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MikesXS High Output BLACK Ignition Coils=BAD!!!!
Below was a tip I posted over 4 years ago. Since then, several members acquired these coils and had them FAIL in just 1 riding season, about 8-10K miles. I only put about 2K per year, and so it took 4 years before MINE FAILED also! 
I have ordered and just received the DYNA's DC 1-1 model...the green 3.0 ohm type, got them off of ebay. MikesXS sells green ones that appear similar, but do not state brand, and they (Mikes) do NOT WARRANTY them due to their stated fragility if they are powered up without the spark plug wires connected to plugs on an engine! The DYNA brand come with a 1 year warranty!
SO...."we" do not recommend either the black coils, or even the green ones from MikesXS due to their lack of warranty, but DO recommend getting either branded
DYNA's or ACCEL! Apologies to those that spent and wasted $$ on these crappy black things!
T.C. posted 06-15-2011
************************************************** ************************************************** ************************
MikesXS High Output BLACK Ignition Coil=BAD!!!
by TopCatGr58
This simple tech tip is both a replacement for the stock coils, as well as the use of 8mm silicone solid core plug wires and replacement NGK caps. I got the caps from MikesXS as well, you can also get wire from there, but I wanted some fancy colored plug wire...got them from Ebay.
A choice with a tighter budget is the following post I made a while back:
The 8mm wore is very flexible. It WILL fit into the NGK plug caps, but takes a wee bit o twisting to screw them down into the caps. I marked the wire with black sharpie noting the depth it needed to be screwed into to bottom out into the cap as well as the coil.
There is a thick rubber O-ring that is used to seal the wire into the coil after you thread it onto the screw fitting inside the coil mount. The first one I did I used the full size O-ring, was a bit of a pain screwing the retaining cap tight, with the silicone rubbery action of the wire insulation, it kept wanting to unscrew slightly.
The second coil, I was trying to stretch the O-ring to easier fit it over the wire, TORE IT SO....I took the remaining O-ring, and cut it in half. The securing caps fit easier with the half as long/thick O-ring. I applied clear silicone RTV all around the outside of the mounting caps/wires at the coil to better seal them from water! I also used some of this special COPPER contact grease/sealant that Randy gave out at a Rally to ensure good contacts with the plug wire and the coil and plug caps where they screw onto.
The mounting holes are 90 degrees out from the OEM's, and they are slightly longer at the mounting holes. I reamed out the holes on One coil that I'll be mounting using the holes, and turning the coil on it's side...has prominent protrusions where the plug wires fit. This will position the wire mounts in a vertical orientation, one atop the other. The second coil will be mounted with some L brackets, so that the wire mounts will be horizontal. Putting them both horizontal would have caused the mounts to hit each other. I also added a small 1/2" section of shrink wrap to the plug ends of the 1-4 coil so that I could more easily tell which set of wires were for which plugs. The OEMS actually had little bands with 1,2,3,4 on them on each wire!
The coils come with mounting connector plugs for the primaries that you can crimp onto the CUT ends of the wires you take off of the old coils, so you can use the same plugs to the harness! I just made sure I noted which coil was connected to which plugs, the grey or the orange, and to which cylinders so that I will get them properly matched up when I put them back in!
The Positive terminal of the coils should connect to the RED/WHITE wires, and the Negative terminals are for the Grey/Orange triggering wires.
************************************* Here's the pictorial:
This one shows the difference in lengths between OEM and Mikes!
Here is the pair with all the wires, caps installed!
Here's the "L" bracket used to mount the second one with the high tension output leads horizontal.
Here's the right hand unit mounted with output leads vertical.
And here they are installed and routed to plugs!
*************************************
Here's some additional discussions regarding the plug wires, primary connectors, etc..
To keep the power/resistance the same, I cut the spark plug wires all the same length, and allowed a little extra, so that later IF I need to cut some off of the end for corrosion removal, I won't have to replace the wires if I cut them to just barely the right length!?
I oopsed a little on attaching the clips for the primary power and trigger leads, had the wrong length and wrong position. The wires fit into the clips from the side, so they are directional. SO... you may want to do a test fitting to see how the wires need to go. I also bent the tangs a little to keep them from hitting frame.
Also, the bracket that holds the plastic frame cover that is under the front of the tank, won't fit without some extra modification, I just didn't take the time to cut away the area that was preventing the coils from fitting with it! Instead of bolting it there, I may just weld a separate bracket instead!?
