Ignition switch headache...

[simonnorthroad]

Aquiring as I did, a drumbrake 350 minus key, I bought the 6-pole, 3-position Honda Camino ignition switch often mentioned on here (yes, I have done a search but came up blank - key pun there)

So now I have three old ignition-switch looms, all of them different combinations of colours, some wires piggybacked/doubled up which seems to be asking for reliability-trouble, crammed into the rubber 'boot', a new 6 pole honda Camino switch and a headache..

I guess my first question, given that Ive just got a good snuff-box switch on the handlebar still, that are surprisingly reliable or simple to fix if not, and Id like the bike to be as original as possible, is:

Can a 6 pole ignition switch be wired to be off/on/on+lights on; a la 1974-76 Morinis? I dont care about parking-lights.

The Honda ignition switch terminals are numbered 1 to 6, just like the Morini 6-pole switch. Fingers Xd they correspond! Anyone made a note as to what wires go where?

what selection of colour wires go on an early Morini? Ive looked at the manuals -a Harglo one and the blue book and squinting at the tiny maze of lines and indecipherable ign-switch numbers on the diagrams it seems to suggest a 5-pole switch was correct for an early bike with the lights controlled by the key switch. it seems like 5 pole= early, 6 pole = later.

To add to the fun, and I know it's probably eliminated lighting/parking lights for simplicity, one of the ignition-circuit diagrams in the blue book, just shows FOUR wires going to a very diagrammatical switch, which isnt much help (to an electrickery dunce like me)

[3potjohn]

On my K1 I replaced my existing 6 pole ign switch as the key could fall out with one from NLM.
This currently ( sorry) is off , ign ,ign and lights. On the ign only I can switch just the headlight or parking light at the handlebar but no rear light, at the ign + light then I have all the lights . Bit of a cock up in my view but OK .
If it was not for being pinned down by THE CAT I can get the blurb NLM included with suggested wiring.
Right I have 1 blue 2 green 3 yellow 4 yellow/black 5 brown 6 red they say 1 and 2 are mission critical but the others may swap or bridge 4 and 5
Don’t know if this is any help?
John

[morini_tom]

Simon, not sure how much I can contribute as my bike is much later, but I fitted a Camino switch to my K1, wired as in the attached image.

As John says, the middle position is basically redundant.

[mbmm350s]

Simon

I PM'd you but Tom's reply agrees with what I have except I have the 3/4 pair and the 5/6 pair swapped
which is functionally the same as the middle position is redundant. However that's for a six pole replacement post 1977

To replace a 5 pole as per earlier bikes as per your 1974 bike :

terminal 1 connects to green ignition wire
terminal 2 connects to earth blue wire

terminal 5 connects to red battery
terminal 6 connects to brown switched live

The final puzzle is to connect the lights feed to the snuff box

using a double ended piggy back terminal and link wire connect terminal 3 to terminal 6 (switched live)
finally connect terminal 4 to the lights feed (grey wire or white wire)

Now you have a three position switch OFF, IGNITION+12V ancilliaries, IGNITION+12V ancilliaries+LIGHTS

PLEASE PLEASE check that the switch you have has the internal connections that we are assuming!

In the unsophisticated switch i do not think there is any reason to be fussy about swapping 1 with 2 for example.


Mark

[simonnorthroad]

thanks guys, incredibly helpful all!!!!

[mbmm350s]

To reassure John

This currently ( sorry) is off , ign ,ign and lights. On the ign only I can switch just the headlight or parking light at the handlebar but no rear light, at the ign + light then I have all the lights . Bit of a cock up in my view but OK .

Not a cock up at all, its just that you have a redundant switch position. The original 6 pole switch had the provision for parking lights and the key removable in 2 positions. I just connected the yellow and yellow-black permanently. In that case you can just use a four pole switch to replace a 6 pole. You can then use the four pole switch as fitted to 250 2Cs and literally billions of cheap mopeds the world over, all with a cheap plastic nut and my supply of proper brass ones has seriously diminished

Cheers
Mark