I see sparks when bike is running

[ROBERT G]

I have a 82 gs1100 I relocated the igntion switch to below the gas tank on the frame rail , because I went and put a gsxr forks on
well I have a spare key on my key chain and saw that a spark was jumping from the key to the top of the valve cover ??? only when the bike is running
what do you think is going on ????

[Dink]

Bad connection for sure,most likely an earthing issue.

Dink

[ROBERT G]

Ya I ripped out all kinds of parts on this bike I had it down to the bare frame
its a street/drag bike all I have is speedo/ tach ,
I cut out the stock gage cluster I did try and make sure that the ground wires went back were the came off , I also have a prob with the bike battery going dead after a short time of use , I read a post on this that sounded just like my prob I was thinking of replacing the the battery hope that fixes it??

[Dink]

Battery going dead quickly? Most likely the infamous "stator" or a rectifier/regulator issue. As the stator(onleft hand end of the crankshaft, when seated on the bike) generates electricity (AC voltage) this is changed to DC (as used by the bike) by the rec/reg. Both need to be checked out.

Dink

[Biker326]

I'm certainly no expert but I know that the connections to the lead terminals on the battery can develop a layer of oxidation between themselves and the copper wire loops. This is particularly common during the change from summer to winter temperatures as the temp shifts each day become wider. It may be worth cleaning up those connections and checking your system agian before buying a new battery. This might explain part of your trouble, but I also agree with Dink, that it sounds like you might be experiencing the infamous stator problems as well. Just my two cents worth- Good luck!

[RJ]

In terms of electrical issues, always, always make sure your ground wires have good connections and the wires themselves are in good shape. Old cars and bikes have a tendency to chew up these connections over time. Run a big fat ground wire, like 10 gauge, from the battery to the frame and from the engine to the frame. Use top quality connectors as well. Then see what happens before you start tearng into the stator.

[RacingJake]

I'd say the switch might be shorting out but since it's only does it when it's running I'd think a high tension lead failure on the coils if the switch is close by.

[txironhead]

If your key is sparking when the bike is running AND the battery is going dead quickly, I'd say you have a dead short somewhere. Did you check to see if the new forks were pinching any of the wires? How about under the tank?

When I was riding with the Harley group (ancient history) we had a rather funny run-in with shorts. Seemed another Sporty rider had a short on his coil power wire (common with old Ironheads) but we only found out about it when it rained. We were riding through a brief rainstorm when this guy started dancing a jig on his bike. He pulled over and explained that his bike was having an "electrifying" moment. We didn't have any tools with us and we were five miles from the nearest "bro's" house, so we eased our way there, watching him "dance" every now and then. It was hysterical at the time, but when I think of what would have happened had we been blasting down the highway and a hard dose of electricity hit him......well, it's a sobering thought.

Didn't keep us from asking him to "dance" for us, though.....:-D

[speedy400]

hey just another option, well your ignition spark needs a complete path back to the negative side of the battery, it goes through the engine, to the engine mounts, to the frame, and back to the bettery. its pretty unlikly but your motor mounts could have so much resistance in them getting to the frame, that it could be jumping from the motor to the closest open metal, key switch. That would make a reason why it'd only do it when running and also this would be pretty high resistance(load) pushing current through rusty motor mounts, so it could be draining your battery. Like I said its pretty unlikely, but i've seen a motor not sparking because either too much paint built up or rust on the motor mounts.-darren

[ROBERT G]

I did have the frame and motor mo unts powder coated , I DON'T THINK
I ground down the contact points were they meet to bear metal???
maybe this has something to do with it ??? I will be checking the charging system ASAP