This helped me get mine running again.. but for the last reason you'd think. I keep my bike outdoors with an elastic cover under some trees and a branch had fallen on it. There didn't appear to be any damage on it and i didn't use it for a couple of days. Then I tried to start it and couldn't. Gave it gas, took out and cleaned my fuel lines, checked my spark plugs, banged my head against a wall, and was ready to take apart the carb and just go through it (which I've never even done before). Then I came inside, got on the laptop and saw your video. Half way through I realized that I never really checked the kill switch, just assumed it was on run because I never use it to turn the bike off. So I had the crazy thought that maybe, just maybe, that tree branch from earlier in the week had landed perfectly to flick my kill switch through the cover. And sure enough that was it! haha just another crazy story to tell later on. Cheers.

"Give it a try, it's very unlikely you're gonna screw it up worse than it's already screwed up" Haha, totally what I tell myself when I'm doing work

I just went through a divorce and when Matthew said "If you've got something that's broken, don't give up, don't just take it in and have someone else figure it out..." I totally lost it. It became so real that the 2 motorcycles I'm working on and who have no life, no spark, nothing--were just my way of fixing my marriage. That's actually a real problem since I'm sure my wife could have used my presence somewhere else.

Excellent video! Last week, I bought a brand new battery for my 1981 Honda cb750k and changed the oil, also replaced the front tire. I then started the bike and when out for a ride. Well, 2 days ago the 750 would not start. I tested the battery and the voltage is at 12.59 which is excellent. I guess I'll just try and figure out what's going on with it. Never had done that before. Thanks you for the encouragement and giving me more confidence to get give it a try!!

I'd like to thank you for this video. Truly, it gave me the confidence to begin working on my motorcycle personally, rather than bringing it in to the mechanic. You've allowed me to bond with my bike and save money in the process! Cheers and happy fixing!

Just found this video today as my 71' CB450 broke down earlier. Great process and even greater message at the end. I've been contemplating taking it in to a shop but you've inspired me to keep working on it myself.

Thank you so much for making this video. I’m in a 1984 ZN700A Ltd and though my issue was less problematic, you 100% have inspired me to take things into my own hands. And hearing her start up again is just the best thing ever. Thank you :3

Great positive message. The 400 4 was my first bike and the sound of the exhaust and to see the dash brought back some very fond memories. Cheers.

Wow your message at the end of the video really inspired me to work on cbr 600 f2. It has fuel problems and it leaks gas everywhere on my porch. I almost wanted to give up and just abandon it somewhere and let somebody else have that headache but now I see what I have to do in order to get her running right.

My nighthawk 550 won't start as of today. I just bought it about a week ago and it has been running fine up until now. I'm going to try to bring it back to life. Thanks for making this video!

Honest about not being a mechanic, he still offers good, straightforward tips. Nicely presented too!

Nice to see that Honda 400 4 Super Sport. I owned a 75 Red bike and drove it for 18 years. Loved the bike.

Great video Matthew!...inspired me to to figure out my Honda VTX electrical issues and replace my stator...very motivational..cheers!

Well done video. Following your logical troubleshooting progress was interesting. Equally interesting was your post op commentary. I should think Dave is very pleased. A very nice bike there mate.

As soon as I saw that temperature difference I knew we were in the same state ;) Beautiful bike!

as a professional location sound mixer for film/TV (and honda motorcycle rider) I really appreciate the fact that you went the extra mile to use a wireless mic instead of just whats built in the camera so that the audio quality in the video is superb. Thanks!

This is a great tips.Thank you.It's none like those out there with wast of time,bad recording,dogs or kids running around...He started looking for would be problems with us & we fixed it together.You can't learn better at school.Quiet atmosphere,relaxed,camera on stand for every action & angle...Do some more like adding more signal or brake lights.reasons bikes chokes on full throttle or anything.I'm deleting what I gathered from others with loud musics,one hand operation...in 15 min. I can learn what most try to show us in 50 min.

so good to see one of them again. was my first bike when i was a young fella $500 dollars Australian brand new.

Troubleshooting is pretty easy when you know where to start at.......Here's what I'd do: 1. Make sure that the battery has enough power, some electronic parts just don't work well when the battery's below 11 volts. 2. What you did not do, was to check if the carbs had gasoline inside. There's a little screw at the bottom of each carburetor, just open it and see if fuel is coming out. 3. Check with the spark plug out if there's a spark. If a one cylinder engine doesn't fire, it can also be the cap that's faulty. Little cuts inside make the spark go to the chassis, ( the engine). I truly believe that there's something wrong with your killer switch, perhaps in a position where ignition was switched off. Some spray does help a lot at these older bikes. It's also p[ossiblre that one of the wire connectors was a bit lose and considering that you had the tank off, you must have touched them and maybe connected them again without even knowing it. 4. These Hondas also start when the battery is below 12 volts, so it wasn't the battery. If there's no gasoline getting to the carbs, it can be the gas tank valve, it get's dirty and after a while, no more gasoline comes through. The Honda CB 500 Four, for example, have two outlets, it took only ten minutes for me to figure out what some guys couldn't find in weeks. One tube goes to two carbs, one tube was dry because the valve was so dirty inside that only two cylinders had gasoline. You don't have to be a mechanic, but you should follow certain steps. A great job's done, thanks for showing!!!

thank you....now i miss my CB400 Super Sport....sold it 25 years ago.....

