New Member in need of help!

[Rod W E]

Hi Guys,
I'm new to this so be easy on me. I have a 1987 Yamaha Big Wheel 200ES and the cdi box has failed. I have done nation wide parts search time and again for two years and have given up. The bike is in great shape other than that and I don't want to junk it out. I'm looking for some one to help me rewire another cdi box in if that is possible. Please help if you can.

Thanks, Rod W E:

[Big Mike]

Hey there Rod,

Welcome to 3ww.

I took a quick look around and I believe your machine must be an 85 or 86 since they didnt make a BW200 in 87, that being said,the CDI box looks like it is still available from a few sources but is quite pricey:

http://www.bikebandit.com/houseofmotorcycles/1986-yamaha-big-wheel-200-bw200s/o/m146933#sch227939

http://www.ebay.com/itm/YAMAHA-CDI-UNIT-ASSEMBLY-BW200-BIG-WHEEL-200-1985-1986-/220834196439?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item336abe6bd7&vxp=mtr

I am sure there is a way to use a CDI from another model but I am not that in-depth with knowledge of the BW 200 having only done basic work on them, but there are a few Big Wheel fanatics on here that should see this and hopefully chime in. Good Luck. Definetly dont junk it out because of a CDI, someone would buy it whole and get it figured out.

[just ben]

I know the tw engines were the same or very close. maybe a cdi or the whole ignition would work

[just ben]

Hey there Rod,

Welcome to 3ww.

I took a quick look around and I believe your machine must be an 85 or 86 since they didnt make a BW200 in 87, that being said,the CDI box looks like it is still available from a few sources but is quite pricey:

http://www.bikebandit.com/houseofmotorcycles/1986-yamaha-big-wheel-200-bw200s/o/m146933#sch227939

http://www.ebay.com/itm/YAMAHA-CDI-UNIT-ASSEMBLY-BW200-BIG-WHEEL-200-1985-1986-/220834196439?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item336abe6bd7&vxp=mtr (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?campid=5336526073&toolid=10001&mpre=http://www.ebay.com/itm/YAMAHA-CDI-UNIT-ASSEMBLY-BW200-BIG-WHEEL-200-1985-1986-/220834196439?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item336abe6bd7&vxp=mtr)

I am sure there is a way to use a CDI from another model but I am not that in-depth with knowledge of the BW 200 having only done basic work on them, but there are a few Big Wheel fanatics on here that should see this and hopefully chime in. Good Luck. Definetly dont junk it out because of a CDI, someone would buy it whole and get it figured out. BIG WHEEL ELEC START - BW200ET - 1987 that was taken right from a parts site

[4x4van]

They made the BW200 up through '88, but it appears that the elctric start model CDI ('86,87,88) is not available? The non-electric start ('85,86) CDI is different, sorry to say. The TW200 CDI is still available for the '87 model, although it looks different (and it's quite pricey), you might be able to change the plugs and it would likely work. The engines are the same; many other engine parts are interchangeable. Good Luck!

[Rod W E]

It is a 1987 Big Wheel 200 Electric Start

[Big Mike]

Ok my mistake, I looked on the parts site I use all the time and there was no BW200 listed.

[kb0nly]

Go over to www.dratv.com and buy one of his universal CDI units and the wiring plug for it if your plug is different, he even has wiring info, wire it up and your done. I just put one on a 84 200ES that no other unit would work with, you loose the neutral/reverse start safety but it runs perfect. I also put one on a old Kawasaki dirt bike of a friend of mine, if its CDI its swappable.

[just ben]

Go over to www.dratv.com (http://www.dratv.com) and buy one of his universal CDI units and the wiring plug for it if your plug is different, he even has wiring info, wire it up and your done. I just put one on a 84 200ES that no other unit would work with, you loose the neutral/reverse start safety but it runs perfect. I also put one on a old Kawasaki dirt bike of a friend of mine, if its CDI its swappable.I agree that it could work but you need to know the function of each wire on the origanal cdi. Does the universal come with a cross referance for each mfg? I have never bought one so I don't know. How many wires come off it? (the original)and what are the colors? I'm sure a bunch of cdis would work but the best bet is to start with another yamaha part since the wire colors will be the same for each function of it

[kb0nly]

He has pictures on his site showing the colors and their functions as well as the pinout of the new CDI. All you would need is a wiring diagram for the Kawa and then look at the functions of each color and rewire, been there done that many many times as its always hard to find parts for some of this older stuff.

You can get these universal CDI boxes like he sells for about $8-$10 on eBay, but i buy from him, costs a little more but i buy the plug from him anyway and he would be easier to deal with for a replacement if its bad versus some seller on eBay.

If your engine has the square six contact plug for the CDI then you don't even need a new plug, you might have to pop the contacts out of the connector shell to move the wires around if the original CDI is pinned out different but its not that hard, last one i did took me about five minutes, most of that time was finding the schematic for the bike i was working on.