449/511 Neutral Switch

Does the switch actually perform any function?

On my TE449 it doesn't seem to do anything. There's no neutral light, no starting interlock as there's no clutch switch, no sidestand switch. So I just can't see what the point of it is, unless the engine does something different when it thinks it's in neutral?

I took my switch out to test it, and it seems to have failed in an open position, which I think would be a non-neutral state. The bike runs fine, I'm just wondering if there any point in replacing the switch so that the ecu can at least see when I'm in neutral. I can (try to) start my bike in gear clutch out and itll lurch fowards, so my other thought was that there should be a start interlock and my broken switch makes the ecu think that is in neutral, but if that's the case then i don't see how you could ever start the bike in gear, clutch in, as there no clutch switch...

Any thoughts?