Topic: Help me wire my hand control

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

It's not about the solenoid, it is about what wires are connected together on the posts.
One post acts as a distribution point for power from the battery.  The wires that connect together must be on the battery side of the solenoid posts.

You're a genius. The harness wire that connects to the solenoid terminal was coupled with the starter, not the + battery cable.

I have full light operation throughout the entire bike now, big ole spark when crossing terminals, ignition kill switch functions.

The single remaining problem is the starter button does not function. I may have a cold solder joint at the switch, or possibly still have not returned the harness ignition terminals to the correct slots in the connector block.

Is starter button functionality part of the ignition switch, or stictly contained in the hand control connections at the harness? If it's not part of the ignition switch then I would think that points to bad solder connection. If it is, I feel so unconfident about my guesswork at the ignition connector that I would need to reassess that.

Thanks again, uber helpful!

[TwoTired]

Is starter button functionality part of the ignition switch, or stictly contained in the hand control connections at the harness?

Ah, a trick question!

The starter button in the right control needs power (+12v) on the black wires, which is sourced from the key switch.  The starter button (when pressed) then connects the BK to the Y/R in the bike harness, which routes back to the solenoid as one of the two small wires on that unit.  When power is present on the Y/R at the solenoid, it will activate if the Gr/R wire is at ground potential.  The neutral switch or the clutch pulled in should make the G/R line a ground or battery NEG connection, and activate the solenoid/starter.  At least, that's how the Honda wire diagram says the F model is supposed to be wired.

(I think your starter button has a Blue/R wire substituted for a black wire to the starter button, if I understood what you told me earlier.  And, that is why I told you to connect it to the black wires in the bike's harness.)

Kudos for your perseverance !
Cheers,

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

Thanks TT, fully explained and understood.

Initially I thought the harness did not have enough black female connections to accomodate the control. After looking more closely, the black lead on the harness could accomodate 4 inputs, not 2 as I thought. So both black and the blue/red wire you mentioned from the starter switch plugged up as you instructed.

Thankfully it looks like the ignition terminal block is correct. A continuity test showed the solder job on the switch was in fact cold. A little resoldering and she's 100% operational as far as I can tell without running it. So we'll call this mystery solved!

thanks for the patient assistance!