Reverse light on, got no electric start

[BigRed1984]

Finally got a nice day on a weekend to go out and fiddle with the old '84 Big Red.

I installed an EBAY coil and an EBAY CDI box because I had no spark.

When I went to start it, the reverse light came on, and the electric start doesn't work.

It's not in reverse.

It WILL run if I pull start it.

I pulled the wire off the reverse safety switch. That didn't help.

Any ideas what's going on and how to fix it or bypass the reverse safety switch so it will start?

[bigredlance]

The reverse light & starter inhibit work by the switch creating a ground when in reverse. if that wire is rubbed through & grounding out on the frame of possibly plugged in wrong in the headlight that will cause this issue. It's a gray wire that goes from the actual reverse switch to the starter inhibit, also goes to cdi unit & the indicator light. Somewhere this wire is finding a ground.

[BigRed1984]

Okay that narrows it down some.

I know it's not hooked up wrong in the headlight. Nobody's been in the headlight since late 1983 when the wheeler was built.

The wire's probably grounding out somewhere under the gas tank, because that's the only place anything's been moved.

[atc500x]

hummm....not sure but I have ever try a cdi with th wrong number on a 200es and it does the ame thing,reverse light on and no start.

[bigredlance]

The wrong CDI could do it. You already disconnected the actual reverse switch. Try unplugging the CDI then the reverse inhibit & see which on e makes the light go out. If it still stays on gotta be a rubbed wire. Once the ground is removed it should crank.

[tri again]

dont they also need the reverse switch to have agood ground so the elec start works?

[zppeacock]

Wrong cdi, been there done that.