I'm helping a neighbor with her ATV problems, so I'm new to this vehicle and figured here would be a good place to start. There is a previous thread with this exact same problem, but no indication what the solution was, so I'm reviving it to see if I get a little further along.
The electric starter button will not crank the engine, but it will will start fine with the kick starter. I can short across the starter solenoid and the engine cranks and starts. It runs well in neutral, but the instant you shift into drive or reverse, the engine dies. It dies the instant the neutral light goes out, before the vehicle actually shifts into gear, so it seems like an electrical issue, not one related to the load on the engine.
Problem appeared suddenly. She drove home and parked the vehicle and before she could turn the key off, the engine just died and then would not restart. I removed the battery, recharged it, reconnected the cables, and it cranked normally one time, then nothing.