Picked up a new horse today, 85 250ES [Archive]

tri again

06-08-2012, 08:00 PM

Thanks Tri Again. I have neutral light, unscrewed cap and nothing still. Im still going over the trike checking things with the meter, any and all ideas welcome but I think the stator is to be blamed.

yeah, the manual should tell you a few different ways to check components.
either resistance or output.

I think the stator output is ac current and rectified somewhere to dc so the coil can use it.

did the
service manual
link work for you?

sinsayers

06-08-2012, 09:51 PM

Sure did Tri Again, I am studying it now. Thanks for all the help guys, Im going to test a few more things tomorrow.

kb0nly

06-08-2012, 11:10 PM

Take your voltmeter and set it to AC voltage, if you got clip leads thats best otherwise some test jumpers so you can set it up, connect the meter leads to the stator lead and a frame ground and crank it over, should see voltage on the black/red wire. Some digital meters will pulse so fast that they don't give a good reading, i grab my old analog meter so i can watch the needle jump with every revolution of the engine. But either way you should see pulses going out on the black/red wire to the CDI unit.

I have to disagree that its the stator however... Everyone of these that i fought it was the CDI unit. If you see voltage from the Stator then i would check the ground and connections to the coil, also the pulse generator, and then if all that checks out and your seeing voltage from the stator, pulses to the CDI unit, and still no spark, then its either the coil, which you can ohm out or just swap they are so cheap, or the CDI. I bet on the CDI. I have replaced so many of these little black SOB's...

I just put up posts on here dealing with the CDI on my 84 BR. Its running a universal replacement from DRatv.com now, although i did discover the originals problems and reason for failure but now i have it converted to using a $5-20 CDI versus the $199 dealer part!

sinsayers

06-08-2012, 11:34 PM

Kbonly thanks for the information man! I am off tomorrow and plan on breaking into her good so that is first on my list. Again that is very good info and I didnt even think about turning her over to get the reading for my meter's, it makes sense now that you said it and that will be first thing checked.

kb0nly

06-08-2012, 11:51 PM

Thats the best way to rule out the stator, cause if you check that and nothing from the stator then its done for. The manual shows how to ohm it out and check the coil but that only tells you if its shorted or burnt open. The stator is just a big coil of wire on a metal form, the two ways they fail is burn open somewhere or the enamel on the wire burns through and it shorts out. Sometimes they short out in the windings so that the coil is effectively smaller than it should be, this will show up when you ohm it out but even more so when you measure its output and its low, like a bad transformer.

The nice thing about these is that there is only four components to worry about when it comes to no spark.

Coil
CDI
Pulse Generator
Stator

The stator generates the AC voltage for the CDI, the pulse generator is like points on an older engine and just tells the CDI when to fire the plug, the CDI ramps up the voltage from the stator to feed the coil which then ramps up the voltage again to its final value to fire the plug. Its really so simple but can be a pain sometimes to get it all working right. I have to say though, i sure do enjoy working on single cylinder engines of this nature. A friend of mine just had problems with her vehicle, computer throwing codes, check engine light, ugh. Took me two days to figure out what might be wrong then another week at the shop to actually fix the problem. What a pain!

One more thing, if you have an old school test light probe with a regular bulb in it, not an LED, that works great for testing the output of the pulse generator and stator as well, you can watch it flash!

sinsayers

06-09-2012, 12:16 AM

Thanks for the info man, I do have the light tester so that will be my tool of choice. I'll keep you guys posted

tri again

06-09-2012, 12:33 AM

Not sure which model but do remember going blind with the wire diagram.

Seems to me that the kill switch ground is also in the loop for the cdi TO run.
Maye that was a 200x but just another thought on grounds and connections in general.

Nice to review the stator output so thanks to kbonly for the rundown.

AC voltage at cranking speed is hard to see without 4 hands and 4 good eyes
and old school tools for sure.

and yes, Please keep us posted.

Wonder if the reverse light works?
thinking if that was stuck (grounded) it may keep it from starting.

dirty key switch contacts?
I have a couple that need wiggling and need to be turned on and backed off a few thousandths.

