The International CBX Owners Association

I've just replaced the starter in my 1981 CBX. Now the starter will only engage when I pull in the clutch lever. Also, the green neutral light doesn't come on when I shift to neutral. The new starter has the battery connection terminal on the opposite side of the starter (towards the front of bike) as the original one did (towards the rear). The bike does start and otherwise runs fine. The only issue is that on colder starts I have to tie the clutch lever down with a rope so as to give it fuel and press the starter button at the same time. Did I miss something when connecting the new starter? Any suggestions?

I'm not sure how a starter replacement would cause this, but your problem is likely an open Neutral Diode. On a '79, it is located inside the headlight bucket. I assume it is in the same location for an '81. If not, I am sure someone will correct me. The diode is a two leaded device. According to my schematic, one lead should be Green with a red tracer. The other should be Light Green with a red tracer. If you take the diode out, you can check it with an ohmmeter. In one direction, it should be open (very high or infinite resistance). In the other direction, it should be a very low resistance (a few ohms at the most). If you need to replace it, and can't get an OEM part, almost any general purpose silicon diode should work. The diode prevents the green neutral light from flashing when the neutral switch is momentarily closed as you shift from first to second gears, and I believe that if the diode is open, the neutral light will not work at all. If anyone finds anything I have written incorrect, please correct me. Good luck finding your problem.

Great job Spencer. On the Pro-Links, the diode is directly under the tank sticking out of the wiring harness. You can still get them from Honda. Yes, it does sound like it's bad, but I would first check that you didn't pinch, loosen or otherwise pull out the neutral switch wire either from it's switch connection under the starter or the plug under the right side cover. Always check the last thing you worked on for trouble.

Dave

INDEED, Dave. Had that issue once with a different bike. Separated an ignition primary wire when reinstalling an air box on a Suzuki. Took me 3 hours to find it.

Thanks guys. I rechecked all the connections at the starter relay and they seemed good. I'll keep on looking for a stray wire. My next step would be to pull the starter and look for the switch connection. I'm a little reluctant to do that as I had to bend a bracket on the chain guard to get the old one out and the new one in. My fear is breaking that off. I am going to have the old starter rebuilt in case I decide to sell the bike (it's original). That may be a reason to pull the new one and replace, but as you can tell I'm very much an amateur at this stuff. Thanks for all the help, I would never have gotten the old one out without the guidance from here. BTW I had it out today and it is still a fun ride, although I think the carbs could use adjusting.

The neutral switch is not literally UNDER the starter, it's under the left trim cover for the oil line. It's a bit fiddly to get off with the exhaust on. The wire snakes past the starter and down to the switch behind the oil line. Since you were working around there, I'd sure check that first.

You can likely substitute the word 'rebuild' for 'adjusting' when describing your carbs.

Dave

I appreciate all the help. I'm sure the difference between rebuild and adjusting the carbs is quite a few $$$. It takes awhile to "warm up" , I guess that's the reason.
I've been riding it regularly since the starter fix but my son-in-law has made a convincing argument to sell it. I've had the bike since 2004. I got it with some extra parts (a saddle bag (box), windshield, what appears to be a suspension arm and of course the starter (needs to be rebuilt ). I'm not sure if this all gets sold as a package. I've never done the ebay thing before. Do these go fast, I know it's summer?
By the way I have found the neutral switch but not sure what I'm looking for or how to test it.

Thanks Dave79x. The wire was disconnected. The post on the new starter was on the opposite side of the original starter so while jockeying it around to get it in is when I must have disconnected the switch.
I have since sold the bike, after owning it for 12 years. I feel comfortable that it is in good hands now as the new owner drove 200 miles on a rainy Sunday afternoon. I would not have got that new starter in without the information on this site. The new Kawasaki Vulcan is nice but it doesn't have the pickup from 70mph to 90. That the Honda had. That might be a good thing. Enjoy the last few riding weeks of 2020.

Thanks for closing the loop on this one Kenny. Sorry to hear you sold the bike. Did you give the new owner info about this forum? Take care.

Dave

No problem Dave. I just texted him with the info. We had a language issue at the sale. He spoke Spanish and I only speak English. Good luck to you all and stay safe!