Hello, I just bought an '85 200M that would not start. It did not have a battery, and the guy I got it from, was using the pull start. I added a battery and replaced the solenoid and it cranks just fine, but won't start. What would be the more common problem? I cleaned out the carb, it had some dirt on the bottom. Parts I'm thinking of replacing are the pulse generator, cdi box. It's getting spark. Would the neutral switch prevent starting in any way? Thanks.

 

As with any no start problem you first need to determine whether the problem is electrical or fuel related. Check for spark, if spark is present try shooting a few drops of fuel directly into the carb then crank it over. If it starts then dies you have a fuel delivery issue. When did it last run? Where are you located? I may have a recoil if your interested.

 

Check the valve clearance too. If the intake valve is too tight, the compression will drop off, enough for a no start.
Did you remove the pilot jet from the carb, and look thru it? You should be able to see light come thru the center hole...like looking thru a telescope.

 

Check to make sure that the "run" switch on the handlebar is in the non-off position......Dont ask how I know...

Zeke

 

the only thing that ever goes wrong with hondas is the carb gets gummed up after setting for a while, the first thing I do when working on a atc is to remove the carb, dissassemble it, and soak the parts in a dip-can of PB Blaster overnight, then rebuild the carb with new o-rings and floats (ebay rebuild kits are under $20) on hondas it has always worked.

 

I got it started, and it could have been something as simple as a bad spark plug, but I don't know for sure because I was doing a lot of things to it at the same time. Anyway, I replaced the plug and recleaned the carb because it was leaking gas. So, it was one of those two things, but I'm happy that it's running now.