sombody asked me about this and I almost forgot I saved it.Very nice mod.
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GLBanks
Member posted 12-22-1999 03:19 PM

HONDA 450 CHEATER SWITCH
(A switch allowing a Honda 450 to start in any gear.)
Preface: I think it beyond my ability to give adequately
detailed instructions on installing the regular modification
which allows the engine to start in any gear without adding
a Cheater Switch, and still allows the neutral light to work
normally (glows only when in neutral). Instead, this is the
easy-fix shortcut to allow starting in any gear by adding a
Cheater Switch (toggle or push-button), but the neutral light
will glow whenever the Cheater Switch is in the ON position,
no matter what gear you're in. Turn the switch OFF, and the
neutral light will again work normally. Where and how you
install the Cheater Switch is up to you.
WARNING: THIS MODIFICATION ALLOWS THE ENGINE TO BE STARTED
IN ANY GEAR! DO NOT ALLOW INEXPERIENCED RIDERS TO OPERATE
THIS ATV ONCE MODIFIED AS EXPLAINED BELOW!
Overview: When the transmission is in neutral, the CHANGE
SWITCH, GEAR POSITION SWITCH, or NEUTRAL REVERSE SWITCH
(depending on the year and model of the 450) applies ground
to a LgR wire (Light Green with Red stripe) which goes to
several places, one of which is the START(ER) MAGNETIC SWITCH,
which is simply a starter relay switch. All we're going to
do here is temporarily apply our own ground to this wire, to
enable the starter relay switch. Picture a long wire with a
switch somewhere along its length, be it a toggle switch or
a push-button switch, which I call the CHEATER SWITCH. One
end of the wire will be connected to the LgR wire, and the
other end will be connected to chassis or engine ground
(any place on the frame or engine). When the switch is ON,
ground will be applied to the starter relay, to the neutral
indicator light, and to some other places. If the ignition
key is turned on, no matter what gear the transmission is
in, the neutral light will be on, and the starter relay
will be enabled. At this point, if the rider presses the
starter button, it will function exactly as if the
transmission were in neutral. Once the engine starts,
turning the Cheater Switch OFF will allow the neutral
light to work normally again. Since this is only a
"ground wire", you do not have to worry about the new
wire or the Cheater Switch "shorting out". If it shorts
to ground, the only thing that will happen is that the
neutral light will come on and stay on, exactly as if
the Cheater Switch was left in the ON position.
Step 1: Before changing anything, read and study these
instructions all the way through until you understand
them. If you do not understand them, do not attempt
this modification!
Step 2: Remove the seat.
Step 3: Locate the START(ER) MAGNETIC SWITCH (the starter
relay switch). This relay is located at the very left-rear
corner of the electrical compartment right behind the
battery. The relay has four wires connected to it. Two
are large and heavy wires (one to the front and one to
the rear), and two are smaller wires coming out the
right side, one being LgR (Light green with a Red stripe)
and one being Y/R (Yellow with a Red stripe).
Step 4: Trace along the LgR wire to whatever point you
like, but somewhere easy to get to.
DO NOT USE THE Y/R WIRE!
Step 5: Attach a similar size wire to the LgR wire
anywhere and in any fashion you like, and then wrap the
joint with electrical tape. I suggest not cutting the
wire, but just stripping away the insulation for about
3/8", and then attaching the new wire.
Step 6: Route the new wire to your Cheater Switch, and
attach it to either of the switch connections (use a
connector, solder it in place, or however you wish.)
Step 7: Connect another wire from the other connection
on the Cheater Switch to any place on the frame or engine,
making sure that it has a good electrical connection. If
using the frame, you may have to scrape off a little paint
to ensure a good electrical connection.
Step 8: Check your work
8a: Make sure the Cheater Switch is OFF
8b: Turn the ignition switch on.
8c. Start the engine.
8d. Check to make sure the neutral light is glowing.
8e. Shift the transmission into any gear.
8f. The neutral light should go out.
8g. Turn the Cheater Switch ON.
8h. The neutral light should be glowing again.
8i. Use the ignition key to turn off the engine.
8j. Turn the ignition key on again.
(At this point the transmission should still be in gear,
the ignition key is ON, the Cheater Switch is ON, and
the neutral light is glowing.)
8k. Press the starter switch and start the engine.
If you've done everything right, it should start while
still in gear.
Now tidy up your wiring, replace the seat, and you're done.
Enjoy!
Gordon L Banks
Huntsville, AL
2000 Honda XR400R
1999 Honda 450ES 4x4
1997 Honda 300 4x4

 

Would this happen to work for a Foreman 400 (97 model) ? would the wiring be the same?

Thanks

Steve

 

Just a question.
why would you want to be able to start in any gear??

 

Greetings,

If you shut a 450ES off in gear, it may have difficulty finding Neutral. This is particularly true of 3rd and 4th gear which (if I have this right) the computer doesn't recognize. Now some people say they've never had this happen to them, but I have -- and oddly enough, not consistently.

In any case, if it does happen, you need to pull out the manual shift tool (like a wrench thing they put in the rear storage compartment) and yank your transmission into compliance. No biggie, but not cool either, so a number of guys wanted to wire the 450ES to start in any gear.

And that mod was a famous post -- now steeped in nostalgia.

 

Thank for the info I gonna try this afternoon.

 

It was a very old revived post but I an attest that any of the ES quads are hard to start if you mistakenly leave them in gear. I did it once on a Rancher 350 ES. I forgot to turn the fuel after a brief break and it died in 3rd gear. It took several turns of the key to finally get it to downshift to neutral to be able to start. I thought I was going to kill the battery before I got it started.