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Honda Superhawk 250 / CB72 My pride and joy =]

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  #1  
Unread 10-25-2007, 09:10 PM
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In the process of making the starting system operational on my ol bike I wanted to inspect the starter solenoid and maybe give it some graphite lube so it will function as designed. The starter bearings were dry as the well in Bodie California and I was afraid that the starter solenoid would seize up as well.

Here is a peek into the frame to see the starter solenoids location.


**REMOVE THE BATTERY FROM THE BIKE FIRST** Once the battery cable and output cables are removed from their respective terminal posts you can get to work on the two 10mm bolts that hold the solenoid in place. Make sure and grab a soft rag to put on the swingarm so you can set the solenoid down on it to work on.

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Unread 10-25-2007, 09:30 PM
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The solenoid is connected directly to the wiring harness so stretch out your back for this exercise. :lol: I have two V8 engines I'm rebuilding on my motorcycle stand so I'm forced to sit on the ground for this work, not fun =\.

Taking this unit apart is a little harder than you might think. Make darn sure that you have plenty of time and a cup of tea or coffee to relax your nerves during the process. If you snip one wire by accident or break off one of the little pieces in this assembly you will be in big trouble. These parts aren't exactly available at your local Honda dealership so if you can't fix what you break you will have to wait days for a replacement to arrive in the mail.

Rubber is used all over this piece and it isn't too convenient to remove these parts after they have had decades to settle in. First I had to carefully pry apart the metal wire harness holder. The wires had no slack at all so I had to cut the protective sheathing back just a tiny bit in order to separate them. The rubber seals on each wire were very tight but luckily not brittle enough to break apart. I had to pull very hard on them to be able to loosen them enough to pull the cap up and away from the body of the solenoid.

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Unread 10-25-2007, 09:42 PM
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So now we have them apart and didn't break anything! GREAT! Now what? The surfaces that make contact need to be cleaned up. Mine were in great shape, surprisingly, since the starter bearings and clutch was beat up. I used some miniature tools to resurface the plunger and upper contacts just like new. The plunger guides also could use a coating of graphite lubricant so I sprinkled some on. Graphite Lube is perfect for dry lubrication applications on protected parts. Bushings, guides and light duty pivots really like graphite and do best when they aren't wet to attract particles and dust. Here you can see the contact areas:



And finally I assembled all the pieces, cleaned and sealed 'er up and she's ready for whatever. Now when you hit the button the plunger fires right off and slaps those contacts together giving the starter full power. There will be no chance of "click, click click" with no start! I'm sure you have all had a solenoid/starter go out on you like that.
:P At least the solenoid is a separate unit on this one. Makes life easy.

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