How to shortcircuit a starter solenoid

If your engine refuses to start (I mean, if it doesn't do one crank anyway), it may have a variety of reasons. The best known:
  1. The kill switch is set to off (ok, some engines crank anyway)
  2. Some fuse is blown
  3. Battery connections are bad
  4. The battery is dead
  5. The battery is really dead
  6. The starter solenoid is blown
When this happens, I use to check things in following order, beginning with the one, that is most easy to fix. After any check, there is a new start trial. If you fail, try the next check, following the motto "Ever tried, ever failed, no matter, try again, fail again, fail better" (Samuel Beckett AFAIR).
  1. Set the kill switch to on.
  2. Check the fuses, and replace blown ones. You see, it's a good idea to carry spare fuses with you. If the main fuse is blown, nothing happens: no lights, no horn, no dasboard lights)
  3. Once you're on main fuse, check the battery terminals. If the connections are bad, you most likely will have the idea of a nearly bad battery, including some scratching noises from the rectifier region.
  4. Replace the dead battery. Ok, that still prevents you from riding away now. Try to bump start the bike, or ask some car driver to give you a jump start. Ok, this is not very good for your battery, but most probably you'll need a new one anyway.
    If the battery is dead, most likely the dashboard lights burn in the beginning, but go out when hitting the starter button.
  5. Do the same as (4), if your battery is really dead. In this case even the dasboard lights may not burn.
  6. If nothing of the items before is true, and all lights are burning, and don't go out when hitting the starter button, the starter solenoid may be blown. Shortcircuit it with a screwdriver, and if the engine runs now, you should go for a new solenoid. Doing this is not the really good form, but anyway - you can drive away. Be sure, that the gear is in neutral!

And now, since asked recently, fresh from my garage: How to short circuit the solenoid.
And since I cant get my hands on my TA currently, I had to find a solenoid substitute ;-)

solenoid solenoid solenoid solenoid
This is a screwdriver. The thingy I hold in my hand, of course ;-) ) Imagine, the little plastic bottle is the solenoid, and the 2 bolts are the terminals on it. Touch the bolts with the screwdriver, both at the same time.

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