Topic: bike won't start - help

[climbingaz]

I know it's probably nothing that I couldn't figure out on my own over a few beers, but figured I'd just cheat and ask you guys.

I've got a '78 750K.  Yesterday I was putting on some aftermarket fork "ears" for the headlight and needed to get inside the headlight bucket to make sure the screws were not spinning the nuts inside.  Anyway, I just had the headlight hanging down for a minute or two and when I buttoned everything back up, the bike wouldn't start.  Can anyone tell me which wire or what I might have messed up?

Thanks!!

[excerpt]

I have the same problem after messing with my headlight. I'm pretty sure its the grounding wire.
I plan on checking it out this evening.

[wsup55]

Your fuses still intact?

[excerpt]

OK. I'm at a loss too. Anyone have an answer to this?
I can't get the lights to come on...nothing. It's dead.

[climbingaz]

OK. I'm at a loss too. Anyone have an answer to this?
I can't get the lights to come on...nothing. It's dead.

Exact same thing...no nothing, not even a click.  And I just checked the 3 fuses under the right side cover and all are good.  Am I gonna have to pull up a wiring diagram?  Aurgh! 

[excerpt]

OK. I'm at a loss too. Anyone have an answer to this?
I can't get the lights to come on...nothing. It's dead.

Exact same thing...no nothing, not even a click.  And I just checked the 3 fuses under the right side cover and all are good.  Am I gonna have to pull up a wiring diagram?  Aurgh!  

my fuses are good too. I guess this is a race. Winner posts the info...
I'm currently checking all the connections in the headlight bucket, but they all seem to be pretty tight. I found one that was unplugged, so I think thats going to solve my speedo light issue.
still looking...

[excerpt]

I'm clueless. I've checked all the connections in the headlight bucket, and they all seem to be plugged in nice and tight.
...unless I'm missing one.

[OldSchool_IsCool]

So you get no lights, no engine cranking, no nothing, right?

Got a volt meter?  What is your battery voltage?  Does battery voltage drop when you turn on the key?  Do you get a voltage across your fuses?

Post the answers here for the next step in troubleshooting.

[Markcb750]

on a K all the handlebar connections are inside the head light.  Honda matched the wire colors and or put on a color coded tape.

Re-check them again, isolate the RH control bundle, I think your problem is either the stop switch Grey & Black/white  or the starter button green green/white, or black/white, black red (if I am reading the wiring diagram colors correctly)


Mark

[excerpt]

I do not have a volt meter. It's as if the ignition switch is the problem, but I've only been installing a headlight (squeezing the wires into the headlight bucket), same as the topic author.

....ugh this is the last thing I needed right now. 

[excerpt]

So you get no lights, no engine cranking, no nothing, right?

Got a volt meter?  What is your battery voltage?  Does battery voltage drop when you turn on the key?  Do you get a voltage across your fuses?

Post the answers here for the next step in troubleshooting.

I guess I'm on my way to get a voltage meter... Autozone?

[OldSchool_IsCool]

You should be able to get a descent volt meter for $10 to $20.  Cheaper at other places, but not sure whats available to you.

[Nikkisixx]

While you are looking at the wires, check the plug on the bottom of the key switch, it would be my prime suspect on a 77-78 if everything is dead, you've been playing with the headlight bucket, and the battery and fuse is good. 

[excerpt]

Wouldn't you know it. The problem was NOWHERE NEAR the headlight bucket (and my speedo light still doesn't work).

Turns out the cable on the positive post of the battery has three ends to it. One end attaches to the battery, and there are three other ends. one is an eye that goes over a bolt, one is a tab that isn't connected to anything, and the other one was loose. The loose connection was the culprit.

Nothing like looking in the wrong place for 3 hours.  
I hate it when stuff like this happens, because it always turns out to be something seemingly unrelated to anything you've been doing. Makes me want to sell the damn thing and be done with it. lol

...almost

[OldSchool_IsCool]

Glad you found it!  Still, get urself a voltmeter.  It's a must have troubleshooting tool!

[76CB5WI]

Yeah so many times its the battery first..They ll loosen up on you as
you ride too and turn them tight with a socket driver where applicable.

[climbingaz]

Glad Excerpt got his figured out.  I'll try working on mine a little this evening with some of the pointers suggested and report back later.  Thanks in advance for the help!

[campbmic]

A few days after putting my rebuilt engine back in my bike wouldn't start. I spent over an hour trying to get it to start. Turns out my kill switch was in the off position. 

[climbingaz]

Ok, a little more info to go on:

Not sure how I didn't notice it at first, but the 15A main fuse was blown.  So I went to the auto parts store and bought a few more fuses.  I put in a new fuse and the milisecond I turn the ignition switch to ON, the fuse blows.  I tried two more times with the same result.

Now what??? 

[bistromath]

Doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell ya you've got a short. It's on the main bus, if that helps any. 

Here's how to debug it without continuously blowing fuses and losing your mind. Get a multimeter with a "continuity" setting. Most of 'em have one. Some of them use the diode setting to do the same thing -- it beeps when you connect both leads together. Disconnect the battery positive lead, connect one multimeter probe to the positive wire harness lead, and the negative end to bike ground somewhere. Turn on the ignition and the multimeter should start beeping. Now rattle wires until the beeping stops, and track down the short.

[wsup55]

I had the same problem a few nights ago and found a tip on here that made trouble shooting even quicker.  The tip was to start unplugging areas of your harness until the fuse stops blowing, then you've located the area the short is in.   I only had two fuses left so instead I unplugged everything and plugged it all back in one by one until i blew a fuse.  I found my pretty quick this way.

[eurban]

Couple of observations. You may eventually need to get more sophisticated with a multimeter etc but for now, go back over anything that may have been affected by your headlight ear project.  Look for pinched wires related to the new ears, or improperly connected wires that you messed with when you had the headlight assembly apart.  Honda wires are color coded so it really shouldn't be that tough to make sure all of your connections are correct.  Next look at the wires in and around the bucket for obvious damage.  Look at the connector and wires going into the ignition switch at it's base; its a common point of failure and its right near where you were working. . . .I have yet to find an auto parts store that carries the correct glass fuses for our bikes.  The fuse needs to be the correct diameter and length with the length in particular difficult to find.  An overlong fuse will work for testing in a pinch but should be replaced with the correct size if you don't want your fuse box to overheat and melt.  It's a good time to clean up the fuse blades and make sure they are pinching the fuses properly.  Good luck!

[climbingaz]

I actually think I might have pinched the wires coming off the clutch lever just before I tried to start it up. With my clubman bars hanging down lower than the stock bars, I think this wire got caught in the steering lock when I was pulling it out of the garage after messing with the headlight bucket.

You think that might be a possible culprit?

[Nikkisixx]

The clutch wire won't effect the headlight or horn or whatnot, just the starter.  Do the rest of the electrics work?

The plug on bottom of the keyswitch gets very brittle and will break off from the switch, especially when you reroute cables for new low bars.  When you turn the key, do you still get a positive "click" at the "on" and "park" positions?