Just stumbling in the dark here but will come up with some more ideas by tomorrow.

kb0nly

06-09-2012, 02:23 AM

Good points on the kill switch and ignition switch... On this 85 you can actually unplug the ignition switch entirely then take the yellow/red wire and plug it into the red wire that the ignition switch was connected to. This bypasses the ignition switch and turns on the 12v power, the neutral light should come on. You can also disconnect the black wire in the headlight that goes to the stop/run switch, that will eliminate that as a source of trouble also.

But before disconnecting all that... Take an ohm meter and check for continuity between the black wire at the CDI unit to ground, there should be no continuity as the black wire is the kill wire. I had one with a bad stop/run switch so its definitely not unheard of. The switch inside that control just grounds the black wire to the handlebars, the contacts in there get corroded and sometimes stick.

You can just unplug the CDI unit and put one of your meters probes into the black wire and the other into the green wire, set the meter for continuity, turn ignition switch to on and the stop/run switch to run, there should be no continuity, flip the stop/run switch to stop, you should have continuity showing that switch is working, then flip that back to run and flip the ignition off and on a few times make sure its working right every time. Once you have those two switches and the kill wire ruled out you know its not that at least!

I bet on CDI unit yet, if you had another to swap with i would do that. But if everything else checks out, stator, pulse generator sending pulses to the CDI, and the kill switches functioning correctly, then its the CDI or the spark coil, all it can be. And the CDI on these is a known problem! I told a guy on another ATV forum about my 84 and the new CDI i wired in and he mentioned he has TWO 85's in the shed with no spark, one he replaced the CDI on it and it ran again for a while but died, so he pulled the CDI from the second one in the shed that needed carb work and put it on there and it ran again for about a month and died. Now he is considering replacing both with aftermarket CDI units to get them going again. Shoot... I could have had a cheap 85 if i hadn't told him that... LOL!!!

sinsayers

06-09-2012, 02:25 AM

Funny you bring up a ground in the cdi loop.... the PO said he caught a few (heads) trying to steal this trike one night, the wires on the controls were all yanked out so I have been playing tag all day with that. After all is said and done, I do have everything wired/soldered correctly but I have one green ground that I can't find in the honda manual. The honda color chart only says ground and does not say for what. You may also be onto something Tri Again. I love working on these old things and have grown to accept the part of fixing other peoples problems because of them being so old.Thanks for all the help guys

P.S. I have not tried the reverse yet but I will

sinsayers

06-09-2012, 02:43 AM

Great info guys, I really appreciate all the help. Im sure I could have searched and found a lot of this info and want to thank you all for taking time to help a stranger. I have a ton of ideas for tomorrow thanks to you all!

kb0nly

06-09-2012, 03:06 AM

tri again

06-09-2012, 01:59 PM

When you get it running come back and post some more pics!

Wiring problems are a PITA... But i have been through them so many times. My 84 had wires in the harness that were twisted together and taped, hence intermittent contact. I soldered and heatshrinked them and then re-wrapped the entire harness after inspecting it. Just had to flush out all the repairs previous people have done to eliminate them, sounds like thats what your doing also! Ain't it fun?

When its running it will be worth it though!

I gave a couple 84 big reds to a returning marine for his asparagus farm.
weeks and months of chasing wire gremlins, and I had a known working
84es to swap known working parts from....didn't help.
No spark with electric start but when I 'gave up', took the battery OUT and kicked it as a last goodbye, the sucker sparked.
Wasn't sure to be happy or still aggravated because it DID work.

Many people have replaced their entire 84 wire harnesses only to admit
they were probably ok but by simply being forced to touch EVERY connection
they run again and that the old harnesses were probably ok.

The 85 es and sx models seem to be less susceptible to gremlins.

Then again, we have no idea what these things have been through over
the years.

youtube of 'bigred on silverbacks' will keep anyone motivated.

sinsayers

06-09-2012, 10:05 PM

I was super busy today in the bow shop and weedeating the range so I didnt get a chance to look at the red, boy would she have been handy packing my tools around the range!! Tomorrow I promise I will devote all of my attention to her fat trailprotrailprotrailprotrailprotrailpro

sinsayers

06-09-2012, 10:08 PM

I gave a couple 84 big reds to a returning marine for his asparagus farm.
weeks and months of chasing wire gremlins, and I had a known working
84es to swap known working parts from....didn't help.
No spark with electric start but when I 'gave up', took the battery OUT and kicked it as a last goodbye, the sucker sparked.
Wasn't sure to be happy or still aggravated because it DID work.