Mason79 has a 79 and was able to bolt them directly up on his machine. Mine is an 81, and perhaps the coils are different in size, length vs. the 79? The new coils mounting holes were a touch too far apart to be able to just bolt on, hence my reaming out one coil, also lots of wires in that area, didn't like the high tension lead pushing up against the harness so much, so that's why I wanted to mount one horizontally and one vertically.
Mason79 also contacted MikesXS, and they informed him that these coils are 35K volts output, which is considerably higher than the reported 15K volts of the OEM's!
These coils will work with all years of our bikes, 78-81, and the 82-84 XJ11's as well. With the earlier years that use the ballast resistor, you'll just need to remove and bypass the resistor so that the coils can get their full 12 volts power. With the 81 XS and later XJ's, it's just plug and play.
Ride Report:Filled with gas, and rolled out to driveway this evening. Pushed the starter and Godzilla Roared to life like it had never been apart! Before, it would fire up, but just start. I'm not kidding in that this time then engine really jumped to life so much it startled me!
Took it out for a nice little run for a couple of miles down the local highway, revved with NO problem to 9krpm, and 90+mph in 4th in a matter of seconds!
SO...the MikesXS coils are a great inexpensive way to replace your old tired worn OEM coils and get very good power vs. the $$ Accel or Dyna coils! 2 Thumbs UP!
FOLLOWUP REPORT: FAILED These coils finally failed on me this year (2011) after ~8k miles, they are JUNK, and we NOW do NOT recommend getting them.
I have ordered and just received the DYNA's DC 1-1 model...the green 3.0 ohm type, got them off of ebay. MikesXS sells green ones that appear similar, but do not state brand, and they (Mikes) do NOT WARRANTY them due to their stated fragility if they are powered up without the spark plug wires connected to plugs on an engine! The DYNA brand come with a 1 year warranty!SO...."we" do not recommend either the black coils, or even the green ones from MikesXS due to their lack of warranty, but DO recommend getting either branded
DYNA's or ACCEL! Apologies to those that spent and wasted $$ on these crappy black things!
T.C. posted 06-15-2011
************************************************** ************************************************** ************************
MikesXS High Output BLACK Ignition Coil=BAD!!!
by TopCatGr58
This simple tech tip is both a replacement for the stock coils, as well as the use of 8mm silicone solid core plug wires and replacement NGK caps. I got the caps from MikesXS as well, you can also get wire from there, but I wanted some fancy colored plug wire...got them from Ebay.
A choice with a tighter budget is the following post I made a while back:
Hey Folks,
Been shopping and comparing stuff on MikesXS, and found an interesting item. In the 80-84 model 650's, they went to the TCI style ignition, and so the replacement coils for them are dual posts....waste spark style, and have same Ohms as the 81 series XS11. The mounting holes are 90 degrees off from how the XS11 mounts vs. the location of the high tension outputs, but they are a darn sight CHEAPER ($32.00 ea!)than the Accel or Dyna aftermarkets, don't need a ballast resistor....so with the 78-80's, just bypass the resistor. Here's a model # and picture: Part #17-6803
That was the description text from Mike'sXS. Ours mount with the leads to the rear.
Just add leads and plug caps, and they should be fairly plug and play!
Been shopping and comparing stuff on MikesXS, and found an interesting item. In the 80-84 model 650's, they went to the TCI style ignition, and so the replacement coils for them are dual posts....waste spark style, and have same Ohms as the 81 series XS11. The mounting holes are 90 degrees off from how the XS11 mounts vs. the location of the high tension outputs, but they are a darn sight CHEAPER ($32.00 ea!)than the Accel or Dyna aftermarkets, don't need a ballast resistor....so with the 78-80's, just bypass the resistor. Here's a model # and picture: Part #17-6803
High Output Replacement Ignition Coil - for 80-84 XS650’s with Factory TCi ignition (dual lead - 1 used per bike ). Used on 80-84 models Only, and is Not for contact point systems. Mounts to stock brackets. Plug Wires not included. Not for use with Boyer Ignitions. Mount this coil to stock bracket on opposite side and with high tension plug wires facing to front of bike ( Red/White wire from stock harness goes to + terminal on coil).
Just add leads and plug caps, and they should be fairly plug and play!
