Honda NX-250 anyone?
 

Have a few electrical questions about and 88 NX-250. Anybody here know anything about these bikes?

I don't know much about them, but I had a friend in college with one. You could reach under the fairing, pull the ignition wire plug out of the ignition and kick start it without a key. Not very secure :D

What is the problem?

Shifted your buds wasn't an nx. They don't have kickers.

Tim- when we try to start it it only fires the plug once or twice and then the starter just spins.

So you pulled the spark plug and checked for spark by cranking the engine over and it sparks once or twice, then quits sparking? Or are you saying that simply when attempting to start, it pops once or twice, but then does not start and just keeps cranking over but will not start?

When we tried to start it it sounds like it fires once and then it just spins. We put one of those check lights on the plug and it only gets the signal to start once right after the start button is pushed

What happens if you try and bump start it? Sounds to me like the starter isn't engaging.

Starter is definitely spinning just only getting one or two sparks

OK, when I here "starter spins" I imagine the sound of the starter spinning, not the bump bump bump sound of the engine being turned over too.

This may help:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Motorcycle-Repair-837/2008/9/spark-plug-2.htm

Also...did that bike have a sidestand switch; i.e., it prevents bike from being in gear and running when kick stand is down? I had a similar problem with a Buell where symptoms were same...a few sparks then nothing. Turned out to be KS switch...just a WAG tho. We like to never have found it. Just discovered it when we could start it with the KS up and in neutral.

It was 20 years ago so I guess my memory's fadding. It must have been the starter button which is even worse or maybe it was the NX125. It was a brand new bike so it was that way from the factory.

it would have been an nsr if it was kick start

Nick is right. None of the NXs had kicks. I had a 125 and sold it and we still have my dads 250. Dueller- It doesnt have a kickstand switch(wish it was something that simple that I had overlooked tho). Dad has a friend that rebuilds Ducati's we may take it to him.