Honda305.com Forum

Hello. I have a ca160 that wont start. I looked at the wires and it all looks good. I turn the key but i get nothing. i have tried to kick and get spark but nothing. i used a screwdriver and hotwired the starter solenoid and it turns over no problem, just wont start. I don't think i am getting spark that way either.

any ideas o what it might be? could it be the coil? the guy who i bought it from said he made it run hotwiring it (he never said how he did that). he did not have a key. i had a key made.

You may want to post this under the Honda other twins section.But that being said, do you have wireing diagram?I did not realize the 160 had a starter.What bothers me is the starter you say will not even turn over unless you manually jump the solenoid.This may be a switch problem or wires from the switch problem.Did you clean and adjust the points and set timing?Do you have a fresh plug in it?A fouled one may not spark at all.Are condensor wires intact?I own a CA77 but can try to help.Does your bike have the key position where it will turn over but not spark to prime the engine like the CA's have?I hot wired my CA switch before I got a key by putting a jumper on the back of the ign. switch.It had BAT. and ST. I believe on the back where the hot wire and start wire are soldered on as well as others.This would allow me to start the bike and get spark.You may want to try doing that and this would tell you if the ign. switch itself may be bad.Did you check any and all connections for corrosion?I doubt it is the coil, but anything is possible..I have tested a few of the 40 year old coils and they all worked so far.Not sure what else to tell you at this point.

thanks man.

i have looked at all the connections. nothing. i swapped the ignition switch on to my ca77 and no problem, it started right up. i will see if i can jump it the way you say.

the thing that gets me is that it wont do anything. no lights, no horn, no cranking at all.

Did you check your ground strap and make sure you have a good ground to frame?You stated if you jump the sol. it cranks, right?Did you happen to check for a good ground from forks/handlebars to main frame with an ohmmeter?If your switch tested out ok on your CA77 then I would think and nothing else will function it sounds like a ground issue.Something that has happened to me on my CA77 acouple times was I went to hit the starter button and nothing happened.I thought oh no my batteries dead, but it turned out the switch assy on the bars was not making a good ground.I just moved it around to make good contact and it then worked,this is why your problem is leading me to the bad ground issue.keep us posted.Joe

i will take a look at the starter button assembly at the bars to see that is what is causing the issue.

i'll let you know.