[Stablefull]

A little history on this bike...l bought it from my cousin down in Santa Monica, so it's a California bike. It ran great when I picked it up. He warned me to start it regularly or the carb will get gummed up. It's an aftermarket racing carb and aftermarket pipe. It ran beautifully and sounded badass. While it's a 2003, it only has like 3700 miles on it. He had back surgery a few years ago and hasn't ridden it much, but always kept it garaged and ran it once a week. I continued on my road trip through the Midwest and started it once and let it run for a few minutes somewhere along the way.

About 2 weeks after I got home I remembered to start it again and it wouldn't start. Choke on, choke off, nothing. Tried compression starting it on my hill and it fired off but died quickly. I put a new plug in and it started finally. I ran it for ten minutes and shut it off. It wouldn't start again and hasn't started since.

My buddy came over and we cleaned the carb and drained the tank. The carb was in great shape and carb cleaner went cleanly through every little orifice we could find. The gas was bad...very yellowy. So I determined that, while my cousin started and ran it weekly, he didn't ride it enough to go through any significant amount of fuel and the gas had deteriorated on him. We put it back together and figured it would start with new, ethanol-free gas. Nothing.

We checked for spark and had none. Fudge. That's weird. What could have happened that it no longer had spark? I went to my trusted helper...YouTube. I found some videos on this particular bike. They said the common culprits are the CDI box and pulse generator. One particular video said to crank it over and tap on the CDI box; if it starts, that's the problem. If not, then it's likely the pulse generator. If all else fails it could be the coil.

I cranked it over and banged on the CDI box. Nothing. Likely the PG, I thought. I went ahead and bought all three parts. The CDI box took all of 2 minutes to swap out. Nothing. On to the pulse generator, which required taking of the right side crankcase cover. 2 weeks later, after a mess of getting the wrong gasket, etc. I get it back together. Nothing. Replaced the coil. Nothing. New spark plug. Nothing. Checked spark again, still no spark. l'm dumbfounded.

Any thoughts? HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLPPPPPP!!!!

 

[SemiFast]

Being a Honda the engine will turn over, using the start button, even if the engine stop switch (kill switch) is in the off position, or bad.
Maybe the engine stop switch could be bad?
Trace the wires from the switch down to the plug and jump / bypass the switch, at the plug, with a paper clip or something then check for spark. Be careful not to let your 'jumper' touch metal.

Does the neutral light come on when you turn the ignition switch to the on position?

 

[Stablefull]

Yes, the neutral light comes on.

Another thing I just thought of when reading this is the possibility of the kickstand switch being faulty. Is this a common problem?

 

[hogcowboy]

I can't say if it's common or not but it can happen on any bike. It's also easily jumped to determine if that's the problem. I question the kill switch myself. Especially if you use it to stop the engine. Up there where you live, corrosion could affect a switch just sitting there. If after jumping the kickstand switch makes no difference, I'd question two switches. The ignition and kill switches. Assuming you finally get it running, I highly suggest you run that bike more than 10 minutes at a time. It's very hard on them to be run in short bursts like that. That's not enough time for the battery to recoup from starting it number 1. But it's also not enough time to burn off accumulated moisture in the oil and combustion chamber. It's better to just let it sit with fuel stabilizer than to start it every few weeks for 10 minutes. Sounds odd but it's true. Get it running and go for a ride long enough to have to refuel a full tank but put stabilizer in it 5 or 10 minutes before you park it. Good luck with your electrical issue though.

 

[Stablefull]

Come to think about it, the one time it fired off for a second when my friend and I were trying to get it started, he said he was fiddling with the kill switch. You may be on to something. Thanks Larry!!!

 

[SemiFast]

Yes, the neutral light comes on.

Another thing I just thought of when reading this is the possibility of the kickstand switch being faulty. Is this a common problem?

Yes, kinda...
It's been a while but I'm thinking a problem with the kickstand switch would probably keep the starter motor from running, probably. best I can remember.

 

[mike721]

I think you need to find a wiring diagram and see just what's in the circuit to the ignition and where you should see 12 volts if all the switches are working correctly, then check it and do your troubleshooting from that point if the voltage isn't present. Ignition isn't that complex but without a diagram your taking shots in the dark.

 

[Stablefull]

Sorry for my absence, and thank you all for your input.

l got the bike running. It was the kickstand switch. Sometimes it starts with the kickstand down, sometimes with it up, sometimes not at all. l'm going to bypass it.

Unfortunately, it looks like l'm going to have to go back to the stock carb. The aftermarket carb is a racing carb and it wants full throttle all the time. Not very conducive to putting through my little town or exploring old trails on the mountain loop

 

[hogcowboy]

Sorry for my absence, and thank you all for your input.

l got the bike running. It was the kickstand switch. Sometimes it starts with the kickstand down, sometimes with it up, sometimes not at all. l'm going to bypass it.

Unfortunately, it looks like l'm going to have to go back to the stock carb. The aftermarket carb is a racing carb and it wants full throttle all the time. Not very conducive to putting through my little town or exploring old trails on the mountain loop

Personally I'd only bypass the switch temporarily while you wait for a replacement switch. These safety measures are there because something rather unforgiving has happened. I know HD doesn't use them and I've seen guys take off with the kickstand(jiffy stand) still down and paid the price on their first left turn. But that's your call.

I'm not at all surprised about the carb. The original owner may have liked fast or stopped. You could probably work some of that out by re-jetting it or with a dyno tune. But that's bucks out for an unknown outcome. You are probably much better off going back to the stock carb. Hope you have it and don't have to search one out. Good luck. Sounds like you are almost there.

 

[Stablefull]

Thanks Larry. It's a fairly light endure bike. Most of the guys that I know that have them just bypass the switch, as they get messed up with dirt, rocks, etc. The switch is down by the kickstand.

Okay so here's my new big question...if I put a stock carb on it, do I need to jet it differently for the aftermarket pipe? It's a Pro Circuit T-4. Would I be better off going to a stock pipe as well?

 

[hogcowboy]

...
Okay so here's my new big question...if I put a stock carb on it, do I need to jet it differently for the aftermarket pipe? It's a Pro Circuit T-4. Would I be better off going to a stock pipe as well?

I have to assume that's a free flowing pipe so my gut sense says yes. I'd try it. If it seems to run fine, then put a tank thru it and read the plugs. But it may not run right to start with so re-jetting would follow. If you have the stock pipe, go with it. You aren't wanting to hot rod it anyway. I did a quick scan and it claims to be a tunable system. You might be able to restrict the flow enough that re-jetting won't be required. That's if I'm reading it correctly. You might not have the tunable one as it looks like it comes both ways. Phone call to them would clear that up and they might know exactly what to do with it to achieve near stock air flow.

But maybe the engine gurus have more insight.

 

[Stablefull]

Good stuff Larry. I don't have the stock carb or pipe. My cousin bought this bike as it is, and I bought it from him on the road trip I took in June.

I talked with him this evening, he suggested taking it for a long ride and burning carbon out of it. I may take it up to the hills tomorrow and rap it out for a bit in 3rd gear.

 

[hogcowboy]

He's correct. All bikes can benefit from that as most don't ride correctly to start with. Shift to the next gear way too soon and ride in too high a gear. Get those rpm's up and keep it there for several miles. Some that have done that think they have a different bike later. Carbon is a killer.

 

[Stablefull]

My afternoon task today!!!