
Problem is with a 78 XS1100E
Symptoms:
After washing with a garden hose, the bike won't start


However, what happened next registers fairly high on my freak-o-meter


So I pushed it home and let it set for a few hours. Then no more problems...just needed to dry out somewhere other than plug caps and wires

More symptoms:
A few days later I took it out for a ride. It ran fine to my first destination stop, which was about 15 miles. A few hours later I started the engine and headed out on an open rural streach of road running through the gears with authority


What I found today:
After setting for several weeks I took a closer look. Here is what I found.
Primay coil meter reading is 2.3 ohm for both 1-4 coil and 2-3 coil. Hmmm...should be 1.5 ohms. Were those replacement coils I bought for a 81 model

Seconday coil reading (without spark plug caps on the secondary wire) is 15.5k ohms for 1-4 coil and 15.1k ohms for 2-3 coil. Hmmm...isn't that susposed to be the reading with caps on the wires

Plug cap reading is 6.7k ohms for #1 and 8.4k ohms for #4. That seems a bit excessive

Plug cap reading is 5.2k ohms for #2 and 5.2k ohms for #3. That's more like it

I don't know if it helps, but the coils are marked on top as 12V CM12-08 91.
Reading through old posts I know there can be other areas causing the problem, but if you guys will allow I would like to eleminate the coils and caps first.
So, first things first. Are these reading telling me I have bad coils and bad #1 and #4 plug caps

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