Topic: Dead starter button

[CBDee]

Have a strange thing happening on the bike. First time I try to start the bike I hit the starter button, nothing happens. Completely dead. However, if I honk the horn, the starter works just fine. Wait for a half hour or so the same thing happens again. Any thoughts?
Bike is a 550.

[TwoTired]

Of course all 550's regardless of year and model are all just exactly the same for wiring and switches...not.

The wire diagram for your make and model should give you a clue.  We don't, cause you only narrowed down to 11 configurations.

Good luck!

[Bankerdanny]

There shouldn't be any connection between the starter button and the horn.

Failing starter button assemblies is very common on SOHC4's. The setup is basically a metal plate that pivots on a fulcrum inside the switch via a ball bearing that sits in the button. The whole thing sits inside a plastic housing that over time gets brittle and cracks.

There is a guy here on the forum that sells a 3D printed replacement housing so you can rebuild the starter button assembly.

[CBDee]

Bike is a '74 cb550 so it doesn't have the nylon starter module. Button works just fine after it finally starts to work. It shares a connection with the horn thru the black power circuit. I guess I'll just have to start pulling connectors to see if i have a bad connector. Everything else works fine on bike, just this intermittent starter problem. Thanks for the replies.

[HondaMan]

This also sounds like a poor ground thru the steering bearings to the handlebars where the Start button grounds when you press it. If the horn honks, then it arc'd a new (and temporary) circuit thru the crud, for a while. The horn uses about 2 amps, the Start solenoid about 1/4 amp, that's the difference...to test this, try wrapping a bare wire around the handlebars and connect it to the battery (-) terminal, then press the Start button (key on) to see if it is more reliable. If so, you probably need to clean and grease the steering head bearings, where this ground come s from.

[jaytee-nz]

TT - why don't you try being helpful to people rather than assuming that everyone has your vast knowledge of all things electrical related to CB550"s ?
Given we don't know the extent of the OP's electrical abilities, it was a reasonable question. It deserved a reasonable answer and thankfully, others helped him out.

[TwoTired]

TT - why don't you try being helpful to people rather than assuming that everyone has your vast knowledge of all things electrical related to CB550"s ?
Given we don't know the extent of the OP's electrical abilities, it was a reasonable question. It deserved a reasonable answer and thankfully, others helped him out.

Sometimes I don't like playing 20 questions in order to help people who won't share basic, relevant information regarding their problem.  It's frustrating.  Perhaps it is better if I just ignore the entire forum again, and just let people flounder on their own?

What should I do to make my bike run again?  Please help! I'm desperate! I just want someone to fix it for me.  For free, of course.

[Honda3]

TT - why don't you try being helpful to people rather than assuming that everyone has your vast knowledge of all things electrical related to CB550"s ?
Given we don't know the extent of the OP's electrical abilities, it was a reasonable question. It deserved a reasonable answer and thankfully, others helped him out.

Sometimes I don't like playing 20 questions in order to help people who won't share basic, relevant information regarding their problem.  It's frustrating.  Perhaps it is better if I just ignore the entire forum again, and just let people flounder on their own?

What should I do to make my bike run again?  Please help! I'm desperate! I just want someone to fix it for me.  For free, of course.

I had a friend who just got into biking a few months ago. He would text me all hours with links to bikes on craigslist, questions, etc. and he drove me CRAZY! But I was VERY patient with him because I remember ppl being sometimes not so nice when I was a newbie.

 Some ppl in the community forget what its like to be young, uninformed and over-excited. Im young and I hope I never forget.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Ahhhhh….. TT is one of the most knowledgeable guys here and has helped MANY members. Someone needs to make that point which he did.

[Honda3]

Ahhhhh….. TT is one of the most knowledgeable guys here and has helped MANY members. Someone needs to make that point which he did.

Ive seen this dance before. Someone oversteps or does something perceived as unkind, and the rah rah crowd comes in to pat him and his virtues on the back.

Great. Hes knowledgeable and helpful, which is magnificent for the forum, but still, look at the exchange in this post.

Im not knocking anyone, Im just saying, if you dont want to help then move along and not antagonize.

[bryanj]

Im with TT  here i get totally pissed off with having to ask what bike, there are many models which each have sub variations some of which make for totally opposite answers!!!!

[jakec]

I agree. If you can't be bothered to provide the necessary information up front then it's not worth the time. I'm young but I've spent many years on forums for all my different hobbies over the years, I think the first one I really got into was airsoft guns. That was about 12 or so years ago. Nobody likes those people that drop into the forum with a poorly worded question and then doesn't even bother to follow up, just disappears afterward.

[jgger]

Hey quit talking about me like that🤪 jk.

Maybe we could put together a sticky that is manditory for newbs to read with a checklist of basic info to include when looking for help, for say someone with less than 25 posts. That way at least they might have an idea as to what is needed to ax fo hep!

