warranty if it is not used in gear shifts

[Chocula]

It is less expensive to use an off the shelf part that happens to have a switch, than to have one made that does not.  Many ICE motorcycles use this switch to prevent starting the bike if the clutch is not pulled in, and I suspect this is just left over.