I've owned various Honda XR models over the years and have a 2002 XR650L that I bought new. I have gone through 2 OEM CDI units. They are a known issue of this model. The battery box placement subjects the CDI to vibration and impacts from rocks from the rear wheel. As a result, the soldered connections inside the units can crack and separate. Both of the failed unit's first symptoms presented as an intermittent no-start issue. The second unit failed when I was 40 miles away from anywhere out in the mountains. I had a new spare with me so that got me home. I now run an Ignitech unit (about $50.00 more than an OEM but a much better unit. It is also programable. Another thing I have learned (the hard way) is never to store ANY BIKE with fuel in the carbs. Modern fuels contain a lot of alcohol, which can wreak havoc on the internal (plastic and rubber) parts of the carburetor. Also, if you don't run the engine for months (like over the winter) the fuel can turn to varnish in the carb. The next time you go to start it, you will suck up that crap and plug it. Now EVERY TIME I am done riding for the day, and park it, I turn the fuel cock to "off" and let the bike idle until it dies. then turn off the key. Hope this helps someone, CHEERS!
Great video. I carry a spare CDI, yet have never had an issue with the stock CDI.... Another issue to be aware of is the starter/kill switch combo. They have a tendency to short to the metal handlebar as they wear out. Tell tail indicator is the headlight stops working but the blinkers do work.... (that's indicative of the starter button shorting to the handlebars). Honda redesigned that part. Easy field fix when on the road, but cheap replacement part for long term.
Dirty battery terminals or just bad connections can be hard to find plus when you consider many bikes with a CDI system will not spark the sparkplug if the voltage is below 10v yet the starter motor turns the engine over well. that is strange but it will not start because of the low voltage to the CDI unit...they have to have full power in order to work ! I've not heard of having a poorer battery connection in the morning that becomes better as the dew burns off in the day.... but if you think about it it does make sense ! Pulling the spark plug lead on the plug and sticking another spark plug in it and cranking the engine over is really easy to do and answers alot of questions when trying to start a stubborn engine.... you do not have to pull the existing plug out of the bike to test the spark in fact if you do it may well give you a false reading a low battery will turn the motor faster with no compression and spark the plug because of the added speed so leaving the plug in the bike and putting a spark plug in the sparkplug lead is a better test. .....
Having a similar issue. Checked and my battery leads were really dirty. Still really finnicky to start, will keep tourbleshooting. Love your video though man!
Thanks Jacob. It is super frustrating to have an intermittent issue. Mine ended up being the CDI. After replacing it with a re-soldered one it never gave the issue again. I bet that's your problem. Good luck!
I loved my older 650. It had a kickstarter only. That compression release was a must though. I don't know how many times the kickstarter kicked back till I learned how to start it getting past TDC.
Again I reiterate.... that a low battery will cause the ignition circuit not to function on almost all motorcycles now days... My Ninja does this and the XR650L does this as well as the electronic ignition I put in my 1977 Triumph Bonneville 750.... it specifically states that it will not spark the spark plug if the voltage is under 11 volts DC.... however the starter will crank the engine over real well on electric starting bikes... at 10~11 volts but you will not be getting spark ! so the engine will not run ! this is NOT like the point systems of Old....they would start even if the engine would barely turn over.... that is not the case anymore that is why a Jump-pack is so important if your car won't start but turns over fine chances are the electronic ignition isn't getting enough voltage too ! .....you can't tell by looking at your battery how many volts it has in it , and to make that worse when the starter is engaged it draws down that voltage sometimes by quite a bit.... all that combined causes more flustration than the point system ever did ! but this is what we get to deal with now days ! .... if it hasn't ran in 2 months chances are the battery is already low...charge it first ! before you do anything else !
In conclusion. No spark in this video was due to bad terminal contact. Wonder why it does crank fine but no start? Could be due to weak battery? It should not even crank then
Battery should be reading 13+ volts of it's fully charged. It's gotta be more than the 12v the starter pulls. I still don't understand how a battery strong enough to spin the engine over well , is too weak to make a spark ...... 🤔🤷♂️🤷♂️
When I have a no-start issue, on a single cylinder bike I almost always just pull the spark plug lead stick my finger in the plug boot and turn on the key and turn it through if I am belted by a jolt of electricity from the coil I know the spark plug SHOULD be firing ,then I turn to the fuel is fuel present? usually you can see gas in the fuel filter if so. then the question is the fuel any good or not.... popping off the air cleaner and holding the throttle wide open I squirt in a good shot of quick start or starting fluid...then release the throttle and then try to start it.... if nothing happens then pull the spark plug and double check the spark plug IS sparking chances are it won't be if the starting fluid did nothing , replace the plug and check the spark again if you have spark now it should start.... the 2 things that almost always cause a no-start problem are spark and fuel.... but the first thing to check when it doesn't fire right up is that darn kill switch on the handle bar then the neutral or side stand switches ! ..... all these safety switches just make our lives much more complicated ! LOL
Thanks for the detailed procedure, Bob! I appreciate it. I love tinkering with my bikes, but I also have to admit that a no start condition always intimidates me. I will try that next time. Maybe time to get the old 1979 MR50 out :)
Oh wow. Never thought a drop in battery current that's still enough to fire up the motor wont start the bike :) Working on a MD30 JDM spec XR250 with only the electric leg. Bike was starting fine until one day it just didn't. Going down the rabbit hole and in my case, there was no spark. CDI gets power, starter, lights all work fine...but the pulse gen doesn't seem to be giving the signal. Ohm reading on the pulse coil is in range... I remove the stator cover trying ti examine the pulse coil but using a cheap chinese digital multimeter so the figures are a bit dodde. Now i'm wondering if my issue too is battery related. The multimeter read 11v at the CDI constant power line. Starter motor fires up fine... sigh! These electrical gremlins can be so frustrating.
