82 gs650 no spark - ignitor?

[txgs650]

Bike has not run for many years. I cleaned gas tank, rebuilt carbs, replaced intake rings, air cleaner, plugs, oil &filter. Bike ran approximately 15 minutes after many tries but only on cylinders 2&3 before dying. I could not get any spark after this and found the 1-4 coil did not pass secondary ohm test. Replaced this coil and still cannot get any spark.

I cleaned and checked all connections from fuse box to ignition switch/kill switch/coils -ignitor. I have 12V at the coils and all coils pass primary and seconday ohm test (thru plug caps). I tested signal generator and it past ohm test according to manual. I have 12V going to the ignitor (checked/cleaned connection). I tried the ignitor test with the 1.5V dry cell and could not get any spark. I then put 12V on the 1-4 coil and ran a temporary wire from the neg terminal of this coil. I got a spark on #1 plug when I touched this wire to ground. I repeated this with the 2-3 coil and got a spark on the #3 plug. Is my ignitor dead? Is there anything else to check?

[chef1366]

You covered it all when it comes to ignition.
Did you at one time have a problem with your R/R to fry a coil and igniter?

You can go with a Dyna S but you'll need to get a mechanical advance if you don't have one stock. You can also cruise Ebay for an igniter. I have an extra one but it's made for a mechanical advance.

[txgs650]

I only know the original owner put it in the barn. I guess I am finding out why! I did have my charger hooked up to the bike without a battery to test electrical. Could this have fried the ignitor and coil?

[Matchless]

I only know the original owner put it in the barn. I guess I am finding out why! I did have my charger hooked up to the bike without a battery to test electrical. Could this have fried the ignitor and coil?

Never, never do that! Chargers are not designed as stand alone power supplies! You may quite likely have done your pocket some damage!

[txgs650]

I only had it on for short periods of time to test lights etc., hopefully I did not fry the RR. Guess I will have to wait until I get it running to check out the RR.

[Matchless]

I recall one of the manuals actually give the drycell connections for testing the wrong way around. You must have 12 volt present on the coils and on the ignitor - kill switch and ignition on when doing the test.
You can test it this way (for GS1000G 1980, maybe same as yours)

1. Locate the igniter and disconnect the plug with the blue and green wires coming from the signal generator (pickup) at the right bottom of the engine. Test the resistance across these wires coming from the signal generator pickup coils, it should be approximately 250 – 360 ohm. If this is in order you have proved the pickups and the wires to be good.
2. The little back box or igniter is now tested as follows. With the ignition on, kill switch on, test for 12 Volt DC between the orange/white and the black/white wires in the plug going into the igniter. This proves that it is getting the correct voltage.
3. The next step is to prove whether the igniter is powering your coils. Remove all 4 spark plugs and connect the HT lead caps to a spark plug #1, #2, #3 and #4 which is grounded and located to enable you to see the spark. Ensure all the connector plugs are back in, except the one with the green and blue wires from the signal generator.
4. To simulate the small voltage generated by the pickup coil, prepare an ordinary 1.5V dry cell with two wires red for positive and black for negative. Connect the negative black wire from the dry cell to the blue wire on the connector plug going into the igniter. Switch on the ignition and kill switch to power the igniter and briefly touch the red wire from the dry cell positive to the green wire connector going into the igniter. You should see a spark on plugs #1 and #4 when you touch the wire and on #2 and #3 when you remove the wire. If this works your igniter is in a working condition.

[duaneage]

If it's been sitting it probably a bad connection. THe ignitor and coils get 12 volts supplied by the kill switch on the handlebars. An orange wire powers the switch. From there it flows to the coils directly. If you have no 12 volts on the orange wires you will get no spark.Follow back to the handlebar switch and open it up if the coils are dead. For a quick check, jumper from the 12 volt + on the battery to the coil + terminal and try it. This is also how to steal your bike of you lose the key.

The orange wire then powers the ignitor, really it's just a solid state switch. These can go bad but not likely. Unplug everything, clean the contacts and reconnect.

Powering up with a charger isn't all that bad, but the chargers seldom can deliver enough power to start a bike. Voltage is voltage, the bike doesn't care where it comes from as long as it is under 15.5 and is clean DC.