Neutral Switch Removal
(21 Oct 2015)

The neutral switch is operated by a cam lobe at the end of gear selector shaft - 17 in the top left picture.
Gearbox NeutralSwitch
Gearbox viewed from the rear
Neutral switch installed

The actual lobe isn't in view because the gearbox isn't set in neutral, but you can see the potential for damage to the switch, if the gearbox is removed / replaced while the shaft is in the wrong position. The manual recommends selecting 4th gear for removal and replacement, or (better yet), removing the neutral switch completely.

Neutral Switch Site Neutral Switch At Rear
This is what the neutral switch looks like from the rear
Neutral switch at the back of the engine

If you look at the picture of the actual switch, it's hard to see the flats of the 13mm hex at the base of the switch. It is obscured by a polypropylene tube, which has been resin filled to protect the connection wire, which has been soldered to the switch terminal. The presence of the wire and the tube covering it, makes it extremely difficult to fit a socket to the switch base.

To get around this, I cut the wire near the end of the switch, then twisted the poly tube until the wire strands broke off at the switch terminal. The switch itself is very robust - it won't be damaged by doing this. With the tube removed, the hex was visible, but there's still not a lot of room to insert a standard tool, so I made a "special".
Neutral Switch Tool
This allowed access past the swing arm, and inside the switch well.

The broken wire was replaced with a short wire soldered to the terminal, covered with heatshrink. The other end of the wire had a 1/4" spade terminal fitted. The mating part was fitted to the cut wire, for reconnection to the switch circuit.

Neutral Switch Adjustment

Many Tornado's suffer from the neutral switch remaining activated, once a gear is selected. This is because the switch action is not smooth. It tends to bind on itself, if pressed too hard.

This is a safety issue, as the electrical system will not detect the sidestand position, while it senses that the gearbox is in neutral. It is also a defectable offence in Australia.

The solution to this problem, is two-fold :-
1. move the switch away from the cam lobe, with a thin washer. On mine, the minimum distance, between the shoulder of the switch and the tip, for reliable switch contact, is 24.1 mm. The distance between the gearbox flat (on the outside) to the internal lobe, when in neutral, is 25.8 mm. So a 1.7 mm copper washer will afford the minimum movement needed to operate the switch.
2. the stickiness of the switch can be improved, at least temporarily, by working PTFE grease (eg. Inox MX7) into the gap between the switch pin and body, and operating the pin as you do this. Mine freed up substantially, but it remains to be seen how long it takes for the grease to be washed out by the engine oil.