Many people have replaced their entire 84 wire harnesses only to admit
they were probably ok but by simply being forced to touch EVERY connection
they run again and that the old harnesses were probably ok.

The 85 es and sx models seem to be less susceptible to gremlins.

Then again, we have no idea what these things have been through over
the years.

youtube of 'bigred on silverbacks' will keep anyone motivated.
That is one nasty looking Big Red in that video, I have never seen that one until now! A big salute for supporting a soldier man, that will be a precious tool for that man.

kb0nly

06-09-2012, 10:24 PM

That electric vs pull start problem is pretty common on the 84 200ES, i had the same problems on one last year i fixed for a guy. I finally replaced the CDI and all the problems went away. I practically rebuilt his entire harness but still intermittent spark, sometimes the electric start would work, sometimes the pull start only, replaced the CDI and it would fire up on both every time, i don't know why but just chalked it up to an experience and moved on. Its still running fine almost a year later!

Mine developed a slight problem today, with the hotter weather the starter solenoid is acting up, tap on it a few times and it works just fine, park it in the sun and all i get it ker-click and a slight movement of the starter, tap the relay and it fires right off. New relay ordered. It starts on the first pull with the recoil though so no big deal. It sure is nice having the recoil backup!

sinsayers

06-09-2012, 10:43 PM

The kids 80 raptor did the same thing last week with the starter, tap it and she would fire right up. Crazy four wheeled machines and their electric start only!! I replaced it and it works fine now.

sinsayers

06-10-2012, 06:09 PM

Ok tested my stator just a few mins ago, pegged my multimeter :) I am doing the kill switch testing now

kb0nly

06-10-2012, 07:27 PM

Where you testing voltage output?

sinsayers

06-10-2012, 09:38 PM

I tested the black/red wire on the cdi plug like you posted earlier, Im still not getting spark down too my plug. More testing and tinkering to come I suppose.

tulsamike3434

06-10-2012, 09:45 PM

Looks Like a nice trike! Love the tires!

sinsayers

06-10-2012, 09:52 PM

Thanks TulsaMike, she is really solid and has been taken care of. Cant wait to put her to work!
Looks Like a nice trike! Love the tires!

tulsamike3434

06-10-2012, 10:05 PM

Thanks TulsaMike, she is really solid and has been taken care of. Cant wait to put her to work!

Is she a strong runner? or is she tired?

sinsayers

06-10-2012, 10:24 PM

shes being lazy right now, no spark issue

sinsayers

06-10-2012, 10:28 PM

I did a compression test and that was perfect, stator is spitting out power, power at and after the cdi and power at the switches. Im just chasing the bad spot man, fixing another guys problem.
Is she a strong runner? or is she tired?

kb0nly

06-10-2012, 11:10 PM

Sounds like its the CDI box yet if your stator and pulse gen is ok then.

I suspected that from the start just because i have replaced so many of them!

atc350xer

06-10-2012, 11:21 PM

Any chance it could be the spark plug wire? I've had a couple with bad connections, just snip 1/4" off the wire and screw the plug cap back onto it.

sinsayers

06-11-2012, 03:15 AM

I have tried 3 different coils with 3 different plug wires so I think I can rule that one out, thanks for the tip though. I think your right Kb but I need to test my run/kill switch more tomorrow, I will take a few pictures so you guys can see the birds nest this thing has at the controls. Thanks for all the help
Any chance it could be the spark plug wire? I've had a couple with bad connections, just snip 1/4" off the wire and screw the plug cap back onto it.

sinsayers

06-11-2012, 03:27 AM

Tri Again my reverse light will not work, I took the ignition plastic off and checked all the wires at that connection and everything seemed ok. The bulb is fine but something is preventing the red light to pop on. I have homework for tomorrow with the reverse light, thanks for that tip also. As much as I want to ride ol red theres a part of me loving this challenge.

kb0nly

06-11-2012, 09:47 AM

The reverse light wouldn't be coming on because of a bad reverse switch or a bad connection at the switch most likely. Try pulling the bulb out and putting it back in a half dozen times or so to though, sometimes those types of bulbs get corroded in the socket and make a bad connection.

