New coils/won's start

[mike1414]

So two things I figured out:

I have 5.2ohms to the primary side of both coils, but nothing from the secondary side on either coil. Also, hot wiring actually worked! It "cranked" (my terminology) although didn't start, likely because I need to clean the carbs since it has been sitting for about 3 months or so. Onto researching what to do next, input? Thanks roeme and uk gs nut for that help. You guys are geniuses.

[hannibal]

You ran a hot wire to the starter and it turned over? The only things between the battery and the starter are the relay, start button and kill switch (I think). Start by testing the relay by bridging the two terminals.

[Boriqua]

I am not sure this will help but back in the day I got stuck miles from home and had to be towed at night. It was sometime around "78 and I was broke and working a crap job and the trip cost me an entire paycheck. When I got home and started going through it all I discovered after I opened the kill switch that one of the solder points had broke lose. A single wire had come undone in the kill switch and I took out my 5 buck soldier iron and put it back on .. hit the switch and Vroom.

If you havent already .. open up the housing at your start switch and kill switch and just take a look.

[mike1414]

Hannibal I ran a wire from the positive battery terminal to the orange feeder wire to my coils and it started. Relative question: does a Dyna ignition work only with Dyna coils? I assume that since I fed power to the coils via my positive terminal and it started that must mean my coils are inadequate. Correct?

[hillsy]

Hannibal I ran a wire from the positive battery terminal to the orange feeder wire to my coils and it started. Relative question: does a Dyna ignition work only with Dyna coils? I assume that since I fed power to the coils via my positive terminal and it started that must mean my coils are inadequate. Correct?

What it means is your coils weren't getting power. You need to check the wiring to find out why.

[wymple]

"Wymple when when you say hot wire, just run a wire from the battery to the....ignition switch?"

No, to the coils, which you've apparently done with success. You bypassed everything from the battery thru the switch. So your coils are not the problem, nor plugs, plug wires, Dyna or anything of that sort. You have no juice getting from the switch to the coils so you need to track that down. I may have read somewhere that the green Dyna coils are not reliable for long term street use. We had a pair of single output coils dump on us on a Moto Guzzi after maybe 10,000 miles. I can't remember offhand the replacement brand we used. This would not be your immediate problem, tho. Your wiring is as old as your bike, there's the rub.

[mike1414]

So despite the connections looking good, the soldering still looking good, etc., would you recommend cleaning and re-soldering the connections and installing new connectors in the appropriate places? Thanks, guys, for all the help. Glad to be headed in the right direction.

[mike1414]

Another update: got a bunch of connectors, sured up some of the sketchy looking ones, replaced a blown fuse, charged my battery, cleaned my carbs (done a lot of that lately), put in new plugs, and replaced the starter relay. Despite all of that, it still doesn't start. I tinkered for a couple hours, worked on places for the ground, etc., but still didn't work. So when I closed the loop between the (-) and (+) on the starter relay via screwdriver touching each one, it turned over, but still didn't start. So, I assume this must mean that my new starter relay is a dud?

Furthermore, considering my battery is fully charged (and tested, not a 'bad' battery), my carbs are pretty clean (I also always run only premium or ethanol-free gas), and I was jumping my starter relay, any other suggestions as to why it won't start? I even used some short bursts of starter fluid, still wouldn't start up (I know, I know, starter fluid probably not a good idea, but it was only a little). I'm so close that I can taste it, but it still seems depressingly far away.

[hjfisk]

It almost sounds to me like it is you right hand kill switch, you say it won't crank over but will when you jump the solenoid. That would be problem 1 , now when you jump it over on the solenoid it won't start, problem 2 ahh kill switch. If there is a problem with it ( the kill switch) it won' t crank or start. Bike will not crank if kill switch is off. Also have you by passed you clutch switch?

[mike1414]

Never bypassed my clutch switch before, but have tried to start it both in neutral and 1st, would this make a difference? Also, have done what I consider an attempt at bypassing the killswitch by unplugging the right hand controls and trying to kick start, is this an adequate way of just trying to bypass the killswitch or does that completely keep the bike from starting regardless? I've since plugged the right hand controls back in, just curious as to whether my logic was sound

[hjfisk]

Never bypasse my clutch switch before, but have tried to start it both in neutral and 1st, would this make a difference? Also, have done what I consider an attempt at bypassing the killswitch by unplugging the right hand controls and trying to kick start, is this an adequate way of just trying to bypass the killswitch or does that completely keep the bike from starting regardless? I've since plugged the right hand controls back in, just curious as to whether my logic was sound

(Never by passed clutch switch before). Ok so open the head light bucket and find the 2 wires that are yellow with green strip . Trace them back to the switch on your clutch lever. Once you have confirmed this, go back to the head light buck and unplug them, and plug the 2 from the main harness together. Done your clutch safety is now bypassed. us plugging the right hand control is not bypassing it is breaking a circuit. The bike will not run like that. Unplug your harness to the kill switch/ starter button and using an ohm meter or batterie powered test light check that the kill switch is working by connecting your testing device between the 2 orange wires and switching the rocker switch off and on. If the meter reads # then zero it is working or the light turns off and on it is working. Also the connections in the wiring on these old bikes need to be cleaned as they corrode over time.so cleaning them up with electrical cleaner is also ��

[mike1414]

Excellent explanation, thank you. I'll try both of those today. I've simply just replaced a majority of the factory connectors because they looked a bit shabby, and cleaned up all my grounds, so I've got that going for me.