had started my bike with the choke on and before it had warmed up I turned the choke off and it stalled. It would not restart. I am not getting spark I checked everything. I have the proper resistance in the coil and in the reluctor. I have 13+ volts in the battery. I have tried new cdi boxes and even bought two new honda oem cdi boxes. all the tests seem to show everything is functional but still no spark, new spark plug, grounded against cylinder head. no spark i am at a loss it was running and then not. mine is a 1994
Did U ever find it ? I read these a resistor that goes bad in the top of spark plug wire ? Pulse generator ? .. ok , please let me know, My bike starts but cuts out all kinds crazy stuff .
I've owned various Honda XR models over the years and have a 2002 XR650L that I bought new. I have gone through 2 OEM CDI units. They are a known issue of this model. The battery box placement subjects the CDI to vibration and impacts from rocks from the rear wheel. As a result, the soldered connections inside the units can crack and separate. Both of the failed unit's first symptoms presented as an intermittent no-start issue. The second unit failed when I was 40 miles away from anywhere out in the mountains. I had a new spare with me so that got me home. I now run an Ignitech unit (about $50.00 more than an OEM but a much better unit. It is also programable. Another thing I have learned (the hard way) is never to store ANY BIKE with fuel in the carbs. Modern fuels contain a lot of alcohol, which can wreak havoc on the internal (plastic and rubber) parts of the carburetor. Also, if you don't run the engine for months (like over the winter) the fuel can turn to varnish in the carb. The next time you go to start it, you will suck up that crap and plug it. Now EVERY TIME I am done riding for the day, and park it, I turn the fuel cock to "off" and let the bike idle until it dies. then turn off the key. Hope this helps someone, CHEERS!
Great video. I carry a spare CDI, yet have never had an issue with the stock CDI.... Another issue to be aware of is the starter/kill switch combo. They have a tendency to short to the metal handlebar as they wear out. Tell tail indicator is the headlight stops working but the blinkers do work.... (that's indicative of the starter button shorting to the handlebars). Honda redesigned that part. Easy field fix when on the road, but cheap replacement part for long term.
How to fix it?To
Dirty battery terminals or just bad connections can be hard to find plus when you consider many bikes with a CDI system will not spark the sparkplug if the voltage is below 10v
yet the starter motor turns the engine over well. that is strange but it will not start because of the low voltage to the CDI unit...they have to have full power in order to work !
I've not heard of having a poorer battery connection in the morning that becomes better as the dew burns off in the day.... but if you think about it it does make sense !
Pulling the spark plug lead on the plug and sticking another spark plug in it and cranking the engine over is really easy to do and answers alot of questions when trying to start a stubborn engine.... you do not have to pull the existing plug out of the bike to test the spark in fact if you do it may well give you a false reading a low battery will turn the motor faster with no compression and spark the plug because of the added speed so leaving the plug in the bike and putting a spark plug in the sparkplug lead is a better test.
.....
It sounds like a connection problem. Even though it was reading charge, it happens, thanks, those are the best finds.
It ended up being the CDI. I didn't want to believe it, but after replacing it with a re-soldered one, it never gave issues again
@@GreaseAndGravel thanks, good to know.
Having a similar issue. Checked and my battery leads were really dirty. Still really finnicky to start, will keep tourbleshooting. Love your video though man!
Thanks Jacob. It is super frustrating to have an intermittent issue. Mine ended up being the CDI. After replacing it with a re-soldered one it never gave the issue again. I bet that's your problem. Good luck!
Me too! No fan of electrical issues. Good video!
Thanks, I appreciate it. I am going to try to make friends with electrical work...🤣
I loved my older 650. It had a kickstarter only. That compression release was a must though. I don't know how many times the kickstarter kicked back till I learned how to start it getting past TDC.
Yeah, my XT500 took a bite of my achilles two weeks before my wedding. Nearly had to go barefoot.
@@GreaseAndGravel These bikes had a tenancy to bite. That doesn't sound very pleasant either.
