'85 VF500; no starter, no headlight(s).....

So, after three weeks of sitting, my VF500 refused to engage the starter. Battery good, all handlebar fuses good, all other systems functioning, bump-started right up and runs fine.... but both headlights out and the starter button dead. It's like a common fuse or relay or black box is fried, but I don't know where too look at this point. Any ideas??

 

The start button for that vintage of Honda was prone to failure, the button has small pins it pivots on and the break causing the button and its contacts to be misaligned. No headlights and not starting is the result.

 

If it is your starter button I had the same thing on my 750 and bought an aftermarket button and relocated to in front of my key. I added some wire to the harness, secured it with cable ties and filled the old hole with silicone to keep the elements out of the rest of the components. I think it looks pretty good considering this part is obsolete, and used ones may not be in much better condition.

 

You can use switch gear off a later model bike as well, have a gen5 unit on my gen2......no mods just a straight swap and much more reliable.