Unusual Problem

[Schming]

Does the SF have the side stand interlock switch or just the Maxim? If so, could this be shorting? JAT

[bikerphil]

Schming, no sidestand lock on the XS's, the '81 might have 'em tho. Mine's a '79.

DG, I'll ride in 30 degrees, just not very far.

[DenyP]

I tend to think you have a fuel stopage on one side. I had an intermittant problem like this. It required that I move the petcocks to prime to clear. I replaced my lines and filters and it went away. As I recall, what I replaced was a little sloppy with the line routing. I wasn't real happy not knowing for sure why this happened, but it was time to ride. Thought I would figure it out latter...

Deny

[Larrym]

Roadside LightShow??

If while on your next "outing" the bike stops suddenly: if you had a couple of spare known good spark plugs you could just pull the wires off 1+2 (or 3+4) and plug in the spares, lay them on the cylinder head, and crank it over. If there's no lightshow then the problem is prob'ly not fuel related.

(I wouldn't trust the connection of the plugs just laying there....I'd bring a set of small alligator clips and use them to make sure the plugs are grounded. )

I Bet that most folks in Florida know what an Alligator................... (clip) looks like.

[TomRodgers]

Pansie!! Its 5 here tonight, and snowing so I ain't riding either, but if it breaks 30 and no snow, I'll take Thunderstruck out for a cruise. 50s would be like a tropical heat wave!!

No Sh!t sherlock!!!! Last week was dry and mid teens....chilly, but do-able.

This week, single digits, 2+ feet of snow, drifts neck high, wind chills in the minus zero's....TOOOOOO friggin cold to do much of anything but sit in front of the fireplace and drink!!!

[bikerphil]

Ok, just got back from a 30 mile ride and I'm glad to report, no kind of stalling. I'm still kinda thinking it was the coil ground and/or problem with a loose bullet connector. This bike has been turn key since I restored it back in 06, and this is pretty much the only problem I've had with her. I hope this is solved for good, this bike's too heavy to be pushing, lol. Thanks everyone for your input.

[Ken Talbot]

I'm still leaning towards pick-up coil wires. They are one of those things that happens suddenly, then will go away just as suddenly. Pay close attention to where the wires are pinched in a retainer just before they exit the cover.

[XSokieSPECIAL]

I'm with you Ken.

You keep taking the carbs off and readjusting them and the problem doesn't change it's time to look in another direction.

Those damned pickup wires drove the PO of the okieSPECIAL and me crazy before I figured out the problem.

It doesn't seem to act like what it actually is.

[bikerphil]

Ken, I've fixed the P/U coil wires not to long ago, but worth a check anyway.

Okie, I'll be damned if I touch a thing on those carbs, it took me a month to get them dialed in after what the PO did to them.

[bikerphil]

update

After three days of riding (75+ miles), I'm happy to report that the bike isn't cutting out anymore. Don't know exactly what the problem was, but as stated earlier, the only thing I found obviously wrong was the loose coil mounting bolt. Thanks everyone for your input. Kookaloo.

[Larrym]

Redundancy Department...

Larrym, on a good stock coil I had laying around, the resistance is nil from the frame mounts to the plug wires. From the mount to the TCI wires, also nothing.

Phil,

I checked two of my known good spare OEM coils and got the same readings as you did: no continuity between the mounts and the high voltage outputs or the low voltage inputs.








Looks like that on the OEM coils a mount is just a mount: not part of the circuit.

[bikerphil]

Yep, I must have had somthin' flaky goin' on with one of the bullet connectors, unless the Accel coils work differently. Next time I have her apart, I'm gonna check 'em with the meter like you did. Thanks Larry.

[XSokieSPECIAL]

Okie, I'll be damned if I touch a thing on those carbs, it took me a month to get them dialed in after what the PO did to them.

Sorry phil don't know why I even mentioned the carbs.

I must have had 2 different threads overlaping in that last slightly damaged brain cell I still have.

[Rasputin]

Yep, I must have had somthin' flaky goin' on with one of the bullet connectors, unless the Accel coils work differently. Next time I have her apart, I'm gonna check 'em with the meter like you did. Thanks Larry.

Bikerphil.
The Accel coils work the same way, no continuity between the mounts and any other spot on them. Checked them when they were brand new, two sets. A good idea to check yours when you have a chance, but they are the same as stockers in that respect.

[bikerphil]

bump

I'm still leaning towards pick-up coil wires. They are one of those things that happens suddenly, then will go away just as suddenly.

Yes my friend, you are the winner. Turns out there was a repair in the P/U coil harness toward the back of motor with a flaky connection. Swapped out the whole P/U coil assembly and she runs great now. The other day, the bike refused to start and had no spark, so I had to dig in deeper, lol.