Starter cable route & alternator wiring.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I took a photo when I removed my chain cover last year, aside from the missing wiring clip for the alternator wiring the starter cable ran through the top exit hole with the alternator wiring running out of the rear.

The Honda manual shows the starter cable running out of the rear of the chain case & up past the engine mounting spacer & the alternator loom running  through the casing slot so I will follow the manual.

I've  looked in the parts book there does not appear to be a wiring grommet where the alternator wiring passes through the casing  slot - is it worth putting some sort of grommet there for protection?

I was also surprised at how relatively narrow the gap is between the chain sprocket & the clutch push rod.

.500 wiring routes by Macabe Thiele, on Flickr

[Bryanj]

Thats why the rod gets broke when chain is loose

[Oddjob]

The chain guard fitted to the left hand casing commonly gets broken by the chain, if it's doing it's job the push rod is relatively safe but when the guard gets broken then so does the rod as a rule. The chain guard also helps keep the wiring away from that whirling chain. I think IIRC, the wires go through the hole and the cable goes out of the back and under the spacer. Mainly due I think to how bendable the wires are as opposed to the cable, which tends to harden as time goes by.