Ignition Question:

[inanecathode]

Why would the front cylinder spark with the wasted spark (kill switch on and off) but not whilst regular cranking/running?

[Lucky]

it does, it's on the exhaust stroke so you never 'see' it..

[inanecathode]

No, i meant the front cylinder isnt sparking at all, only when you flip the kill switch on and off.

[Lucky]

I would go thru the manuals tests & look over leathers FAQ well if you haven't in a while, but if it were me i think i'd start with the kill switch, sounds like the contacts are either worn or dirty & might be making good contact only in an area of the contacts are just off from where they sit while 'on'. 

[Lucky]

oh, also, pull the plug & see if you have a nice blue spark, your plug might have taken the weekend off... sometimes plugs will fire fine until they see compression (i've seen coils act this way too) so if your getting fire with the engine off but fliping the switch, that's a similar situation.

[Rick G]

I've had that happen on mine a few times, flick the kill switch and it will fire one cylinder, one time.

[Brian Moffet]

I think that has to do with the way the coils are charged.  If I recall, the coils are kept at voltage, and when you want them to spark the voltage is dropped temporarily.  By flicking the kill switch, you are dropping the coil voltage but not bringing it back up.  That will cause the spark.

Brian

[Rick G]

Thats the conclusion I came to. The same thing as when points open on and old bike like my XL350.

[Night Vision]

No, i meant the front cylinder isnt sparking at all, only when you flip the kill switch on and off.

nope, still not what he meant.... sounds like no spark, except when the kill switch is fiddled.

TCI?

[inanecathode]

No, i meant the front cylinder isnt sparking at all, only when you flip the kill switch on and off.

nope, still not what he meant.... sounds like no spark, except when the kill switch is fiddled.

TCI?

Ding ding ding!
We swapped the TCI with a known good one, still same problem.

[Night Vision]

swap a coil

[joevacc]

replace the plugs

[Tiger]

replace the plugs

:) as well as the wires and cap's.... ;)

[Ken Williams]

Check the sensor that picks up timing from the flywheel. 

[inanecathode]

Pick up sensors are good, coils are good, caps are good.

[Brian Moffet]

Rev limiter doing something weird?  (which I think cuts out the front spark).

I don't think the rev-limiter will ground out the coil (like the kill switch will).  Rather it would just not let the voltage drop to create the spark. 

You might have to put a timing light (the inductive kind that picks up the spark from the wire, or connects to the coil) and see if you get anything off the front plug.  You could also put an oscilloscope on the front coil to see if it's changing voltage like it should.

[edit]...  Sudden thought.  Isn't the tach run off the same coil as the front spark, so if your tach is registering you're getting something?

Brian

[h2olawyer]

Have you checked the air in the tires lately?   :D

H₂O

[Rick G]

Or you might try checking the gear lube level in the rear gear box :D :D :D :D :D :D

[YellowJacket!]

Have you checked the air in the tires lately?   :D

H₂O

Or your brake bar bolt....

[kwells]

ok, so checked that brake bar bolt....turns out it actually has nothing to do with my front cylinder spark issue.
I swapped in a spare coil...same thing

So...I swapped in a new stator/pickup coil and all the sudden SPARK


so then I swapped out left covers and put my good stator back in there and she still didnt want to fire right on that cylinder

So after Inane suggesting that I swap the plugs and me saying 'No', that makes no difference...I finally did just that and she started.

Ended up chasing an exhaust leak and 2 oil leaks but I think Euro Blackie will live to see another day after all.

Love that exhaust note.