Will watch for those pictures! And hopefully a report of running soon!

If the kill switch turns out to be ok and everything else checks out, then it has to be the CDI. I have gotten to the point on these Honda's that if i get one with no spark the first thing i do is swap the CDI, that works like 9 times out of ten. That tenth time its usually a weird wiring problem somewhere.

sinsayers

06-11-2012, 07:10 PM

A few pictures for you guys to see what Im dealing with. Storms today so no chance to play with some wires

kb0nly

06-11-2012, 10:09 PM

Wiring nightmare! Been there, many times!

sinsayers

06-12-2012, 12:04 AM

Nightmare is a good way to put it hahaha, Im off this week for vacation so I will have a lot of time with ol red. I'll keep you all posted and thanks for the tips. PS I never did tell you guys what I paid for her, $350 bucks but I had to spend 90 in gas.
Wiring nightmare! Been there, many times!

tri again

06-12-2012, 02:59 AM

Hi

I have a 250sx and the ignition key switch is simply not there,
all 4 wires cut (even tho they UNplug) and it starts and runs with the kick with none of the 4 wires
connected to each other or anything else.

The reverse safe switch can simply be grounded to the engine but it WILL
start in gear. and should glow when you kick it. or glow if you turn the key on.
and the switch works and the battery is good.

Not sure if eliminating those 2 topics will help but it could help if you're in the zone of eliminating
problems one at a time.

Did the wire plugs push out the back of the cdi connector?
ground connections look good?

Stator ohms good and puts out some sort of ac voltage?

You'll get it.
I wonder how much a whole wire harness (correctly removed from working unit)
costs?
Seems like under 20 bucks or so on ebay.

Advice from a guy who wired a 58 triumph with a roll of red wire.

Keep smiling, we'll get it one way or another.

Hey, what do the wires look like under the box behind the headlight?

Bunch of connectors and a fuse or 2 but I think those fuses are just for the light and
accessory plug.

kb0nly

06-12-2012, 12:30 PM

All the fuses are under the seat on the BR. There is two fuses, one for the lighting and battery charging, 10 amp, and another smaller fuse for the indicator lighting and inhibitor relay circuits, i forget what the rating is, like 5a i think i would have to look again.

The ignition switch has four wires, i know this by heart from memory..

Red
Yellow/Red
Green
Black

Black is the kill wire, when the ignition switch is in the off position it connects the green to the black. Just leave the green and black floating not connected and it will run. The Red and Red/Yellow are connected in the on position to provide power to the lights and accessory outlet. You can plug the red into the red/yellow on the BR and just leave the black disconnected to bypass the switch. I have done this on barn finds that have no keys before, takes only a few minutes to pull the two screws on the headlight and pull out the wires, find the four wire harness from the switch, unplug the black from the switch, unplug the red and yellow/red from the switch and plug the two ends from the harness together and its done. The ignition switch has a male connector on the green, black, yellow/red, and a female on the red, so with the switch removed you can just plug the harness red into the yellow/red without chopping anything and just use the handlebar light switch to turn the lights on and off.

I know three guys running like that, they kick it into first gear when its off to shut off the neutral light so it doesn't drain the battery, lol.

Chances are you still have a wiring problem or a CDI problem.

atc007

06-12-2012, 01:22 PM

Reverse light is 90% of the time,unplugged/pulled back off at the sensor. It and the Neutral are under the clutch cover,behind a tin shield. It gets bent backwards and the plug ins get bent backwards. Good luck w that wiring. For time sakes,I'd get a good harness..If the CDI isn't junk now,,it sure will be till you're sorted thru that! Good luck!

kb0nly

06-12-2012, 01:34 PM

After another post on here asking about the connector for the reverse/neutral switch i went looking and found a 250ES to take a look at, well the engine itself anyway not the complete trike, thats a stupid design i agree. I think with the right prep work i could get the wire soldered directly to the switch terminal and sleeve it with some heatshrink tubing and solve that problem once and for all if i had to on one of these.

sinsayers

06-12-2012, 09:59 PM

I managed to fiddle with ol red for a few hrs this evening and my main focus was getting the reverse light to come on. I took apart the key switch, took out the bulbs and tested the reverse socket and with a frame ground I did get some AC output at the socket. I then switched the bulbs around to see if it was a popped bulb but the reverse bulb worked in the neutral socket so I can rule out the bulb. Im not getting a ground on that reverse socket I suppose?? I checked the reverse switch by the clutch cover and the black wire was unhooked but the bulb still didnt light after fixing. I checked fuses under the spotlight and a few other things but tomorrow I will do the hotwire test stated above. Thanks a ton guys, you rock! Jeremy

kb0nly

06-12-2012, 10:59 PM

Yes, your are correct! The reverse switch only switches the ground for the reverse indicator circuit, the switch just grounds the wire when in reverse.

