Topic: CB160 Ingnition Issue

[pjed]

Hoping someone can help with an ignition issues I'm having on my 66 CB160.  I'm electronically challenged so please forgive me. 

Got the bike a couple months ago.  It would fire right up but had some issues revving.  I took the carbs off and rebuilt them.  Also cleaned the bike up with the tank/seat off and put a set of clubmans on.  I threaded the wires through the clubmans and went to test the controls.  At first nothing would happen when I hit the starter...found that I had a disconnected wire.  Then the starter would kick on instantly with the key turned.  Searched this forum which pointed to an issue with the switch...sure enough, after fiddling with it, problem solved.   Put everything back together and the bike won't start.  Pulled the plug, thumbed the starter and no spark!  Could I have done something to the coil during the initial issue?  It did get really hot I was trying to figure out the switch.  Also, now it doesn't get hot itself but noticed that where it bolts to the frame it almost burn to the touch.  Thanks in advance...any insight is truly appreciated!

[pjed]

Also, fairly sure the neutral indicator light previously did work but does not now.  Could that be tied to the problem?

[HondaMan]

Hard to tell after wiring is modified like this, but...it's probably either a wire crimped and bare in the sharp corner inside the clubmans, or inside the headlight bucket, or something along those lines. If the keyswitch is getting warm, there's a short somewhere that is pulling current that should not be. Check inside the headlight bucket first, then those wires you surely beat up a bit when trying to put them through clubmans. The insulation is many years old, and brittle now.

[pjed]

Turned out to be the neutral switch.  When I cleaned the bike,  I took the sprocket cover off, degreased and rinsed the area real good.  As a result, some dirt got between the little metal piece that makes contact with a little cam.  Cleaned it, got the green light back on the dashboard and got spark back!  Kinda thought that it wouldn't even crank if not in neutral and not having the clutched pulled in like current bikes...guess not.  Happy to say it fires right up and revves well through the range.

I do appreciate the advice HondaMan.  I was very careful when threading the clubmans.  I wrapped extra electrical tape where wires showed to make sure nothing snagged and used a lot of grease.