[MAT]

Sorry I had a chuckle at this post. I've seen (and done) this so many times, we tend to always think of the worst when things go wrong. I watched my certified Mercury mechanic dad tear apart an outboard years ago when it was just a misaligned dead man switch. I always have to remember to start with the simplest most obvious first! I've also come to learn that just because it's new doesn't mean it good either (like spark plugs).

This case would have thrown me for a loop too. Generally these lock out switches (clutch, gear, kickstand) won't allow to motor to crank over. It should still work in neutral though. It sounds like this won't let you warm up the engine on the stand?

First thing I do is eliminate most of these idiot switches which usually is as simple as splicing to 2 wires together. If not that then it's the opposite.