Waiting to hear you got it fired up!

sinsayers

06-13-2012, 09:54 PM

No time to play with the trike today and we have a big ride coming up this weekend so I will be on it all day tomorrow. Can I just ground the sensor to the frame somewhere and call it good?

tri again

06-14-2012, 01:10 AM

No time to play with the trike today and we have a big ride coming up this weekend so I will be on it all day tomorrow. Can I just ground the sensor to the frame somewhere and call it good?

Grounding the neutral safety switch wire to the engine or frame to bypass the
safety switch will allow it to start in gear and run over whatever's in front of it,
including the dog.

Not real safe but I had mine like that for a couple weeks till I found a new switch locally for 12 bucks.

I also saw 2 complete wire harnesses for under 20 bucks on e.b. last night btw

kb0nly

06-14-2012, 01:40 AM

As long as your always sure you have it in neutral when you shut it off, and set the parking brake as a safety, there is no reason why you couldn't ground the neutral safety switch, but just realize it will always have the neutral light on and if you bump the start button while the engine is running and in gear it will still think its in neutral and you can accidentally run the starter while the engine is at speed, which will burn up the starter.

If your talking about the reverse switch however, just leave it disconnected, because the reverse switch is the opposite, if its grounded and the reverse light is on the starter will not run, at least thats how it was on my 250 and on my 200ES i have now.

sinsayers

06-14-2012, 03:17 AM

Thanks Tri Again and KB, my neutral seems to work fine but the reverse is my problem so I will try to ground it tomorrow. I stocked up on wire, shrink tube and toggle switches so something will be done about this tomorrow hahaha. My stop/run switch controls will be on the way tomorrow so I will find a way to manage the birds nest for this weekends ride. On a good note I have had most of the riders around this area rooting to see her in the woods

kb0nly

06-14-2012, 12:30 PM

Did you get spark out of the old girl yet?

sinsayers

06-14-2012, 02:25 PM

I am working on it man, I have only managed to solder up a few wires on the controls and clean that up some. Im grabbing some lunch and going to play with the reverse sensor.

sinsayers

06-14-2012, 08:00 PM

Ok after trying the hotwire method and no change I decided to recheck some things, i noticed I had no ac coming from the yelllow black wire coming out of the cdi box that goes to the coil.

kb0nly

06-15-2012, 01:38 AM

Figures, its the stupid CDI i bet then.

sinsayers

06-15-2012, 03:02 AM

I believe your right KB, like several of you stated before I do believe it is the CDI. I am looking for one now so if any of you know a guy let me know, ebay stock cdi's are in the $40 range and I will grab one from there if I have to but I prefer to deal with trike guys. Thanks for all the help and I will keep you updated as I tinker with ol red some more.
PS. I got my reverse light working and cleaned up the left brake/ebrake control. Just waiting on spark now. Jeremy

tri again

06-15-2012, 06:07 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVItbSiBn5Q&feature=player_detailpage

You deserve a break.

This always helps me stay focused on the 'prize'.

Another one is ' big red on silverbacks' if you can search youtube

kb0nly

06-15-2012, 12:10 PM

Go to www.dratv.com and get a CDI from him.

http://www.dratv.com/cdiunit88d.html

Also get the connector set so you can replace your stock round connector with the newer style rectangular connector. Then you won't be stuck with using the older CDI units that are expensive. Why pay $40-60 for a used one on eBay that might die again in a month. I bought two of these CDI's from DrATV and i bought four more off eBay for spares and upcoming projects, you can find them on eBay for around $5-$8, i can't speak for their durability on the cheaper ones yet i haven't run one long enough, but i have been running one to test it, i keep my CDI from DrATV in a padded sealed envelope in the trunk as an emergency spare in case it dies while i am out with it, but so far no problems.

sinsayers

06-15-2012, 08:59 PM

awesome video man, It makes me want to ride hahaha. Thanks!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVItbSiBn5Q&feature=player_detailpage

You deserve a break.

