voltage regulator/rectifier

i have a 78 kz200 and i wanting to know how i could test my voltage regulator? and i also wanted to know what exactly the condenser does? im buying a tune up kit from ebay that includes the points condenser and spark plug. and im buying an ignition coil.

www.electrosport.com might be able to tell you how to check the regulator, if not www.wgcarbs.com has a similar forum with an electrical section.

This company has supposedly a life time warrenty on their regulators: www.oregonmotorcycleparts.com

As for what a condensor/capacitor does,it absorbs excess electrical energy, preventing the contact surfaces from wearing out on the points.

Thanks! hopefully i can get this thing running and keep it running for a couple years.

i noticed that the spark on the spark plug was very weak when we were testing it. is that from the coil or condenser.
the spark plug is brand new.
any suggestions?

I'd sit down with a can of electrical contact cleaner and take apart each electrical connector cleaning the male and female pins.work them by connecting and disconnecting a few times.

Also clean the right handlebar run/stop switch as this can be a weak point in the ignition system. Clean the primary(small wires) side of the coil.

Sparkplug caps can fail too, consider replacing them along with the sparkplug wires. I believe 7mm sparkplug wires will fit your coil(if the sparkplug wires are molded into the coil, www.z1enterprises.com sells a splice made by NGK that will let you replace your plug wires.

I use a brand of cleaner/preservative called "De-oxit" available at Radio Shack stores or other electronic stores.
www.deoxit.com is their website.

Pipe cleaners work well getting the grunge out of female pins. Smoke shops sell them for the pipe smoking crowd.

i bought a new cap. so I guess i will do as you say and clean all electrical connections.
This will be my first street bike. i figured id move up from dirt bikes.
thanks alot!

That De-oxit is some good stuff, I've used it for many years on my bikes electrical connectors. At home I use it on the cordless phone charging cradles, my entertainment center's patch cords and TV cables.

I'd never use WD-40 on electrical connectors as it will later turn into a non conductor. I used to use it on my bike's fuse clips, til one day I went to start the bike and nothing happened when I turned the key, no lights,horn, or fuel pump sound.

I had some 400 grit sandpaper in my tool kit, so I abraded away the crusted WD-40 from the fuses and clips and the bike fired up! I've been using De-oxit since.

JoeKz200 wrote:

...spark on the spark plug was very weak when we were testing it. is that from the coil or condenser.
the spark plug is brand new.
any suggestions?

Ignition coil requires sufficient voltage to properly fire the spark plug.

With ignition switch in ON position, what is measured voltage being received at primary terminal of the ignition coil?

Good Fortune!