LureheadEd 0 Posted December 29, 2023 Been "lurking" for quite a while...Here's my story.... A couple of years back I was warming up my 450 for a weekly ride around .. Idling fine, then it just suddenly died with a "clink"... Wouldn't start back up , winter came along and I didn't bother with it since my Heart docs won't let me hunt anymore (a real bummer )... Messed with it in the Spring, same thing, it'd turn over but not fire up , but no "clinking sounds".... Thinking it must be "major" because of the first "clink" , and being in "forced retirement" because of my heart issues, I just let it sit....So about 6 weeks ago I put a compression gauge on it , seemed a bit low but someone told me that it should be fine, just on the low end... So a few days later I got to messin' with it hooked a fresh battery from a mower to it , some Starting Fluid, flipped the kill switch a few times, and after a few sporadic "pops",, it fired up !!!! Worked on flushing the fuel lines and carb, and it'll pretty much start right up !!! Kinda sounds abit on the weak side when startingit, but that mower battery isn't real strong either...Hooked a line and funnel to the carb and it'll run fine, rev fine until it runs outta fuel !!!!! While messin' with the fuel system, I pulled the tank to clean it out...So I got the idea Go ahead and change the plug and oil...--- Looking at it all, I decided to put on a new plug wire, went to order it and the wire and CDI box were so reasonable I decided to do both... The wire is easy enough, but I don't know about the CDI .... Can't find anything on it specifying the location... Can somebody tell me where it is ???.. I saw one pic somewhere that somebody had pulled the front plastic off and there it was, but it didn't specify what brand / model /year of bike it was...And if anyone has any tips or tricks or hints about it, PLEASE spill the Beans !!!!... Thanks in advance !!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
retro 4,048 Posted December 29, 2023 Hi LureheadEd, welcome to the forums! It sounds like you bought a spark plug wire (or a complete ignition coil?) and a CDI module for cheap.... first thing I need to warn ya about is to NEVER replace any genuine Honda parts with aftermarket parts. Cheap China aftermarket parts do not work on Honda's AND they sometimes fry other expensive electrical parts. DO NOT PLUG IN ANY PART that is not a genuine Honda part. Put the original Honda parts back on your Foreman if you have replaced any of them. You may have to clean (or replace) the fuel petcock that is attached to the bottom of the fuel tank as they are made from aluminum and they sometimes corrode badly inside which can plug up the passages inside. You can test the petcock after removing it to make sure that it flows liquid (or you can blow air through it) while the valve is turned to the "On" position and "Reserve" position. The plastic filter screen on the petcock may be rotten as well, replace if it is split open or shows other signs of serious decay. If it is good just clean it carefully. When removing the petcock from the fuel tank it helps to use an Impact gun to break the two screws loose, as sometimes the screws become seized in the brass ferrule nuts that are embedded in the plastic tank and the brass nuts loosen and spin in the plastic, which results in you not being able to remove those two screws. The shock that an Impact gun puts on the screws helps to loosen them from the brass ferrule nuts. Let us know how it goes. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trailcutter 13 Posted December 29, 2023 the cdi is under the front plastics.it is the top left box with white connectors beside the fan control box with green connectors Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AKATV 822 Posted December 30, 2023 Unless I missed something -you got it to run with your OEM original parts?I HIGHLY recommend to stick with the original Honda parts! If you found a reasonable..(cheap replacement)..parts, its China garbage parts! Do not waste your time/money Keep your Honda OEM parts on the machine if they are working, you most likely just need some simple maintenance like carb and tank clean, new plug etc and GOOD battery The China made cheap parts can lead to to MUCH bigger problems and electrical issues Just my 2 cents on what i have found through the years Welcome to the forum and hope to see you around! -AKATV 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trailcutter 13 Posted December 30, 2023 i put a chinese cdi on machine to get it to run ,new carb ,coil and plug.i cleaned tank and changed gas.its on the electrical somewhere as it seems to rev up with draw on battery.all the voltage tests seem normal Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AKATV 822 Posted December 30, 2023 My comment was more for LureheadEd above He got his machine to run with OEM parts, but was going to replace the OEM coil and CDI anyways because he had found some reasonably priced (China) parts online -AKATV Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trailcutter 13 Posted December 30, 2023 2 minutes ago, AKATV said: My comment was more for LureheadEd above He got his machine to run with OEM parts, but was going to replace the OEM coil and CDI anyways because he had found some reasonably priced (China) parts online -AKATV my bad never checked post above yours. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
