Engine died while riding

Bama704

Bama704

Been Around the Block
Was riding earlier today with no problems, around 5 miles. I stopped and got some gas, then went home to pick something up. Walked back outside and the electric starter would not turn the bike over. Sounds like the starter is bad, but I kicked the bike and it started no problem. 2 minutes down the road, 35mph the engine died. I was able to pull into a parking lot with no problem. The dummy lights and headlight still work but the motor won't start back. I replaced the main fuse and still no luck.

I wasn't too far from home so I pushed the damn thing back in 95+ degree heat. I'm trying to cool down myself and the bike before I try working on it. Any thoughts here? Should I pull apart the start/stop switch and clean the terminals?

Have 13.4 volts at battery and main fuse was not blown when I replaced, that I could tell.
 
Check the grounding.. On my old xv535 the lug on the negative cable broke and all kinds of crazy stuff happened as the connection opened and closed..

Cheers
 
Ground wire was fine and tight. Have some more info, went out to take a look at a few things. I initially said the battery was at 13.4 volts, and it was before my ride, well I just tested it and it is measuring at 9.34 volts with the key off. With the key on it is at 9.24, but as soon as I put the kill switch in the RUN position, the volts jump WAY down to 2 volts, and it kept dropping (.1 volts/second). Do you think this is a problem with my right hand controls (kill switch/Run) or is this something more like a regulator/rectifier problem?
 
I don't know if it would be rectifier regulator, if you just turn your bike on it should drop slightly, not drain. Rectifier regulator would be something like if the bike was on and if you were revving it while parked, the system not recharging you battery back up to 12.5 V. Get your battery on a trickle charger and get her back to where she should be, then turn the bike on and read the volts. If your bikes draining, go through the harness with a multimeter
 
Took the tank off tonight and started going through my harness. Since the voltage at the battery drops extremely low when I turn the switch to run, I focused on that section. Right where the right hand control snaps in, I peeled back a bit further and found the brown/white wire to be missing half of the insulation. (Pictures attached) what are my options here. New main harness? Jump the brown/white wire? Need as much help as I can get.
 

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I would start with splicing that wire and covering it up with electrical tape. I think the short could be coming from somewhere else too, I mean it wouldn't be drawing when the the ignition was off. Is the battery only drawing when the bike's engine position is in run, but the electric is on? That would be a different story. I've had a short in my controls before, its a bitch.
 
FYI I will do my best to help you but there are definitely people on this website that are better than electrical stuff than me. I'm alright...but that's about it haha
 
For many reasons, I would start by letting us know what model of bike you are talking about.

"My motorcycle died. What's wrong with it?"

Jeebus.
 
DohcBikes said:
For many reasons, I would start by letting us know what model of bike you are talking about.

"My motorcycle died. What's wrong with it?"

Jeebus.
Click to expand...

If you look at my first post, at the very bottom my bike is listed, in my signature. But I will stste it jere as well. I have a 1977 kawasaki KZ900.
 
Not to beat a dead dog here but just because you have a bike in your signature it is not ok for people attempting to diagnose the issues you are having without knowing thats the only one you have. You are asking for free advice, the more info you provide in writing the better.

Diagnostic RULE #1- Never Assume Anything.
 
Now this is only coming from years old memory but I believe the brown wire on a kawi usually supplies voltage to the run switch, then out to the coils via the red/white wire. A short to ground in this circuit would certainly affect the ignition. You are already on the right track.

Something hard rubbed through that insulation, obviously metal. A short on this wire would likely kill the bike immediately. This wire supplies all the voltage for the coils, so repair it correctly.

The old kz's have ALWAYS had an issue with voltage drop at the coils. Often a battery that shows 12.8 or better only shows a bit above 10 volts at the coils. Lookup 'Wired George' mod to get improved voltage at the coils safely with the use of a common relay, after it is running again of course.
 
I spliced the wire in the above pictures and replaced the right hand control, it was not in the best shape. Now when I place the bike in RUN, voltage only drops ever so slightly, from 12.6 to 12.4. However I am not getting any spark at either coil. Both coils are receiving power, 12.6 volts. Coil for 1&4 has 3 ohms, and coil for 2&3 had 0 ohms. I removed the coil and it was cracked...pictures attached. I was able to replace the coil with another coil, now reading 3.1 ohms. I still do not have any spark so, I have on order new points and a new condenser. Will update once I have those put on.
 

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I don't think it has to do with points and coils. you had spark and a running point and you were finicking around with ignition wiring which is opening and closing a circuit, and a bunch of shit in the controls, and whatever else you went through. whatever was powering your coils is no longer hooked up correctly if youre not getting spark and you were riding this thing a lot before. double check your work
 
I only started messing with the wires and the coils after the bike went dead while riding. And since I haven't been able to find spark since then, I am not sure if I did anything for this to happen?
 
jryftc said:
I don't think it has to do with points and coils. you had spark and a running point and you were finicking around with ignition wiring which is opening and closing a circuit, and a bunch of shit in the controls, and whatever else you went through. whatever was powering your coils is no longer hooked up correctly if youre not getting spark and you were riding this thing a lot before. double check your work
Click to expand...
Points and condenser are cheap to replace and are a maintainence item anyway. He already orfered them, it was a great move on his part. Excellent advice to continue searching for a cause.
 
Bama704 said:
I spliced the wire in the above pictures and replaced the right hand control, it was not in the best shape. Now when I place the bike in RUN, voltage only drops ever so slightly, from 12.6 to 12.4. However I am not getting any spark at either coil. Both coils are receiving power, 12.6 volts. Coil for 1&4 has 3 ohms, and coil for 2&3 had 0 ohms. I removed the coil and it was cracked...pictures attached. I was able to replace the coil with another coil, now reading 3.1 ohms. I still do not have any spark so, I have on order new points and a new condenser. Will update once I have those put on.
Click to expand...

check the continuity of the brown wire from end to the other to make sure it is good.

put a jumper wire from your battery to your points wire.

check the voltage drop.

lay a plug on the head and kick it over to see if you have spark.

if you have spark, your points, condenser and coils are good.
 
I'm confused youre saying both your coils have power and you have no more short? But still no spark?
 
so what are the results of running 12 volts directly to the coil . . also have you cleaned the points and made sure there is continuty between the contacts when they are closed . . are there 12 volts to one side of the points when they are open or both sides whenb they are closed . . did you test the condensers to make sure they were good?to
 
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