OK I'm Stuck - Non-GS Technical

[Hoomgar]

Your original post describes a problem that sounds sus piciously like a failed charging system. Follow my reasoning and see if the pieces fit...

If your charging system isn't working, then you'd be able to ride your bike until the battery ran down (50 miles is certainly in the range of possiblility). As you're coasting to the side of the road, the battery is recovering a little bit, so it starts again and runs another mile or two, but now the battery is just about dead so the next time you try it you get a couple of blocks...

Try charging the battery overnight (if you haven't already) and see if the bike starts right up. If it does, the charging system is the likely culprit. It is also possible that a bad wire or bad connection is preventing the battery from properly charging even if the system is working properly -- make sure all your connections are clean and tight. Let us know how it plays out, and good luck!

Steve 8)

As I said above the battery is new (first thing I checked) and is fully charged and good to go. The bike will not fire at all now anymore. No spark. Something went out, I am just having trouble finding what it was. Things that I know it isn't is the battery or the kill switch on the clutch. Like I say, the bettery is good and I tested the kill switch on the clutch and it is working. But someone else told me to check for other safety switches that may be malfunctioning. Like side stand and the like. All my wires and connections look good to the best I can tell. I've torn most of the bike apart looking even in the headlight. Everything looks good. It's a head scratcher but there is no spark at all now. You can't even get a sputter out of it now. I need to find a service manual for this thing.

[Anonymous]

Your original post describes a problem that sounds sus piciously like a failed charging system. Follow my reasoning and see if the pieces fit...

If your charging system isn't working, then you'd be able to ride your bike until the battery ran down (50 miles is certainly in the range of possiblility). As you're coasting to the side of the road, the battery is recovering a little bit, so it starts again and runs another mile or two, but now the battery is just about dead so the next time you try it you get a couple of blocks...

Try charging the battery overnight (if you haven't already) and see if the bike starts right up. If it does, the charging system is the likely culprit. It is also possible that a bad wire or bad connection is preventing the battery from properly charging even if the system is working properly -- make sure all your connections are clean and tight. Let us know how it plays out, and good luck!

Steve 8)

As I said above the battery is new (first thing I checked) and is fully charged and good to go. The bike will not fire at all now anymore. No spark. Something went out, I am just having trouble finding what it was. Things that I know it isn't is the battery or the kill switch on the clutch. Like I say, the bettery is good and I tested the kill switch on the clutch and it is working. But someone else told me to check for other safety switches that may be malfunctioning. Like side stand and the like. All my wires and connections look good to the best I can tell. I've torn most of the bike apart looking even in the headlight. Everything looks good. It's a head scratcher but there is no spark at all now. You can't even get a sputter out of it now. I need to find a service manual for this thing.

Hey hoomgar

Sorry i had to close my last post so quickly but the city power went off and i was on battery back up so had to close quickly.

What year is your 550??? if early80s ( i think) first check to see if the starter works. if it does than you need to check the coils for wear and i mean check close. any wires bad or corroded? if ok have you pulled a spark plug and checked both the plug(for gap) and tried to get a spark by cranking over the engine with the plug wire attached and the plug grounded? If no spark then check the coils for shorting or open windings. This is where you need a kawasaki special tool,but i have found a ohmmeyer will work but doesn't always give conclusive readings. to check primary windings take your ohmmeter and set it to the 1ohm range pull the fuel tank and disconnect the coil leads. This is where the wire colors may be different but connect one lead to the yellow/red and the other to the green or black the meter reading should be 3.2 to 4.8 ohm.if not replace coil.the check the resistance from one sparkpplug lead to the other using the same scale on your tester. the meter reading should be around 10.5 to 15.5 ohm if not replace. also check for continuity between yellow/red lead and the plug lead on each coil. these should check out because the chances of both coils bad are slim but who knows give this a try and if still no luck let me know and will check the pickup next.

We'll make a mechanic out of you yet

[Carter Turk]

Non GS

When you say no spark, does that mean no dash lights? Zero power anywhere? On a trip to Laguna Seca from Washington, I had this problem.

No power whatsoever after riding 500 miles. I tryed to bump start it, nothing. I started wiggling the ignition switch wiring and the fuse box itself. It fired, made it there and back, but I think my charging system was on the way out. The ol GS plague.

Wiring may be the culprit. If it needs to be started with the clutch in, the pickup on the handlebar is notorious for getting corroded or gummed up.

On another tangent, I was rebuilding a Honda Interceptor 500, all new fuses, battery, checked all connections, turn the key in the ignition, nothing.

After much frustration I found a seperate fuse away from the fuse box hidden under a plastic cap on the frame rail under the front part of the seat. It was blown. I replaced it and the dash lit up and fired immediately.

May as well check the gas tank vent hose for blockage and pull a float bowl (bottom of carb) to see if any sediment found it way down there after using the carb cleaner. A manual would be good if its going to be the wife's bike. Carter

[Hoomgar]

Hey hoomgar

Sorry i had to close my last post so quickly but the city power went off and i was on battery back up so had to close quickly.

