No starter switch = no start?

[Bobby Joe]

To start, I have a 1971 CB500F and a link to the wiring diagram is below
http://www.cmsnl.com/classic-honda-fansite/honda_wiring_diagrams/CB500.jpg

I am in the process of picking out new switches because the old ones are unusable, but I do not currently have them. On the right handle the switch has an OFF/ON/OFF switch and a start button that you push in and it springs back to return (like all other bikes I have seen). The OFF/ON/OFF switch is a rotating switch that appears to simply connect the BLACK wire to the Black/White wire. The Black/White wire travels to the ignition coils where the BLACK wire appears to be just a branch. The start switch is just a yellow and red wire. It looks like it goes to a single connector and then to a large connector and then to another single connector and then to the relay starter motor.

So now for my question
How the heck does pushing that red/yellow wire start the bike? There are no controls on the bike right now. Can I just connect the Black/White to the BLACK wire and then touch them to the yellow and red? Do I just connect the Black to the Black/White and then ground the Red/Yellow wire?

 

[jdavidakins]

Sounds like your yellow red just engages the starter. So in theory you should be able to connect the black b/w and touch the red/yel together until it cranks and then release ( so you dont burn the starter up)Note: I did not look at the wiring diagram and am going on the presumption you did and your colors are correct..

 

[hillsy]

The starter wire grounds to the handlebars when you push the starter button.

 

[stroker crazy]

The ON/OFF/ON switch is the kill switch.

Crazy

 

[Bert Jan]

red wire is primary positive. Black wire is secondary positive (when ignition is on) black/white wire is power to coils.

 

[Bobby Joe]

I ended up figuring this out the other night. I know that OFF/ON/OFF is the kill switch. Which, btw, if you connect the black+black/white, eliminating the OFF/ON/OFF...your key turns into the kill switch. duh. And I think one of you said this, but the red/yellow just completed the ground via the handle bar pin. So, temporarily, I have a momentary switch connecting the red/yellow wire to the bolt on the horn, grounding it to the frame when I push the button.

On a side note...fresh charged battery last night and the starter button wouldn't get the bike started. Possibly because the system had no fuel and needed to be primed. But on a good note, I was able to kick start the bike in about 3 kicks! Hopefully I can get her running again soon. Now that this issue is solved, I am off to figure out what is causing my carbs to flood.