This always helps me stay focused on the 'prize'.

Another one is ' big red on silverbacks' if you can search youtube

sinsayers

06-15-2012, 09:05 PM

Thanks again KB, I will be on it asap. I will keep you guys updated!

sinsayers

06-16-2012, 02:29 AM

It shows the male connectors being sold out and will that cdi work with a 250?

kb0nly

06-16-2012, 12:33 PM

Get the other one, the set of the male and female connectors it only costs a bit more.

http://dratv.com/6wicom.html

Otherwise go here...

http://www.vintageconnections.com/

Click on Place an Order on the left side and scroll down on the right when it loads that page, he has them as well.

Yes it should work fine, i have one on my 200 and i just put one on a 250 as well. All you need is a five wire CDI and replace the plug.

sinsayers

06-16-2012, 08:43 PM

Thanks a ton for the info KB, I'll be ordering my cdi monday. Yard/garden work all day today so nothing new to update. Looks like I will be riding the X tomorrow for the Ivy ride. Jeremy

kb0nly

06-16-2012, 09:37 PM

You get that CDI replaced and you should be good to go, sounds like everything else is working otherwise?

sinsayers

06-16-2012, 10:36 PM

Everything is really solid on the red, rear brakes are a touch squishy and will need replaced eventually, the fronts seem perfect, compression is strong, carb cleaned and air filter replaced. Tires holding air perfect, rear shock has that "new" honda sound and feel, front forks seem to work normally with no leaks that I can see/hear. All the lights are working now except the front light but that is on the way also. Left brake control needs a new cable and had to replace a bulb or two.
You get that CDI replaced and you should be good to go, sounds like everything else is working otherwise?

kb0nly

06-16-2012, 11:30 PM

Awesome! Once you get spark again you will be having some fun! Don't forget to post some updated pictures after you get it fixed and running! I had to replace my rear hand brake cable to, just couldn't get it to cooperate, i even greased it with a cable adapter and tried to free it up but it would always stick and not release. My brakes seem to be getting better now, they were squeeking bad at first but i think it was just because it sat so long, after a couple days riding it they are quieting down and they grab really good. I should open up the rear brake and clean it out with some brake cleaner and inspect the shoes but i haven't had time lately. I just spent a few hours today pulling apart the steering on it, it was so loose it wobbled. Bearing looked good, grease was a bit dried up, put in fresh grease and retightened it, that fixed it up, so no need for new bearings yet, but i will probably upgrade to a set from All Balls this fall.

What was wrong with the headlight, just a bulb?

sinsayers

06-16-2012, 11:44 PM

well my light housing is there with cable and even the rubber grommets but for some unkown reason my glass is missing. I'll try to find a picture of that. I may do the same as you and just let the rear breaks go for a few rides and see if they start working right again, my 200x had no breaks when I got it but after some riding both front and rear work flawless. I also have a crack on my right side fender that I will need to stich up, the PO let his little girl ride one the fender and one day she snapped it O.o atleast that is what he told me.

kb0nly

06-17-2012, 02:05 AM

Someone probably broke the headlight, not uncommon. I see them with the housing and no lens assembly pretty often, i was surprised when i got mine and it had a good headlight on it!

Those fenders are available new aftermarket but not cheap, so i would just fix it the best you can and ride the snot out of it... LOL

sinsayers

06-17-2012, 02:40 AM

Yeap I am going to try to do some rivet and sheet metal work on the fender tomorrow and maybe look around for a headlight to mount in my housing. We plan on riding a lot tomorrow so I dont know how much I will get done on her but there is a chance for thunderstorms so who knows if the guys will go or not.

sinsayers

06-17-2012, 05:42 PM

I was messing around with the X earlier and decided I would try that cdi on the red since it has the same connection and got nothing from it. Should that CDI work ? It didnt but I was just wondering if that one should since it has the same 6 pin round hookup.

kb0nly

06-17-2012, 09:00 PM

I would have to look at the diagrams but i doubt it.

sinsayers

06-18-2012, 12:22 AM

ok thanks KB, it just makes me think.

