Cr 500 af

[STINEY]

Does it start easier now?

[SuperBuickGuy]

Does it start easier now?

ummm...

lol....

I've been using starting fluid - it starts great!

[SuperBuickGuy]

it runs, but it was a youtube video, ironically, selling a "higher energy" ignition system that pointed to an issue....

following down that rabbit hole, there's another video of a person slow kicking, then double kicking their CR500 to finally get spark...

which leads me to - if the clutch is so bad, what must the magento look like? I've ordered a flywheel puller - I always wanted to learn about magentos, so I guess it's time to learn

probably a stupid thought, but since the magneto generates its own power, I wonder if it's possible to add battery voltage to the magneto to "jump start" the slow-speed start? I honestly have no idea - I looked at a couple videos that explain how magnetos work, and it really does seem like you could add power to the low-voltage side to create the initial field so when you kick it, it will spark immediately... of course that leads to the questions of whether or not that would burn up the magneto, and what voltage to apply.... many questions, no answers....

[Deaf Bob]

XL 350 starts easier with the tiny battery vs no battery...
It is a shoe shredding sunnuvabeetch,
Last time the kid rode it, he had a bruised arch..

[SuperBuickGuy]

so I spent some quality time diagnosing electrical
but first, a bracket I've been meaning to weld on

and I got to test out my new torch, it works slick - I honestly can't believe how light it is, but still is a 250 amp torch.

so, according to the book the stuff inside the crankcase is fine as is the kill switch (a common failure)


which got me to the coil, and, according to the book, it's supposed to give a good, bright-blue spark.... uh, no, occasionally it gives a pissant white spark - so a new coil is on order... I best get this going, the season is almost upon us.

[SuperBuickGuy]

coil replaced, spark plug replaced (again), and vroom, vroomvroomvroom, wingwingwingwingwing, braaaaaabringbringbringbring

[SuperBuickGuy]

I started the bike on Sunday, then when I went to ride it... it wouldn't start (sorry Taylor). I ordered another flywheel - I'm going to learn about magnets and rare earth magnets, hopefully I can replace the magnets that are on the flywheel with more powerful ones and make this beast easier to start.... crossing fingers

[Deaf Bob]

No ether for "in case"?
Hate it when that happens..
Wish my 350XL will start easy.. Starts without the points cover, once cover is on, no start!
Prolly best I not ride with my bum knee

[SuperBuickGuy]

I got the new flywheel today.... I wish I knew how to test the strength of a magnet, according to one seller his had "minimal wear" another said "without major wear"... to me that suggests that there is some kind of interference... so when I pull the bike back in the shop - that will be the first thing I check



the magnets don't look like they'd be that difficult to copy...

[Beagle]

I've never seen a magnet be the cause for weak/no spark in all my years of jacking with one cylinders... I suppose it could happen but I'd be looking at the module first. I have seen a ton of CDI packs go bad. You should get a blue spark that knocks the living crap out of you spinning it by hand with the plug out of it. When they are dying it makes a pink weak spark that doesn't have much kick (or no spark at all - obviously dead then. haha). They also go bad in high humidity areas a lot quicker (higher frequency) than in the desert.

[Beagle]

No ether for "in case"?
Hate it when that happens..
Wish my 350XL will start easy.. Starts without the points cover, once cover is on, no start!
Prolly best I not ride with my bum knee

prolly so... I have a CR250 I should sell because it's not likely I'll ever ride it much any more. Could it be grounding the points lead wire when you put the cover on?

[SuperBuickGuy]

everything else checks out, you can test the CDI and the coils and it all came back in spec. With that said, Service Honda sells a $500 fix for this motorcycle - and my own belief is no one would develop a fix without there first being a problem. Their big sales pitch is stronger magnets .... it really is down to 1 of 2 things... the condenser has an issue, or the magnets have an issue. What I found in researching this stuff is only 2 things kill magnets... time and heat....

[SuperBuickGuy]

so I pulled the flywheel/rotor tonight
interestingly - it's a weighted flywheel

the inside, there's some corrosion


compared to the new, used on


nice whoops here, the last guys who were in here didn't tuck this wire up

fortunately, it doesn't appear to have worn through - so I tucked it back in its place

and cleaned it up and put it back together... Think I'll wait until tomorrow to annoy the neighbors (more this - no headlight on my bike so I could start it but not test it).


I think, in the end, I will buy the high-output set up from Service Honda - but as long as it runs/starts better, I think I'll wait until next winter. Then I'll pull the jug, put a big-bore kit in this, and a compression release.... after all, too much is almost enough

[Deaf Bob]

Too much still ain't enough!

[SuperBuickGuy]

Too much still ain't enough!

I'm not getting thinner as I get older...