1985 YFM200 won't start on electric start
 

My brother's YFM200 hasn't started on the electric start for the past year or so. It will turn and turn but not even attempt to start. It starts on the first pull on the pull start. I thought his starter might have been dragging so I tried a new starter on it today but no difference. I even tried isolating the starter from the rest of the electrical system (in case it was drawing power from the coil/ cdi when it was turning) by putting power to it directly with a car battery and it still made no effort to start even though it's definitely turning fast enough. I thought it may have been flooded but the plug was bone dry. I even tried a little gas down the plug hole and it still didn't kick. However one pull on the pull start and it fired right up. It runs great otherwise.
It had new rings and and the head gasket replaced less than a year ago and I checked the valves and they are adjusted correctly so I'm at a loss as to what's going on.

No ideas?

I have a similar issue with my Kodial right now. I've been researching this and have come across several others who have this issue as well. It seems that,at least in some cases,the pick up coil is the problem. I can't understand why it would work with the recoil but not the electric start,but thats what seems to be happening.
I tested my stator and p/u coil,and sure enough the coil is pooched. I've got one on order,so we'll see what happens after I get it and install it. Might be worth checking on yours too, just in case.

How did you test the pickup coil?

I'm honestly thinking its the stator or pick up coil from past experience working on a buddy's wheeler

same problem as my 87 yfm200....been pull starting it for 1 year till last week when it wont even start on pull. Ive seen this posting before ,but just like what XXCLARO said , "I can't understand why it would work with the recoil but not the electric start."
This week is a different story , (pull is not working), so i temporarily bolted a new coil in the frame. Unplug the old coil and connect the new coil w/ an alligator clip. Start the elect starter......one click and the engine runs.
the best part is i got the coil 3 years ago but im blaming the problem on everything but the coil........

I'll have to try that. He has a complete spare bike for parts and I assume the coil should be easy to swap out.
He had the same problem with his a couple months ago (wouldn't start at all) and it was the plug wire end that was bad. It may have been the same problem with yours if you used the new plug wire with the new coil. I wouldn't throw the old coil away until I tested it.