New pickup coils available?

[xssiveone]

Are new pickup coils still available? Either that, or does anyone have a spare '78 set they want to part with?

Determined this to be the problem in a '78XS yesterday. Bike ran great, after 35-40 minutes it would die and not restart until it cooled off. Recreated the 35 minute runtime in the garage and it quit again. Measured resistance of pickups, one was completely open, the other measured about 1300 ohms. Once things returned to normal, resistance returned to 750 ohms and the bike started right up. Swapped with my spare set and everything works great.

[sixtysix]

Last I knew guys were still buying new ones from Yamaha, they had an updated one that did not fail from the wires going bad.

[xssiveone]

Thanks Gary. Will check with Zanotti's and see what they can find.

[Ken Talbot]

When you checked resistance 'at the pick ups', did you actually measure at the end of the flexible wire somewhere afrer it comes out of the engine cover?

[xssiveone]

Originally posted by Ken Talbot
When you checked resistance 'at the pick ups', did you actually measure at the end of the flexible wire somewhere afrer it comes out of the engine cover?

Can't say for sure on this Ken as I wasn't actually there. AFAIK, it was measured either at the black box, or at the plug at the end of the harness that comes off the pickups. I have mentioned repeatedly to him to check for breaks and he was quite adamant that he had checked and found no breaks.

[Ken Talbot]

Would you be up to trying to check the wires yourself, Brian? Other than one allen wrench, there's no special tools involved and you don't need a workshop. You only need to pop off the one cover, put the bike up on the centrestand, and fire it up. You just grab the wires with your fingers and give 'em a good wiggle and pull in every which direction. You will know immediately if there is a weak spot - the engine will die. And, you don't have to worry about inadvertently breaking the wires. Basically, if you're able to 'break' the wires with just tugging at them with your fingers, they were broken already. Often, they'll be down to only one or two strands still barely hanging on. When you pull, the final strand separates and the engine dies. When you let go, the stretchy insulation pulls the broken ends back together and it appears as if they're good again.

[xssiveone]

Don't even have to go to that much work as they are off the bike now. Yes, I have already told him that I want the old ones he took off so I can check them myself. Will let you know how I make out with them once I get them in my possesion.

I do find it difficult to understand how BOTH could go bad at the same time tho. From what I understand about these (and please correct me if I'm wrong) when a wire breaks, it starts missing and sputtering, usually at speed. This just shut him down completely on the side of the road.

[Madness]

Brian,
I purchased a new set of pick up wires from Zannottis a couple of yrs ago. If I remember correctly price was around $76.00 plus shipping? I tried the solder fix which last me about a year. I problably could have done a better job, but decided to spend the money and get brand new wires which would last another 20 yrs. Hardest part of swapping the wires was a very small screw directly under the motor which holds the wire bundle in place. Lying on my back with my head on the floor I was too close for my aging eyes to focus good. Rest of the installation is pretty simple if you go that route.

[skids]

Hehe! I can definately relat to THAT, Jimbo!

Originally posted by Madness
Lying on my back with my head on the floor I was too close for my aging eyes to focus good. Rest of the installation is pretty simple if you go that route.

[Madness]

Yeah, sucks gettin' old. I blame it on PC's. I never needed glasses until I bought a PC a little over 5 yrs ago. Reading and driving they help, but anytime I gotta work on the bike or a car they have to come off.

Off to Northern CA. in the morning. We gotta pack of eight bikes headed down the OR. coast to the Redwoods then loop to the east and back up to OR. We should be going just over 800 miles in 3 days. Should give enough time to enjoy the ride and scenery.

[yuddy]

It looks like bikebandit.com can still get a stock "PULSER COIL ASSY " for a 1980 XS1100G
oem part#2h7-81676-10-00 for $100.84
The drawing is tough to read, just enter the part# I have listed above.

Here is the link if anyone is interested


Pick-up Pulsar Coil Assy

[Redbaron]

See new post

Before you buy new ones check out the post i just made from Merriam Cycles regarding just this. Should be in the top few if you click on view new posts.

[xssiveone]

Thanks Bill, that was a good tip... certainly one to file away for future reference. Don't know if it would have helped in this case. His XS would start up and run great, then after 20-30 minutes, it would die and not restart until it had cooled off.