1979 Honda CB750 Won't Start

[nathanwatkins]

Hey Guys,

First and foremost this is my first post and I very much appreciate any advice. I have been looking to get a Honda CB750 for a while now. I found one a few miles away for $600. The guy said it ran fine a month ago until it just shut down on him while on the interstate.

He said in his email:

"My buddy came over to check a few things on the bike and got the engine to crank by connecting a battery-booster to the battery and and tapping on the ignition fuse.  He said if I replace the battery the bike should start right up.  We bought a new battery, installed it, hit the ignition button and nothing happened.  Its something in the key ignition or the starter button."

He also said the only other issue is that there is a leak in the front fork which I am not too concerned about.

Before I get the bike, I just want to make sure that the best educated guess is that I won't be getting into an electrical nightmare. I assume that because the bike is older, some contacts just need some sanding to get the corrosion off.

Any ideas here?

Thanks!

[rustybusboy]

Nathan, we appear to be in a matching place bike wise..I had the same (or similar) thing, it was lightly corroded fuse holders. I steel wool'ed them all, and replaced the fuses for good measure. Try that... Nick

[Myumi-2]

Try replacing the fuse with a circut breaker.  Should be about $5 from any auto store.

[Myumi-2]

I should have added, this will not fix the other connection issues or battery issues, it is simply a way of getting rid of fuses.  When wiring up a bike or fixing an existing wiring problem you can blow a fuse or two.  The circut breaker avoids this problem, and in this case will remove the need for the fuse connections.

[Re-run]

Breaker is a good idea. Also check the connections for the starter button and the ignition switch. Also check the kill switch contacts.
Things like this is why bikes should still have kickers on them.

[nathanwatkins]

Thanks for all the responses! That CB750 ended up selling before I could take a look at it. I didn't think it would last long. However, I am going to look at a 78 CB 550. Needs a little love and has a small oil leak (from where I don't know as the guy didn't say) but this one seems more hopeful!