UPDATED: Why won't it start? It did! Yay!

Ok, did some more work. No progress, but more work

I replaced the plugs and gave the battery a good charge. Still no spark.

I spent some time looking through old posts in the forum for troubleshooting procedures. I ran across a checklist that wiredgeorge wrote up, so I followed it:

- voltage to coils (12V)? check.
- coils check out (primary windings ~4 ohms, secondary ~23k ohms per clymer )? I get about 4.8 and 25k - check?
- voltage on yellow/red to ignitor (12V)? check

Does this implicate the ignition system (pickup coils/ignitor)? if so, how do I test that? I assume that since the box under right cover says "Kawasaki" "IC Ignitor" that is is not a Dyna, so the test procedures for that don't apply.

Anybody got any ideas? Good weather and bad bike is not much fun

What manual are you using? The clymers manual have a supplemental section in the rear that explains the test for the Kawasaki IC ignition. If you don't have the manual let me know and I will type the instructions for you with the different voltage a resistance tests for it. Would be nice to have the scanner I gave away a couple years ago because I never used it,,, :pinch: :pinch:

Supplemental?

(Joe sheepishly turns to the back of the book and sees "Supplement - 1980 or later service information")

Please ignore me. I'll be back when I have finished the required reading.

Thanks for posting so quickly, I was just ready to start typing it out,,, :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I'm not certain, but it looks like your bike was dumped on the Ignition whithout the points cover. It looks smashed up an bent. I don't know if that's your problem or not, but the right side doesn't even look like it's lining up properly. It might be damaged aside from the visible damage.

try turning it over again and see how much of a gap there is between the picup tab (the metal part on the pickup) and the rotating part as it turn past it. I didn't read the article enough to see if it is adjustable,,, they are usually pretty close without hitting though. 5 or 6 thousands if I remember right. And try turning it with the starter to see if that shaft is bent although it doesn't look it from the pics. That one pickup looks like it is bent in some and the screws look loose,,, nice resolution on those pictures by the way.

vach wrote:

I'm not certain, but it looks like your bike was dumped on the Ignition whithout the points cover. It looks smashed up an bent. I don't know if that's your problem or not, but the right side doesn't even look like it's lining up properly. It might be damaged aside from the visible damage.

I think you're right - it doesn't look like it was crashed with the cover on. The pics I posted are the first thing I saw when I took the cover off, so I know I didn't do it

I will line it up properly if I can find the clearances, but I don't imagine that is the problem since it has been working.

The Milkman wrote:

And try turning it with the starter to see if that shaft is bent although it doesn't look it from the pics. That one pickup looks like it is bent in some and the screws look loose,,,

Turns fine with the kick start. Unfortunately the electric start doesn't work.

I will unbend it properly in my next wrenching session, although I doubt this is the problem now that I have started reviewing the supplement in the Clymer.

nice resolution on those pictures by the way.

Thanks - pictures taken outside, no flash, full zoom, camera resting on a solid object, at full resolution and then scaled down. Maybe I can get a job with Haynes or Clymer

vach wrote:

I'm not certain, but it looks like your bike was dumped on the Ignition whithout the points cover. It looks smashed up an bent. I don't know if that's your problem or not, but the right side doesn't even look like it's lining up properly. It might be damaged aside from the visible damage.

Possibly the previous points cover was smashed with damage also to the interior parts, and then replaced with another cover over the same damaged interior parts.

Got your kill switch set right?

Started!

- changed spark plugs
- gave it a good charge
- quickly ran through tests in Clymer book for ignition - found no problems
- pulled plug and checked spark again had spark!
- put things back together, and away we go!

Not sure what I did. Matbe I've got loose wire somewhere, or maybe my last tests were done with the kill switch in the wrong position, but at this point I'm pretty happy to have it going.

Thanks for all the tips, everyone!