Hi folks, I'm brand new to the forum but I'm hoping someone here can help me out. I want to be as detailed as possible, so I apologize in advance for the long post.

For those (like myself) who don't like reading novels online, here's the quick and dirty; 1997 LS 650 Savage. Turn the ignition to the "on" position, the headlight and taillight come on. Press the starter button and NOTHING happens. No clicking noises. No lights dimming. It's like a total disconnect between the button and the rest of the bike. Battery is good. (12.8V, Brand new, Installed correctly)  Fuses are good. (I both visually inspected them, and tested continuity. There are 12v going in and out of the fuse box)  Starter WILL crank when I arch the solenoid.
I've taken apart the right hand switch and cleaned the contacts of the run button and starter button. They were a bit dirty, but not too bad. Put it back together, and the problem was NOT resolved. So I ordered one off Ebay. Put it on, problem still NOT solved. So, unless they are both bad switches, the right hand switch is not the problem... or maybe it is...

Ok, here are the DETAILS!  

This bike belongs to a friend of mine, who had bought it, ridden it a few times, and then forgot about it for a year. (Tragic I know.) She had it sitting outside, with a cover on it, for a year and never winter-proofed it and never started it up periodically. She decided it was time to get back on the ole iron horse, so she charged up the battery and asked me to help her install it and get her bike going. (I spent 4 years as an apprentice mechanic at a shop, and since then have continued working on bikes in my home garage as a side gig) So I installed her battery, drained her nasty old gas from the tank and the carb, refilled the tank with fresh gas, primed the carb and tried to start her up. The engine turned over with good power, but did not start up. A few squirts of starter fluid later, and still no running bike, I pulled the spark plug and tested for a spark. NO SPARK. Ok. So I put on a new plug and tested again. Still no spark. Ok. Now I'm just hoping it's a faulty connection and not the $400 CDI box. So I pull off the tank to test the Ignition Coil with a multimeter, and I notice the right hand control/ starter push switch connector is loose where it connects to wiring harness. So I make sure it's connected properly and then (for giggles) I tested for a spark again. And I got it! Great! I put the spark plug back in, tank back on, hooked up the hoses, and tried to start the bike. Sounded like it wanted to start but just couldn't get there... tried a little starter fluid... no luck. Tried a fourth time... and nothing happened. AT ALL. The starter didn't crank at all. I could NOT hear the starter relay trying to engage. There was NO clicking like there would be if it was a drained battery. And that is the problem I'm stuck at now.

My first guess was the starter push button/ right hand switch connector had become loose again. After I took the tank off again, I inspected the  starter button/hand control connection, and it was securely fastened to the wiring harness. So... that was not the problem... uh oh.

If someone could help me figure out what the heck is wrong in the electrical system I would greatly appreciate it. Maybe you have had this issue before? Again, turn the ignition to "on" and the lights come on, turn signals work, brake lights work, high beam/low beam works, horn works, but when i push the starter button nothing happens. YES the kill switch is in the run position, and I've tried it in both positions several million times.