What year is your 550??? if early80s ( i think) first check to see if the starter works. if it does than you need to check the coils for wear and i mean check close. any wires bad or corroded? if ok have you pulled a spark plug and checked both the plug(for gap) and tried to get a spark by cranking over the engine with the plug wire attached and the plug grounded? If no spark then check the coils for shorting or open windings. This is where you need a kawasaki special tool,but i have found a ohmmeyer will work but doesn't always give conclusive readings. to check primary windings take your ohmmeter and set it to the 1ohm range pull the fuel tank and disconnect the coil leads. This is where the wire colors may be different but connect one lead to the yellow/red and the other to the green or black the meter reading should be 3.2 to 4.8 ohm.if not replace coil.the check the resistance from one sparkpplug lead to the other using the same scale on your tester. the meter reading should be around 10.5 to 15.5 ohm if not replace. also check for continuity between yellow/red lead and the plug lead on each coil. these should check out because the chances of both coils bad are slim but who knows give this a try and if still no luck let me know and will check the pickup next.

We'll make a mechanic out of you yet

I actually checked the wires that feed the coils to see if it is getting voltage there. No go. I should have mentioned that sooner. No juice is getting to the coils at all anymore.

[Hoomgar]

Re: Non GS

When you say no spark, does that mean no dash lights? Zero power anywhere?

No it has everything but spark. I've got all power and starter turn signals you name it. The only thing is doesn't have is spark. No voltage to the coils at all.

[Anonymous]

hey hoomgar;

when you say you don't have voltage to the coil do you mean no 12 volt to the coil? check the yellow/red wire and see if you have 12 volts there. if not then trace the yellow/red wire back to the handle bar kill switch checking the connectors along the way until you find 12 volts you must have a busted wire somewhere along the way you could also check the continuity of the yellow/red wire to see if there is a break somewhere. thats the only power source for the 12 volt side of the coil. it could be a bad kill switch or a bad connector.

[Anonymous]

Kill Switch

I had a very similar problem last fall with my GS1100.

Basically, I rode the bike 2 hrs. West from my house and it died. I had intermittent problems with my starter (well documented on this site), but this was the first time I could not bump start the bike. It was deader than roadkill.

Joe Nardy, whom I met on this site, was kind enough to set me straight. The guy who owned the bike previously installed some kind of poor man's security system that essentially circuited the wiring to the kill switch "off" position - it manually could be connected, or disconnected under one of the side panels. Joe spliced the wire back together and it ran true.

It may be an electrical short circuit or a kill switch issue.

[Hoomgar]

Well per those last two posts then I need to check the kill switch. I will do that tonight time pernmitting. Thanks guys. A faulty wire harness is still suspect.

[Anonymous]

Well per those last two posts then I need to check the kill switch. I will do that tonight time pernmitting. Thanks guys. A faulty wire harness is still suspect.

hey Hoomgar;
Yea just keep checking that yellow/red wire back from the coil until you find 12 volts.There is probably a bad connector or broken wire somewhere. Good luck as trying to find and isolate electrical problems can be diffucult and will turn you old and gray in a hurry :roll: :roll:

[Hoomgar]

Well per those last two posts then I need to check the kill switch. I will do that tonight time pernmitting. Thanks guys. A faulty wire harness is still suspect.

hey Hoomgar;
Yea just keep checking that yellow/red wire back from the coil until you find 12 volts.There is probably a bad connector or broken wire somewhere. Good luck as trying to find and isolate electrical problems can be diffucult and will turn you old and gray in a hurry :roll: :roll:

Opps! Too late Already old and grey. You forgot bald. Anywho, of all things, my heater broke out there. brrrrr.... I may not be doing any trouble shooting until I get that fixed.

[Hoomgar]

It's been simply to cold out in the garage with my heater broken to work on this guys. I thank all of you for your knowledgable input. I know have a full quiver of ideas and things to check. Hopefully next week my heater ignitor will come and I can get back out there and get to trouble shooting this scooter.

I'll update here when I find something.

[Hoomgar]

OK I am still stumped. Here is what I have ruled out best I can tell.

-It isn't the battery as I am using a new one known good and can even test with the charger on with same results.

-I don't believe it is the kill switch because if you turn that off the bike will not turn over but when on it does crank.

-All fuses are tested good.

I do not have juice to the coils when cranking. I put the volt meter on the + feed wire to the coil and when I crank there is about .25 volt being read that fades. Not even a volt. I checked all the wires I could and cannot find any that are broken but have found several that were rubbed through to clean copper and most likely were shorted out. I have all this stuff exposed right now and verified they all still have continuity.

Shouldn't I be reading about 12 volts or so to the coils when cranking? If so, what could be bad? Maybe the ignitor? Something else? I can't seem to crack this one. Any help is greatly appreciated guys. If anyone with a lot of experience with this type of thing has time for a phone call that would be way cool. I would really appreciate that if at all possible.

[bustinjustin2k]

Hi hoomgar,

Sadly I can offer you no help i think im having the same problems myself and am a totall noob to motorcycle except for carb stuff.

Just wanted to say hang in there you'll get it.



Justin

[Hoomgar]

Follow the thread with me then, a lot of these guys are really good. I am 100% confident that they will help me get it fixed.

[Anonymous]

Like most people, I love a good mystery, and so far this is a great one. Just to muddy things a little, my old cb650(sold it ) would crank over just fine with the kill switch on or off. But no spark unless in the run position. Anyway, I pulled out the wiring diagram from my gs450 and tracing back, the wires from the coils lead back to the igniter and from there to the signal generator. Each of these can be removed and tested. If you're positive that the wiring from the ignitor to the coil is good then I'd look at either/both of these.

I'm guessing you'll need a shop manual because according to mine, if you test ignitor improperly you'll ruin it. I'm no electrical expert but I tend to heed warnings - at least occasionally.

PS: expert --> ex = has been and a spurt = a drip under pressure - get it ex-spurt....

Follow the thread with me then, a lot of these guys are really good. I am 100% confident that they will help me get it fixed.