turn signals work fine

will disconnect and test though

there is some sort of diode in the starter switch circuit on the schmetic but I can't find where it is

you might be on to something - might be a short somewhere in the wire to the starter but no fuses are blown that I can see

My starter was acting up at times  - trouble or delay in turning engine over. It finally wouldn't work. I push the starter switch, the lights dimmed some, biut no noise at all - dead starter.  Replaced my original 4 year old battery but didn't help, got a new starter but it didn't help either.

The lights dimming when I press the starter switch means something is drawing power, right?

Could it be a relay, and where is it located on the Lifan C25 cruiser?