When I was working as an apprentice mechanic, I had a very hard time with fixing electrical issues. I still do. But, here's what I have done so far, in an attempt to solve this problem. Needless to to say, none of them have worked, or I wouldn't be posting this drawn out story!
This is a list, not necessarily in order:
1) Cleaned the starter push button and kill switch contacts. (Took switch apart and cleaned contacts and sprayed with Deoxit)
2) Replaced the right hand control with a used one from Ebay
3) Cleaned and inspected EVERY electrical connection.
4) Tested fuses (they were fine)
5) Replaced fuses with new ones just to be really really sure. (Size 20A) Checked voltage coming in and out of fuse box... 12v both
6) Arched the solenoid at the two large terminals, and the starter turns over when I do this. (There are also two smaller prongs on the starter solenoid with wires that go into the wiring harness and attach to the decompression control box)
7)Bench tested the starter relay. (Hooked it up to the old battery and could hear the magnets clicking)
8) checked starter solenoid resistance (4.2 ohms) Manual says it should be between 2-6ohms, so mine is within range).
9) Bought and installed a brand new battery. (The old one dropped from 12V to 10v when I turned the ignition key to the "on" position) The new one drops from 12.8v to 12.2v (much better).
10) Performed a short circut test (0.6 ohms) not to bad right?
11) checked magneto resistance (0.9 ohms) (within range.)
12) checked pick up coil resistance (206 ohms) Manual says range is 220 + or - 20%, so 206 should be fine.
13) Decompression Solenoid resistance (1.0) fine?
14) Tested power to solenoid (12.5V)
15) Tested Solenoid (+) to Starter cable (-) (12.3v)
16) Tested Decomp solenoid as per manuals instructions; tested fine
17) Checked continuity of switches, as per manuals instructions (FINE means the multimeter read 0.00 so there was continuity; Ignition switch = fine / Sidestand switch (5.41 ohms in upright position = BAD) / Clutch safety switch = fine / Rear Brake switch = fine / Front brake switch = fine / Starter push button = fine / Run and kill switch = fine / Dimmer switch = fine / Turn signal switch = fine / Horn switch = fine.
18) Tested Ignition coil resistance (these tested BAD, which would explain why I didn't get a spark in the first place... before I had this current electrical problem. But I'm still not confident that I performed the test correctly so I'm going to do some research and test it again tomorrow.)
19) Used Jumper wires to bypass the sidestand, clutch, and front brake saftey cut offs. I WANT to bypass the neutral safety cutoff to see if that is the problem, but I don't know how.
20) Checked voltage from ignition to right hand control / wiring harness connection (11v).
21) checked voltage at kill switch button (0v) and at the starter push button (0v) and then 0.10v when I press the starter button. AHA! I think?

Conclusions so far:
1) Sidestand safety switch is bad.
2) Ignition coil may be bad
3) there is no power going to the starter switch. Which sound like it's the main culprit.

Questions for you experts out there:

1) WHY am I getting a reading of 0.10v at the starter push button?  I pulled the coating off to look for broken wires and there were none.

2) How do I bypass the neutral safety cutoff switch?

3) I found a very tiny 3 pronged diode hidden in the wiring harness under the tank. What is this? How do I test it? And could this be the source of my problem?

4) Is there a way to test the CDI box? I don't have access to a known working one, and I don't have the "special Suzuki tester" that the manual says I need in order to test it. I've called a couple different shops and they all refuse to test it for me. They said I would have to try it with a known working one. ALSO, if the CDI box IS bad, would it be causing my symptoms? I know I wouldn't be getting a spark, but would a bad CDI box cause my other issue?

5) What's next? What am I missing? Is there some simple answer I just don't know? (Please oh please oh please)

I know I just threw out of info, some of which may be unnecessary, but I figured the more thorough the better right? Thanks so much for reading it all. And any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm stuck!

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1262917566

The link above will take you to the best explanation of how the electrical system on these bikes works that I've seen.

I wish I had a simple answer for you but I don't. I'd forget about the igniton for now and concentrate on getting the starter to spin the engine.
One of the small wires on the starter relay gets 12V from the decompresion controller when all the safteys are closed and the start switch is pushed. The other small wire goes to ground. Make sure you've got power there when you hit the start switch. If you don't you've got to back track from there and find out why.

Most likely the side stand switch. Do as suggested and it should fire up. The one on my 1998 model (bought brand new) lasted less than 2 months. Has been bypassed ever since without issue.

& a kill switch has bit a bunch of us.

On mine, even if it is in neutral you have to squeeze the clutch in to get it to start. Is mine defective? I don't know, the mechanic that worked it before I got it said thats how these bikes worked. I've owned honda's , kawi's, yamaha's and harleys and didn't have to clutch it in neutral to start it.

The Suzuki bikes, at least my current LS650 and my old GR650 Tempter, require the clutch to be pulled in for a start, regardless of gear position or sidestand. And that's the way the Owner's Manual describes it, too. If it'll start without pulling the clutch, something isn't correct.

Have a look at a wiring diagram. Theres a wire on the decompression controller that, when 12 V hits it, that thing Is gonna turn over. Even if the key is in your pocket, so make sure its in neutral. Thatll test the decomp controller. It wont play if its bad.

This might sound crazy - but how old is the battery?

Try giving it a charge.

Jay