got up before dawn and tried to start the bike....I now know what the problem is, at least part of it....there is a clue here...I'll post the answer next time....

There is no kick stand switch that I know of, this is an '88 if that makes a diff....

No one has mentioned this yet....

wish I could ride

 

You're out of gas?

 

so before dawn I started the bike, as always, with choke it started right up but I noticed that the headlight went out when I pushed the starter switch. Does that always happen and I just never noticed? Anyway, after the bike was hot I shut it off and tried to restart. Wouldn't start. But on the third try the headlight went out when I pushed the starter switch and DIDN'T COME BACK ON when I took my finger off the switch. Ah hah.....Flicked the switch a couple times with the key off, started it and
the bike ran...very carefully I touched the starter switch on the side and shut the bike down and well as putting the headlight out.....

Tried to resurrect the switch with electronic cleaner then wd 40 but it is shot...tried to pry it out after splitting the base but no luck....new one is $100 but that may be my only choice....so how does that little gizzmo come out?

There is still the carb issue but this is at least a large part of the problem...

ONLY THING BETTER RIDING THAN THIS BIKE IS A REDHEAD.....

 

Yep, that's normal. Exactly how it should be.

So your starter switch is screwy, eh?

Is this the part you're looking for???

 

Check the Honda manual on fault finding for the side stand switch. This is one of it's better areas of well explained diagnosis.

 

found a bad short and fixed it...but still wouldn't start, so I got a manual and got my multi-meter out and found 1 volt at the coil...found another bad wire and am up to 8 volts...book says I should have battery voltage at that point....I don't even have 12 at the fuse box, I lose one volt along the way somehow....the bike is running more or less but I'm running out of wires to test, is there an area I should check? I cleaned the connections and put electrical gell on them....the blue/yellow on the right coil looks like it got very hot at some point should I just rewire that somehow?

no bike to ride and now the redhead done left me...I got the blues...

 

Well, I'm running, sort of....by turning the headlight off....with the headlight on it will start to misfire after 10 mins or so......alt is putting out good voltage but I can't test for amps....there is a short in the harness in the starter switch circut....it like I'm riding my old Ducati 350 desmo again.....lol....

 

Hang on in there Buster! You must be getting close now!!