I had a 550 four for a number of yrs. it was a great bike. I would love to someday own a 400 four!

Nice bike . Love the kick-starting in your trainers .I'm glad you found the fault with it .

man I gotta say I respect that attitude so much!

Admire your bravery and persistence. .

Awesome video, Thankyou for inspiration,trying to diagnose my own Honda , take care, Aloha & Mahalos

Awesome vid, great approach! Was probably flooded or sticky carb. Great stuff!!

Beautiful bike. I enjoyed your video. Thanks

I work in IT and troubleshooting is most of my job. Now that I'm starting to get into motorcycles as a "Daddy time thing or just for myself thing" All the bikes I find that are in my price range need work however, this video has inspired me to just wing it and give it a try. Thank you so much! I liked what you said at the end too! Upload another please!

Great Job and a great message at the end. Cheers.

Nice vid. I love the logical process of trying to find the reason why she won't run. It's not rocket science. -just about some level of understanding what happens and how the machine works. Btw the bike looks to be in very good condition for it's age. Nicely done.

Interesting video, thanks for uploading it. Nice bike btw!

Omg it worked i just cleaned my spark plugs and battery check and it worked thank you thank you ... I have a cb77 305 that im working on

That's my philosophy, I usually don't screw things up more than they already are! If I do I take the vehicle to the shop. If I fix it myself I get to learn something new and I save money!!

beautiful bike!

honda 400 -4 super sport was the first street bike with 4 into 1 exhaust , foot pegs pushed back , and nearly straight handle bars . first street racer !!!

Wow! Another Minnesotan. Love the cb400f

My left ear really loved this

These things are so easy to fix up. Those 408cc sohc engines are amazing so simple

Did you ever check the points? 7 times out of 10 its them, they get dirty and need cleaning/re-placing or re-gaping.Nice bike keep it original they are worth a fortune stock!

beautyful Honda!!! Now you have to fix the fork seals :)

Great vid and awesome bike.

Just so you know, you can't test a switch for continuity while it's in circuit. Also, you really need to lift one side of a fuse to test it.

I'm having the same problem with a CL450 ran in neutral pretty well, but after a bit in third gear it sputtered and eventually wouldn't start back up. I parked it and haven't been able to get it fired up since. I have tendered it many times with that dumb lead battery, which obviously should be a lithium but the previous owner had a group of spark plugs so I think they were trying to follow that direction. However, I think its a battery issue first and needs to be ruled out, otherwise its going down a rabbit hole. Tendering it one more time then I will see about jump starting it.

Well done. Thanks for posting.

Great video.

i always check the simple things first, put the lights on revv it if the light gets brighter brighter its not the aultanauter .

Always isolate the fuse from the circuit to test it.

those plugs were fouled from too much fuel. the no spark situation was caused from low battery voltage. you need to put your battery on a tender when in storage and don't choke it so long. you should only choke to start when the engine is stone cold.

Good advice, I wish my kids do that

My first inclination on a no start no crank condition would be to think back to training class and remember FINE-C. So, I would have checked for 1) fuel in tank, 2) fuel switch in correct position, 3) key in ignition in proper position, 4) engine run switch in proper position, 5) choke on or off as required. Only then would I get into diagnostics. One thing that struck me was that you were only getting 9 volts at some point downstream from the battery, and I think I read that isn't enough to turn the starter. BUT, since you couldn't get it to start with the kick starter, that would be a moot point. One thing you didn't show us was whether you got spark immediately after reinstalling the battery.

A systematic approach is needed to diagnose a no spark situation. Confirm you have a full battery and a new spark plug. Use a multimeter to see if you have 12v going to the coil and then the points. Basically you just work backwards from the spark plug to the battery to find the point of failure.

always turn fuel off after every ride

Good looking bike Btw👍

Had on just like it in HS. Miss it.

i thought you were going to turn this into a phycology thing for helping people at the end. like having someone else fix your problems doesn't really help you grow as a person. lol but getting old things running again is kinda therapeutic. I got a CB550K3 that i been trying to get running reliably.

great video

You should put the battery on trickle charge when not using it. go to the auto parts store and pick up a trickle charger comes with a lead that you put on your battery and when you’re not using it plug it in

hi mate try change plugs turn petrol onto reserve charge battery by the way nice bike

how many ACV. will the coil need to make the spark plug to spark or have a spark???

Thanks for sharing

Sweet little Honda!

When you tested the off/on switch you were completing the circuit with your multimeter and bypassing your switch entirely.

Great Vid.

Great video excellent quality. Just poor low sound.

