QuestionHi Bob,
Sorry for the confusion. Yes, by saying it didn't connect, the power didn't come on.
Thanks again!
Original Question:
We just borrowed my mom's bike and it's been running fine (except for the clutch failing, which we fixed by using this website, thank you Chris) and just had another problem with the bike. We've been riding the bike all weekend, and just went out for one last ride before the rat race on Monday, and the ignition failed to connect with the electrical stuff. (Pardon my tech speak!) We cycled the ignition on and off a couple of times and it connected, but when we pushed the start button, everything disconnected again. We got the ignition to connect again, and then push started it and it fired up. We drove it for about half a mile and then it died, never to connect again. Help! We are new to the street biking world, but I grew up on dirt bikes and understand the ride one hour work on the bike 2. I like to fix my own stuff if I can. Do you have any suggestions?
AnswerThe most likely causes of this problem are the key switch and the main fuse.
Hondas of that era came with an open link fuse under a cover on the side of the solenoid. Over the years the material the fuse is made of becomes brittle and can crack. When this happens it can sometimes conduct and sometimes not.
Even if it isn't the problem, I recommend replacing the main fuse. I have seen these fuses crumble at the first touch. As far as I know, the only place to get replacements is at a Honda dealer.
Blade type fuses can be obtained just about anywhere, and I can guarantee that even the oldest ones are a lot newer than the original ones that came with your 'Wing. Get a heavy duty pigtail type blade fuse holder, put a couple of small ring type lugs on the wires, & attach it with the screws that held the original fuse. You will need to cut away the ends of the door that covered the original fuse in order to close it.
Now just plug a 30A fuse into the holder and you are ready to go.
If the problem is in the keyswitch you can usually get it to work by jiggling the key. If this is the case you will need to clean the contacts in the switch.
You can usually clean the switches on Japanese bikes without taking anything apart. If you look at the bottoms of the switch you should see a small hole - just the right size to accept the straw from a can of contact cleaner and located so that it will spray right onto the contacts.
Just spray the contact cleaner into the hole and work the switch or button vigorously several times, then turn on the key & try it. You might need to repeat the process several times before it works properly.
If you can't get it working after 3 or 4 tries you will need to take it apart.
If you find broken parts you will need to make a trip to the wreckers.
If there is just too much dirt & hardened grease in there for the contact cleaner to wash out you will need to clean it manually. Use an old toothbrush & more contact cleaner.
DO NOT use sandpaper - particles of the grit will become imbedded into the contact's surface and cause all kinds of problems.
If a contact is pitted you can dress it with a POINTS FILE. DO NOT use a regular file. POINTS FILES are designed for dressing ignition points and have the their teeth cut at the proper angle &c so that they will leave a very smooth surface.
NOTE: No matter what the person in the store tells you, WD40 is not contact cleaner. It is a water displacer - that's what the name means: Water Displacer 40th attempt at a formula that works. It's basically a light fish oil, and it has several interesting properties, among which are that it freezes at -20c (no good in locks), when the solvent evaporates it leaves a sticky residue that attracts dust (no good for cleaning contacts), and it is biodegradeable (washes away with water - no good as a lubricant). It is good for loosening duct tape, however.
You need to get real Contact Cleaner. It should be available at any auto parts dealer or at something like Wal-Mart or Canadian Tire.
Please let me know if this solves your problem.