Although I do enjoy, in a sadistic sort of way,  reading requests for that "magic " screw that will make their bike run like new and which way you should turn it once it is located.

As for TT, he is the best! But sarcastic humor is good for the soul!

[jaytee-nz]

I totally get the frustration issue (my own favorite gripe is the use of the "Proven Tricks & Tips - NOT for Questions" section, for how do I fix it type questions).
I was thinking along the same lines as Jgger has suggested. Rather than criticize them for a lack of information (which won't stop the next person doing exactly the same thing) why don't we force them to complete a forum search first or fill in compulsory boxes regarding their bike information and it's problems or complete a checklist etc. ?
I think that's more constructive and should reduce the frustration levels.

[jlh3rd]

TT - why don't you try being helpful to people rather than assuming that everyone has your vast knowledge of all things electrical related to CB550"s ?
Given we don't know the extent of the OP's electrical abilities, it was a reasonable question. It deserved a reasonable answer and thankfully, others helped him out.

Sometimes I don't like playing 20 questions in order to help people who won't share basic, relevant information regarding their problem.  It's frustrating.  Perhaps it is better if I just ignore the entire forum again, and just let people flounder on their own?

What should I do to make my bike run again?  Please help! I'm desperate! I just want someone to fix it for me.  For free, of course.

then don't play....simple, isn't it.

[evinrude7]

if someone is new to working on these bikes or anything new in general, they don't know the pertinent information to include with their question. 

[Bankerdanny]

TT's response was a bit cranky,  but when the rubber met the road he stepped up in person to lend me his garage and his help when I was having ignition problems on my 550 half way through my trip in 2017. Then the next day when I had a valve lash adjuster lock nut back off, causing the adjuster to back out and bend from banging into the access cap, he hooked a trailer up to his truck and he and his wife drove 2 hours to bring a replacement valve cover that we could salvage an adjuster from, then helped install it AND also install a points setup in place of the electronic ignition.

Lloyd's a stand up guy and has helped many many members over the years, so he deserves more than a little slack.

[TwoTired]

TT - why don't you try being helpful to people rather than assuming that everyone has your vast knowledge of all things electrical related to CB550"s ?
Given we don't know the extent of the OP's electrical abilities, it was a reasonable question. It deserved a reasonable answer and thankfully, others helped him out.

Sometimes I don't like playing 20 questions in order to help people who won't share basic, relevant information regarding their problem.  It's frustrating.  Perhaps it is better if I just ignore the entire forum again, and just let people flounder on their own?

What should I do to make my bike run again?  Please help! I'm desperate! I just want someone to fix it for me.  For free, of course.

then don't play....simple, isn't it.

BTDT.   Guess I'm just longing for less brain cell starvation.  'Cause I already suggested just that in my post you quoted. 

Thanks for the "help".

[johans]

I am always amazed @ the depth of knowledge of TT. I have found this forum ( and him ) a great source of technical help. There will always be haters or arrogant boobs trying to compensate for some deficiencies in their upbringing , if i come across someone like that i will always call them on it  ( even here recently ). When Dan Gurney died a guy on the Lotus forums ( a great source for my Turbo Esprit ) said the next day " i guess the value of my car just went up " because he had signed his dash ! I called it in" bad taste " and a guy from Stockbridge Massachusetts  bashed me !  I love to help people and i love to admit i do not know something so i can learn and be of some humble help in the future .  Thanks and keep up the good work TT !

[dhall57]

Young, old, or somewhere in between, we are all on this forum because for the most part because we love these old sohc4 Honda's. I've been here since 2009 and have always done all my own work on my bikes, but will be the first to admit I don't know everything by any means. Their are many experts here and TT is one of them, HondaMan is another. But sometime you have to bite your tongue and have a little more patience with some members because of the way they present their questions etc. No matter how knowledgeable you are on these bikes you at one time were a beginner and a rookie yourself and someone was nice enough and took time to help you

[jlh3rd]

+1...Since I began showing my bike I've been forced to  learn a tremendous amount of information about it, and honda, that I never knew was involved in this hobby. I've educated myself with lots of help from experts and my own research.. The best experts are the ones that listen and lend a hand to those that are learning ....and.. most importantly, admit when they are wrong, or don't know the answer. Some experts, because of their egos and delusional self importance, can't do that. I have no respect for people that act that way, i don't take it, and respond accordingly. I give what I get, and then some..The good ones don't deride, or chastise others who are learning the ins and outs. I have such an expert I go to for questions, and he's the first to say " You may be right" or ":I don't know" . A pleasure to deal with....no ego...I've dealt with so called experts from the AMCA, VJMC, etc. with arrogant attitudes, no patience with them. They ruin the hobby.
They don't ruin my fun.....

[Smudgemo]

Can we put this thread back on the rails and find out if HondaMan's very interesting suggestion was tried by the OP and what were the results?  I love solving problems and I'm genuinely curious.