Topic: CB550 Starting Woes

[gregripko]

Why does the starter button work with clutch pull?

[calj737]

Theres a clutch safety switch on your bike. Prevents knuckleheads from starting bike while in gear and sending their little 2-wheeler into a bystander, a parked car, or the garage wall.

[gregripko]

Is the clutch grounding what the starter switch normally grounds? Just trying to understand what's going on from an electrical standpoint

[calj737]

Color-coded wiring diagram for your learning pleasure 

Many, if not all, bikes made from the early 70s on that were imported to the USA have clutch safety switches. Ralph Nader kind of protection... Some bikes can be started when in neutral with no clutch pulled, like the old manual trans cars of the day. But, even now, all modern cars with manual tranny's have the same safety switch attached to the pedal.

I am sure I've ridden bikes without them, but I'll be damned if I'm young enough to remember when. Current rebuild has the switch removed (I couldn't remember to install it due to my age).

[gregripko]

I use to be able to start my bike without holding clutch.... Is that normal?  Btw Ty for info provided.... Each day I'm learning something

[TwoTired]

Refer to the Honda Cb500/550 shop manual, chapter 8, section 2 titled. STARTING MOTOR SAFETY UNIT.

This unit allows the starter button to operate when the trans is in neutral.  The output routes to the starter button, in parallel with the clutch switch.

The starter solenoid will have 12v applied to one side of the activation coil whenever the key switch is turned on.  The SMSU will only allow the ground reference needed for solenoid activation when the trans is in neutral.

If the only the clutch lever pulled in allows the starter to function, you either have it in a gear, the neutral sensor, or wire between it and the SMSU is faulty.  Or, the SMSU has failed internally.

[gregripko]

Thanks twotired.... So knowledgable