'80 kz550 ignition tests

Hello again, I have my ohm-meter working, not sure why that was so complicated, and I have received a complete plate with pickup coils and wiring from an e-bay auction.

Resistance measurements on my cycle support the bad 1&4 pickup coil. On the used part that I just received resistance readings are 428 Ω and 430 Ω, is this too low? Seeing as the used part is complete is it preferable to replace the whole unit or just the components that are non-working? And is it just a simple screw-out screw-in swap with no timing adjustments necessary?

Perhaps for posterity: the used part is from a 1982 KZ750 Spectre and appears to be an exact match including the length of the wire.

I would swap out the whole plate. The magnets have a particular orientation which can be messed up if you take the whole thing apart.

420 to 430 ohms should be fine. It may just have been a change in the manufacturing tolerance, or a slight alteration on the construction.

If your timing plate doesn't have slots for the mounting screws (which was common), then the timing is not really adjustable. In order to get it just right (if you're really picky), though, it is a common mod to elongate the holes into slots.

If you do dissassemble it for some reason, there is a thread that explains how it should go back together.
kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&...d=4&id=134605#134612

Swapped the plate, checked the spark, cleaned the gas tank, and drained the float bowls and it fired right up. Awesome! Rode it around a little but the tabs are in the works so I am still adjusting some things on the bike before I start riding it a lot. The person I bought it from hasn't had it registered for two years so there are some minor adjustments to make. Thanks for your help! I've attached an image file of the bike.

Nice job! This is a great site is'nt it? This site has saved me tons of time and money. Good Luck with your new bike. Looks like a fun one. Don't think it will be the rush that the KZ1000 is. Got a picture of it?...Russ

Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the 1000 here in WA. I hope to get one this June when I'm home for a few weeks in WI.
Excellent site! The 550 was actually pretty stripped down when I bought it for $175, no handlebars, clutch perch, headlight, etc. A lot of time and a lot of help from this site and I think it will turn out to be a pretty good bike.