sinsayers

06-22-2012, 04:54 PM

Im still waiting on my parts to come in the mail, I ordered my on/off switch from a member so that should have been here this week but no such luck. Headlight will be a few more days, oil filter,uni and exhaust drain cap will be another week. I have been shopping for small items like clutch adjuster cap, wheel hub caps and marine grade viynal also new handlebar grips.

kb0nly

06-22-2012, 08:04 PM

You will have it fixed up nice then! A good rider. I have been tinkering on my 84 whenever i get a chance. Just had a flat tire, found out the left rear tire had a plug in it from previous owner and they did a bad job installing it, i don't think they even used rubber cement just pushed it in. So i pulled the old one out, very easily with a pliers, then roughed up the hole and got a new plug ready and covered it in rubber cement, inserted that, trimmed it down and lit it on fire to melt it down. No leak so far! Fingers crossed...

I compared diagrams, i don't think the ES and the X have the same pinout on the CDI's. I would have to get both service manuals and compare the troubleshooting page for both, it could probably be made to work with the X's CDI by moving the wires around in the plug, but by then i bet you have your new one.

sinsayers

06-22-2012, 08:09 PM

Always fixing other guys problems hahaha, plugs are so simple but some people just dont do anything right. Im happy its holding air man and I think your right about the X cdi box because my reverse light stayed on the whole time when I plugged it in. No neutral light no matter what gear selection but it works fine with my big red cdi. I am holding off on ordering the cdi until I get my on/off switch because I just dont trust that mess. Hell that may be the only problem but who knows, I will still order a cdi for a backup. Thanks Jeremy

kb0nly

06-23-2012, 12:01 AM

If the reverse light was on the whole time thats weird... On the 85 the reverse switch only turns the light on and off, has nothing to do with the CDI. I would guess you either have a bad reverse switch or a short on the reverse switch circuit. I used to have an 85 and i drove that for two years with the reverse light on til the bulb burnt out, then i still rode it for a while til i sold it.

If you want to troubleshoot it quick just unplug the switch you have now, if you unplug the run/stop switch on the left handlebar up in the headlight then it can't stop it from running. All that switch does is ground the black kill wire to the handlebars inside. If you meant the keyswitch you can still do the same, unplug the black wire from the keyswitch. With those two unplugged there should NOT be ground continuity, from the black wire to the frame, unless you have a problem/short somewhere else. I have had a bad run/stop switch before, drove me nuts trying to find out what was wrong and i was away from home without much for tools, i unplugged the switch and it fired right up.

sinsayers

06-23-2012, 03:46 AM

I will retry it again tomorrow I may have been wrong but pretty sure it was the reverse light staying on. I know one of the lights were on full time while my X cdi was plugged in but works normal with the ES cdi. I did try unhooking the switch totally and still had no spark, I have a ton to do tomorrow so I will try to do some work on it. Im crossing my fingers that my new switch comes in so I can rule that area out completely, well clean that area up atleast. Those loose half a$$ed wires drive me crazy

sinsayers

07-10-2012, 05:02 PM

New switch installed, new cdi came in today and before I hardwired everything I was doing some testing with it first. Still no spark!! Now its getting very frustrating. Pissed off more or less.

sinsayers

07-20-2012, 11:13 PM

I finally did some more work on the Big Red, I decided to break out my multimeter and check some more wires on the stator and pulse gen. No cont on the red/black stator wire with ground but I do get some voltage from it when I crank it. The manual says I should get continuity so I guess I need to be shopping for a stator.

sinsayers

09-03-2012, 07:19 PM

Stator installed,we have spark woo hoo. I'm just waiting on the battery to recharge and ill be trying to fire

sinsayers

09-03-2012, 11:05 PM

Its alive! Rebuilt the carb, new stator, case gaskets, uni air filter, oil change, oil filter and plug finished. Parts to install still are rear brakes, 2 brake cables and headlight glass. She really idles perfect and not a single puff of smoke, shifts through all of the gears perfect. The only thing I have found interesting is the motor temp seems to be very hot too the touch, even the starter is almost skalding hot. Is this a Red thing because of the hot weather and the big arse front fender or is she running a touch lean. Thanks for all of the you guys that helped along this crazy wiring system.