Good video

No spark with kick stand down,flooded it ,raised the kick stsnd,pushed it and started .

fun to watch ... thx

These types of problems are called USER ERROR!

Check ,points,condenser,coil .fuel bowls for dirt,or dirt in tank,or,rust in tank,make sure fuel is coming out of the petcock,check all electrical connection ,for dirty connections ,buy a shop manual.

Trying to star my bike but all I'm getting is a clicking noise at the starter solenoid. any ideas?

Good vid.

All Honda from the 70's require a strong battery to start, the rectifier must receive a bit over 12V,or there will be no spark. Boosting off a 12v battery will work, and if the alternator is healthy,you can push start the bike in second gear. 2nd is easier to push the bike with. But seriously, even a slightly weak battery will cause a myriad of performance issues.

I have a hondamatic that I bought from my brother for $100 it's a 400c if I'm not mistaken I think it's been sitting up for about two maybe three years what is the easiest way to get the gas tank lock unlocked since the keys was lost but the title was found I ordered a key ignition off of eBay that would be in sometime this weekend I was planning on turning into a bobber but by looking at your bike I think I want to keep it all original and like the guy in the comments said they are worth a fortune

you have no spark. You have fuel right? how is your compression?

the rectifier needs a constant voltage of 12.3 or better to fire the coils. that's why no spark on the kick start. but when you push started it the stator (alternator) produced enough voltage to run. put a new battery in it.

Good man. I used to have Honda 400/4s and should collect a Honda CRX 550 FII soon. After clearing the flooded cylinders did you buy a new battery?

If you're still on this channel i have a quick question just bought a 1992 ninja 500 ex with a messed up trans but can run in neutral and has been sitting for roughly a month. The bike will turn but it doesn't sound like its hitting with the electric start so i'm completely new to working on bikes and have some experience with car's but would i be wrong to assume it's probably the spark plugs i can't take it apart yet since i'm sorta busy with college but does it sound like the plugs? It does turn just wont start so i assume its spark and not electrical.

i'm trying to start my 1996 honda hornet 250, i just cleaned the carbs coz it was leaking all over, patched up the holes with metal epoxy, leaks now ok BUT now it won't start, i tried using the old plugs and still no go, plugs seemed to be dry, battery is in good condition, been using a charger, i used a silicon gasket maker hi temp, to my surprise it is not gas friendly, could it be that my jets are all clogged up? i used threebond gas friendly doesn't melt on gas, no more leaks, but bike doesn't start :(

If gas is leaking from the overflow tube you've got a float issue.

Take home message, Use a battery tender and get new battery every couple year (they don't last that lone)

wise words

the spark plugs should not be power23rd by the battery. I think you may have fixed it inadvertently. might still want to figure out what is wrong with the start motor.

I have a '72 CB 450 K5 and it's a pig to start when cold, when hot/run it's fine. Good spark, fuel and battery no idea what it can be?

Sounds like you just had a weak battery. Engine sounds good, too.

Hi there, great video, wondering if you had any idea on where to start if you're in my situation. I have a Honda cb250, old 80's one, new battery bought about 3-4 months back, rode well, then the bike sat for about 2months outside under a tarp. Starter button does nothing, tried rolling down hill and releasing the clutch in first gear and it revs for about 2secs and dies. Any clues? Old fuel? Much appreciated thanks

the first way you have the false thinking, if you start about e-starter and you see that the ligts are going down, its the battery... when you start smell at the exhauster for patrol than you know that you have fuel, take battery out and load, look at the sparkplugs, if they look like yours your mixture is to fat but it makes no problem at this time, clean the sparks, put it into and look if battery works... ready... all other electricity things you can proof later if the machine doesn t work... from one on the other moment after one week it could only be the energy... but... you found it, you made it... next time you will find it faster...

I have a 1987 honda xl250 thats giving me starting problems. The battery is completely dead (new one is in the mail), and takes minutes of kicking to start. I dont think the battery has anything to do with it because there is no electric start system, kick only, but could the dead battery be giving a lack of spark?

I have a harley, and exact battery as I have costs 1500 usd on ebay, it might be a joke or something, who knows, probably a nasty joke. SO I will go with cheaper one......I measured my battery and it gives like 12.59 volts when fully charged.... I cleaned the sparkplugs too with cloth so I dunno what is wrong anymore

Cleans up gas that will evaporate in secs but leaves drop of water on counter

Hey bud nice video. Funny you mentioned Dave's Farm. I had the same curiosity after his videos. You should check out Mustie1 videos. You will love them.

If the battery doesn't charge...go down to the parts store and order a new one and wait a few days.

you never check battery voltage before pulling battrey.

could you explain what's the water and salt thing and for what ?

MY RIGHT EAR IS FUCKIN LONELY

fuel, compression, and spark thats all it takes to run em.

Sorry - that should read Honda CBX 550 FII.

Hey you got Twitter? I got Honda and it's not starting...

Take the fuse out of the connector.

The batteries only last about 2.5 years New battery would help

Side stand,kick stand