Spark with no battery?

[Guest]

So Im restoring a '79 GS550 and I havent yet purchased a battery but i notice that when I lay a plug on the engine and i kickstart, there is no spark. I would think it wouldn't need a battery to spark using the kick. Am I wrong? Is it time to troubleshoot the wiring??

[bwringer]

Yes, you do need a battery to get spark.

This isn't a magneto setup like a Briggs and Stratton.

[goggleboy]

well, on my 78' GS I don't have a battery and it has spark...and it runs
??

[SqDancerLynn1]

If it runs without the battery It has to have some type of capasitor

[Adler]

Isnt the condensor just a capacitor? or do you mean some other one?

[Calvin Blackmore]

um the bike has no magneto or other electrical device
on old dirtbikes you got spark cos electricity came diectly from a magneto

the battery is an integral part of the system on your bike soooooooooooo
no bat no spark

[Adler]

If the bike isnt producing electricity somewhere, how is it charging the battery?

[salty_monk]

It produces it in the stator but only once it's spinning at a decent RPM & doesn't supply enough to charge the coils on a kickover far as I know.

The battery is like a huge capacitor, the charging circuit charges the battery.

[Adler]

Very interesting and good to know, I wonder how goggleboy's runs without the battery. Maybe its some kind of mod?

[Danjal]

Typically most charging systems charge the battery and take voltage off of it. Then you get others that run like a dirt bike charging system. Its a use it or lose it kind of system. No battery involved at all.

[Redneck]

What if batt is dead?

Okay what if your battery is dead would you be able to still get the bike kick started? If not what is the point of the kick start?

[koolaid_kid]

Electric starters used to be relatively unreliable. Also, bikes always had a kickstarter. Notice 79 was the last year for them.
A small bit of trivia, the Suzuki two strokes had the kickstarter on the left side, not sure why. Everyone else had them on the right.

[Calvin Blackmore]

Okay what if your battery is dead would you be able to still get the bike kick started? If not what is the point of the kick start?

it is so you can look manly
it is so while madly kicking a wet incalcitrant machine you can have the rubber work off the kicker and drive your foot full force into the pavement thus causing you to fall to the ground gagging in pain (happened to me once on a single cyl dirt bike )

I think they kept kick starts in case the starter failed not the battery
my bike terrified me when i saw there was no kick start
not that kicking over a 4 cylinder bike is fun
hell bump starting is easier

[goggleboy]

it is so you can look manly
it is so while madly kicking a wet incalcitrant machine you can have the rubber work off the kicker and drive your foot full force into the pavement thus causing you to fall to the ground gagging in pain (happened to me once on a single cyl dirt bike )

I think they kept kick starts in case the starter failed not the battery
my bike terrified me when i saw there was no kick start
not that kicking over a 4 cylinder bike is fun
hell bump starting is easier

your tellin me.. it was 96 degrees that day, and I was out the driveway kicking this thing 15 times...talk about work!

[1948man]

What is the correct procedure for safely bump-starting?