Topic: Gearshifting, neutral, electric starter and neutral light.

[vdv1000]

I have HONDA CB 550 from 1978

Who can tell me what the reason is that in neutral green lights does not stay on (and as an result wont start) I have to fidle with gearlever to get green light and then push starterbutton.
With running engine neutral is difficult to find
If I kill engine it is a lot easyer to find neutral

Is it a difficult repair if repaireble at all

[Bob Wessner]

I'm not familiar with your model, does it have some sort of interlock that won't permit starting unless it is in neutral? If so, could it be a bad switch or elec. connection?

[Jonesy]

Not sure how it applies to the 550 models, but the 750's had a safety switch system where the bike had to be in neutral or the clutch pulled in for the electric starter to function. (There are usually wires going up to the clutch lever) I've noticed some bikes are finnicky about neutral.... some always click right in, others you need to haggle with. Is the clutch disengaging fully? Is the neutral switch seated properly in the bottom case? This diagram might help re the electrics. Not sure if it applies to your model, but it gives you something to look over. Again, this is for a 750, but I don't think it's much different. I'm sure someone will speak up if it is!

I hope this is of some help.

[Paul]

Not entirely sure if you are referreng to the neutral light issue whilst the engine is runnung or off. If so...there is a small copper bent plate mounted just above the oil pressure switch inside the left hand engine cover (Behind the shift lever).
possible causes for your trouble:
After a while this copper switch / bendy plate/ thingy..gets a little bent out of shape if not cracked. It acts like a cam switch against a small black cam with a copper strip embedded into one side (this copper line corresponds with the neutral position.) When in neutral the strip in the cam makes contact with the copper bracket to which the neutral ground wire is attatched. It could be slightly off the mark. Note: there is a little "locating notch" on the inside of the cam - this maybe gone by now but if not, it gives the correct location for the cam.
there is a safety feature on these bikes to ensure one can't start the bike whilst in gear. some can start if the clutch is pulled (Making the same circuit as the neutral switch) that is ...if there is such a clutch switch on the bike.
As regards shifting to neutral whilst running....if the clutch is adjusted properly it makes life a little easier but in gereral (Open to correction) they were always a little difficult to settle in neutral with the engine running.
Hope this helps. if not I'm sure you'll get a few more answers.

[Lumbee]

...not sure about 550's, but the 750's have a wire that screws in directly under the bottom of the motor.  Check out u'r 550 and see if this is the case...its easy to see...just gotta get a little dirty to see it  .  If you have one, unscrew it and make sure its good and clean could be a short.  I have a 78 750 and it will not start unless it is in neutral, clutch pulled in or not.  Also if I gear down and go straight from 3rd to neutral it will not start unless I first gear it from 2nd to nuetral...

[vdv1000]

I have not a clutch lever switch

The switch and connections seem to work fine as such .
I think it is something in the gearbox that activates switch to tell it it is in neutral.
Maybe this "something" is worn out.
But I dont know what and were to look for.

I hope to find Honda owner who has a deja Vu
and the copper thing from PAUL seems to be verry plausible

[eldar]

I would say it is the clutch switch. If honda put them on the 750, they should be on the 550. I almost never have mo bike in neutral when starting it. But then when my bike is tuned correctly, I can kick it once and it will fire right up with choke of course. But then I seem to have a strange bike since I never have to shut my petcock off either when my bike sits. It has never leaked.

[Paul]

One would think there would be a clutch switch on the 550's or the 500's etc.
but....no, there isn't. (Well at least not on any that I've had or seen)
There may also just be some gunk around that neutral switch.
I've had this intermittent fault before and it all pointed to my previous thread above.

[SteveD CB500F]

My '77 550K3 (UK) has a clutch switch.  It's easy enough to identify (and embarrassing when I step of the old 500 and forget about it...)

[oldbiker]

The electrical circuit for the starter solenoid is completed to ground either through the neutral switch or the switch on the clutch lever (when this is fitted) so if these both fail your starter will not operate.
As for finding neutral with the motor running, this will be difficult if the clutch is dragging. Careful adjustment of the clutch should cure this. If it does not, then you may have to check your clutch for flatness of the plates or damage to the friction material.

[bryanj]

Your bike SHOULD have the safety interlock as a switch on the clutch lever mount and there is nothing INSIDE the gearbox to do with the neutral switch. Both parts of the switch are above the oil pump inside the sprocket cover. There is a plastic "rotor" held to the end of the selector drum with a screw that connects the brass contact to the selector drom and therefore ground the screw can come loose or the locating peg on the back can break off rotors are not easy to find new The staor part wears and gets covered in crap and breaks Bad news as the stators are now obsoleted so you have to try for a better used one if its that. Both parts are the same from the 1971 CB500 four through to the last CB550 K or F. By the way on the 550 the starter switch feeds power to the solenoid not ground it like the earlier bikes