It's official. I'm a VF500 addict.

Wha wha wha??? Perhaps it was the starter SWITCH that was smoking then? The switch could keep it from starting, and they are so close together the smoke could have wiggled out from under the switch and exited the button? What say Ye?

 

To confirm - the starter motor will engage but the bike will not start, correct? (this per post #89)

If this is the case the offending gremlin is living somewhere in the ignition circuit.

The white smoke is most likely unrelated to your hot start issue but this said it should be investigated - smoking electrics are never a good thing!

 

wg.........When you have the cranking and no spark issue, have you checked for voltage at the coils and igniters?

 

Correct-a-mundo!

 

Here is where you have to look:

 

I'm thinking that it wouldn't hurt to check the engine stop switch and determine whether or not it is receiving and passing voltage when the no start condition exists.

 

It's the elephant in the room guys. A switch that is part of the system is smoking - I'd say you need to get that fixed before doing anything else. It might not end up being the ultimate source of the problem, but tails are usually chased when leaving something like this unchecked.

 

Here's where I stand now:

Just got out of the garage. Tried to start it cold, cranks, but again would not start. Pulled the switch apart, and hit the starter with the cases split apart. Saw a small spark (and consistent wisps of smoke) each and every time I hit the starter button. Hit button, engine cranked, sparks, smoke. The spark (and hence the smoke) was coming from these contacts. Not sure which contacts are the ones that touch when the button is depressed, so I cleaned them all. Before & after fotos.

And apparently I broke the push button itself. It's got 2 small pegs on each end, and now mine only has one. Anybody got one? Tinker, is the one you show in your foto something you have left over from your VF500 sale?

Hopefully I can use Tinker's fotos above to figure out how it goes back together. A few too many small parts in there for me to remember how they go back together. Would just the grime on the contacts make it smoke/spark/keep it from starting?

So, it looks like I need to find a button to see if cleaning the contacts did anything. I flipped the starter switch on & off, but got nothing except a huge backfire. No sparks/smoke seen. Never did start.

 

Also, in regards to the hot start issue, what constitutes a hot start? Many times I can start the bike, idle less than a minute, ride it 500', cut it off, and it won't re-start. Sometimes I can idle it in the garage, not move it, cut it off within 30-60 seconds, and it won't re-start.

Is that considered "hot"? To me, I would think the hot start issue means "once the bike is fully hot and been ridden many miles", not "started, moved to a neighbor's driveway next door, and attempted to be re-started."

 

When starter switch is flipped from "off" to "on" then voltage is applied to CDI's and spark is produced momentarily at spark plugs.
This is indicated by tacho's needle hopping and verifies CDI's are getting power.
In case above when starter switch was flipped from "off" to "on", spark was produced, the fuel in cylinders just fired up and If then you were pushing the crank button it should start.

Do following test: Is tacho's needle ALWAYS hoping a bit when starter switch is flipped from "off" to "on"?

Absolutely correct!

 

You still got that button? I'm guessing that Honda does not part out the switch pod.

 

Boom.

Turned key on. Flipped starter switch back & forth. Initially, no movement on tach at all. Then, about every 5th time, if I did it JUST right, the tach would move and I'd get an electrical "pulse" sound from the area of the left side cover. I even heard the piston push a stroke once or twice (hence the earlier backfire, I suppose).

It seemed to move the tach/que the electric pulse sound if I sorta "gently" snapped the switch back & forth. If I did it harder with a clean SNAP, I got nothing. Which makes sense, as in the past I could generally guess when it would restart and when it wouldn't based on how hard the off switch "clicked" back. I guess I could avoid all of this and only use the key to turn it off & on, but where's the fun in that?

So..entire new right hand switch pod, or just a new switch, or clean the one I got? Hmmm....

 

By 'starter' switch you mean the engine stop switch correct?

 

Yep. I think it says STOP/RUN. I guess I have been saying that incorrectly. Technically, it's a starter BUTTON. My fault.

 

Good news then!
Just disassemble-clean-reassemble, it should do the trick. Make sure the copper bridge moves freely and spring gives enough tension.

 

Cool! Now, if I could only find that button itself....