Again I reiterate.... that a low battery will cause the ignition circuit not to function on almost all motorcycles now days... My Ninja does this and the XR650L does this as well as the electronic ignition I put in my 1977 Triumph Bonneville 750.... it specifically states that it will not spark the spark plug if the voltage is under 11 volts DC.... however the starter will crank the engine over real well on electric starting bikes... at 10~11 volts but you will not be getting spark ! so the engine will not run ! this is NOT like the point systems of Old....they would start even if the engine would barely turn over.... that is not the case anymore
that is why a Jump-pack is so important if your car won't start but turns over fine chances are the electronic ignition isn't getting enough voltage too ! .....you can't tell by looking at your battery how many volts it has in it , and to make that worse when the starter is engaged it draws down that voltage sometimes by quite a bit.... all that combined causes
more flustration than the point system ever did ! but this is what we get to deal with now days ! .... if it hasn't ran in 2 months chances are the battery is already low...charge it first !
before you do anything else !
Great Job for actually figuring out the problem rather than throwing parts at it.
Thanks, Michael. It doesn't come naturally, but I know it is the best way.
good video. Your 650 L needs a larger tank! 4.4 Clarke or IMS petrol tank.
100% true that!
Moral of the story is:
don’t ignore her 4 longer than 2 weeks!
Yeah, she made that very clear!🤣
In conclusion. No spark in this video was due to bad terminal contact. Wonder why it does crank fine but no start? Could be due to weak battery? It should not even crank then
Yeah, you can tell I had no clue what I was doing. I ended up replacing the CDI and it started good after that
Battery should be reading 13+ volts of it's fully charged. It's gotta be more than the 12v the starter pulls.
I still don't understand how a battery strong enough to spin the engine over well , is too weak to make a spark ...... 🤔🤷♂️🤷♂️
Real like to get more input i have a 650 xr an luv to hear your thouths
Hi! Email me at adventurebiketroop@gmail.com
Love it want to drive it so much 😞
It is a great bike to ride.. what bike do you ride?
When I have a no-start issue, on a single cylinder bike I almost always just pull the spark plug lead stick my finger in the plug boot and turn on the key and turn it through if I am belted by a jolt of electricity from the coil I know the spark plug SHOULD be firing ,then I turn to the fuel
is fuel present? usually you can see gas in the fuel filter if so. then the question is the fuel any good or not.... popping off the air cleaner and holding the throttle wide open I squirt in a good shot of quick start or starting fluid...then release the throttle and then try to start it.... if nothing happens then pull the spark plug and double check the spark plug IS sparking chances are it won't be if the starting fluid did nothing , replace the plug and check the spark again
if you have spark now it should start....
the 2 things that almost always cause a no-start problem are spark and fuel....
but the first thing to check when it doesn't fire right up is that darn kill switch on the handle bar
then the neutral or side stand switches ! ..... all these safety switches just make our lives much more complicated ! LOL
Thanks for the detailed procedure, Bob! I appreciate it. I love tinkering with my bikes, but I also have to admit that a no start condition always intimidates me. I will try that next time. Maybe time to get the old 1979 MR50 out :)
Oh wow. Never thought a drop in battery current that's still enough to fire up the motor wont start the bike :) Working on a MD30 JDM spec XR250 with only the electric leg. Bike was starting fine until one day it just didn't. Going down the rabbit hole and in my case, there was no spark. CDI gets power, starter, lights all work fine...but the pulse gen doesn't seem to be giving the signal. Ohm reading on the pulse coil is in range... I remove the stator cover trying ti examine the pulse coil but using a cheap chinese digital multimeter so the figures are a bit dodde. Now i'm wondering if my issue too is battery related. The multimeter read 11v at the CDI constant power line. Starter motor fires up fine... sigh! These electrical gremlins can be so frustrating.
had started my bike with the choke on and before it had warmed up I turned the choke off and it stalled. It would not restart. I am not getting spark I checked everything. I have the proper resistance in the coil and in the reluctor. I have 13+ volts in the battery. I have tried new cdi boxes and even bought two new honda oem cdi boxes. all the tests seem to show everything is functional but still no spark, new spark plug, grounded against cylinder head. no spark i am at a loss it was running and then not. mine is a 1994
That is super frustrating!!! My guess is a loose connection somewhere... but where is anyone's guess. It has to be something simple. Good luck man!
Did U ever find it ? I read these a resistor that goes bad in the top of spark plug wire ? Pulse generator ? .. ok , please let me know, My bike starts but cuts out all kinds crazy stuff .
@@2007srv Mine did weird stuff and a 'new' CDI fixed it instantly. Super frustrating! Good luck
You had a dirty battery post and it kept the bike from starting ? 🤔 Time to sell my Honda XR650L then..... That's just ridiculous....
It was intermittent and turned out to be the CDI. Bike was fine, but it was a hasstle. Honda doesnt keep parts for it in SA
I turn my xr650l off with the key. If I use the switch it does not start until I turn the key off and back on.
That's interesting. I usually also switch it off with the key.
I lost u at.. babble babble babble
Yep, it’s a disease🤷🏻♂️
Yawn