sorry first time posting hope this works

i have a 1984 honda big red 200
having problems with the starting
it has a good electric starter,when trying to start it doesn't engage, the starter itself is working , i pulled the cover off of the crank case and inspected the gears they are intact and not damaged, when i turn the starter gear it turns the three gears that are right in the front as well as the large gear behind the magneto, but they will not turn the engine over, they all free spin, now i have never worked inside the crank case on a cycle and can not see past the magneto, does anyone have any knowledge of what might be wrong , like a key way or misc. and how to fix

 

Does it have a pull start or kick start for a backup? If so does it start when you use this method. If so i would say that it is not inside the case. It may be an actuator problem or the starter may not be getting enough juice for some reason. Maybe ohm the starter and see what other voltage readings you can get off of it, unfortunately I dont know what you would compare the readings to. Just a shot.

 

pull start is having a new spring put in, don't have it back yet but it did work before i broke the spring,
starter fires around fast and the visible gears in the crankcase are turning , but are not connected to something just don't know what is missing, problem seems as though it is behind the magneto. don't know if removing is wise,

 

I'll take a stab at this.


If the flywheel (Magneto) is turning but the engine is not turning over I'd say that the keyway is stripped. This is the little moon shaped key that fits in a notch on the crankshaft and a notch in the magneto. As long as the magneto and crank are not damaged this is a cheap fix. You will need a flywheel puller that is designed for the big red 200 and a few basic tools to fix this.