There is a thick rubber O-ring that is used to seal the wire into the coil after you thread it onto the screw fitting inside the coil mount. The first one I did I used the full size O-ring, was a bit of a pain screwing the retaining cap tight, with the silicone rubbery action of the wire insulation, it kept wanting to unscrew slightly.
The second coil, I was trying to stretch the O-ring to easier fit it over the wire, TORE IT SO....I took the remaining O-ring, and cut it in half. The securing caps fit easier with the half as long/thick O-ring. I applied clear silicone RTV all around the outside of the mounting caps/wires at the coil to better seal them from water! I also used some of this special COPPER contact grease/sealant that Randy gave out at a Rally to ensure good contacts with the plug wire and the coil and plug caps where they screw onto.
The mounting holes are 90 degrees out from the OEM's, and they are slightly longer at the mounting holes. I reamed out the holes on One coil that I'll be mounting using the holes, and turning the coil on it's side...has prominent protrusions where the plug wires fit. This will position the wire mounts in a vertical orientation, one atop the other. The second coil will be mounted with some L brackets, so that the wire mounts will be horizontal. Putting them both horizontal would have caused the mounts to hit each other. I also added a small 1/2" section of shrink wrap to the plug ends of the 1-4 coil so that I could more easily tell which set of wires were for which plugs. The OEMS actually had little bands with 1,2,3,4 on them on each wire!
The coils come with mounting connector plugs for the primaries that you can crimp onto the CUT ends of the wires you take off of the old coils, so you can use the same plugs to the harness! I just made sure I noted which coil was connected to which plugs, the grey or the orange, and to which cylinders so that I will get them properly matched up when I put them back in!
The Positive terminal of the coils should connect to the RED/WHITE wires, and the Negative terminals are for the Grey/Orange triggering wires.
This one shows the difference in lengths between OEM and Mikes!
Here is the pair with all the wires, caps installed!
Here's the "L" bracket used to mount the second one with the high tension output leads horizontal.
Here's the right hand unit mounted with output leads vertical.
And here they are installed and routed to plugs!
Here's some additional discussions regarding the plug wires, primary connectors, etc..
To keep the power/resistance the same, I cut the spark plug wires all the same length, and allowed a little extra, so that later IF I need to cut some off of the end for corrosion removal, I won't have to replace the wires if I cut them to just barely the right length!?
I oopsed a little on attaching the clips for the primary power and trigger leads, had the wrong length and wrong position. The wires fit into the clips from the side, so they are directional. SO... you may want to do a test fitting to see how the wires need to go. I also bent the tangs a little to keep them from hitting frame.
Also, the bracket that holds the plastic frame cover that is under the front of the tank, won't fit without some extra modification, I just didn't take the time to cut away the area that was preventing the coils from fitting with it! Instead of bolting it there, I may just weld a separate bracket instead!?
Mason79 has a 79 and was able to bolt them directly up on his machine. Mine is an 81, and perhaps the coils are different in size, length vs. the 79? The new coils mounting holes were a touch too far apart to be able to just bolt on, hence my reaming out one coil, also lots of wires in that area, didn't like the high tension lead pushing up against the harness so much, so that's why I wanted to mount one horizontally and one vertically.
Mason79 also contacted MikesXS, and they informed him that these coils are 35K volts output, which is considerably higher than the reported 15K volts of the OEM's!
These coils will work with all years of our bikes, 78-81, and the 82-84 XJ11's as well. With the earlier years that use the ballast resistor, you'll just need to remove and bypass the resistor so that the coils can get their full 12 volts power. With the 81 XS and later XJ's, it's just plug and play.
Ride Report:Filled with gas, and rolled out to driveway this evening. Pushed the starter and Godzilla Roared to life like it had never been apart! Before, it would fire up, but just start. I'm not kidding in that this time then engine really jumped to life so much it startled me!
Took it out for a nice little run for a couple of miles down the local highway, revved with NO problem to 9krpm, and 90+mph in 4th in a matter of seconds!SO...the MikesXS coils are a great inexpensive way to replace your old tired worn OEM coils and get very good power vs. the $$ Accel or Dyna coils! 2 Thumbs UP!
FOLLOWUP REPORT: FAILED
These coils finally failed on me this year (2011) after ~8k miles, they are JUNK, and we NOW do NOT recommend getting them.