Topic: '75 CB550 Died While Riding - Help

[dao]

My son and I were riding this weekend, me on my R1150RT and him on our '75 CB550. When I looked in the mirror one time, I noticed he was falling off. I went back and found the bike completely unresponsive, no lights, nothing. We trailered it home. I'm not sure where to begin. The battery has 12 volts, but not sure where to trace it from there. I found the fuse box and all fuses are good; 12V on both sides of the main fuse. Does someone have a step by step on where to trace it, what to try?

Dao

[seanbarney41]

Next two problem areas...first? key switch...second?...rh switch/kill switch




haha, that was a dirty trick making your son ride that crappy old 550

[sammermpc]

Once had one of the contacts behind the key ignition pop off on a ride. Slowed me down pretty quick...

[Frostyboy]

When you say you have 12v at the fuse, where have you got the earth lead of the meter connected? If you have it on the negative battery terminal, try moving it to the engine somewhere. It might be as simple as a bad connection of the battery earth cable to the frame.
To confirm a sound earth, turn the ign & headlight on, place your voltmeter leads across the negative battery terminal & onto the engine somewhere. If you have a voltage reading, that is the drop across the earth connection.

[HondaMan]

Most of the Fours today are suffering from bad fuseblocks. The old fuseholder clips are corroded and dark, and make nice resistors (instead of conductors), which often melts the fuse(s) so they "blow" inexplicably. To solve this and make it more reliable, I offer the Blade-type fuseblocks.

Check on yours: clean the fuse clips with either a .22 caliber gun bore (brass) brush or some emery paper wrapped around a dowel or pencil. If your clips are real bad, then the plastic fuseholder will also be melted.

[alacrity]

... they "blow" inexplicably. To solve this and make it more reliable, I offer the Blade-type fuseblocks.

+1

Everything Hondaman sells, works. Every time I have put one of his devices on a bike, the bike got better. Don't tell him, but I think he under-charges given the results.

[dao]

Problem found. One of the soldered contacts on the back of the ignition had fractured off. The soldering was complete crap...terrible workmanship. It turned into a fault isolation, work ethic and soldering training experience for the son...so definite good came from it.

Thanks to all that replied! :-)


Dao

[HondaMan]

Problem found. One of the soldered contacts on the back of the ignition had fractured off. The soldering was complete crap...terrible workmanship. It turned into a fault isolation, work ethic and soldering training experience for the son...so definite good came from it.

Thanks to all that replied! :-)


Dao

This sounds suspiciously like an EMGO ignition switch...they last literally days on the 750, failing in the same spot. If you don't get a Honda switch to replace it, consider using a small relay to carry the current, and switch it using the EMGO key. For a while when Honda did not offer their keyswitches for the 750, I started making "kits" for this, so if you want one, let me know. You can see them at my website, and it will keep you out of woes on the back roads.

[Duanob]

Either that or PO decided to try and rebuild the original because he knew that EMGOs are complete crap. One or the other. I'm not much of a solderer myself but was wondering if anybody on the board rebuilds the original switches? That would be a good business considering the originals are unobtanuim and if you do ever find one I've seen one go NOS for as much as $200! That's the only one I ever saw on the Fleecebay market.

[HondaMan]

Either that or PO decided to try and rebuild the original because he knew that EMGOs are complete crap. One or the other. I'm not much of a solderer myself but was wondering if anybody on the board rebuilds the original switches? That would be a good business considering the originals are unobtanuim and if you do ever find one I've seen one go NOS for as much as $200! That's the only one I ever saw on the Fleecebay market.

You can still get new ones from Honda: even the whole keyset with switch (new locks everywhere) is only $80 or so.