Bloody 400 Katana won't start Help

[katana]

Well Yesterday morning the bike wouldn't start tried easy start but got no joy, so went to work and got back last night for a play.

So decided that there must be no spark, took out a plug and it was a bit sooty but dry so cleaned the plug and tried it in 1 and 4 but no spark in either. I checked and contact cleaned the fuses by the side of the seat and checked all were good and still no joy.

There are two wires on the coils both that have 12v supply, and 3.5 ohms resistance between the two terminals. Both coils give the same readings so have no idea why no spark.

Any help as the bike was running on friday, left outside over the weekend but ran fine on friday but no spark today.

Any ideas where to look next?

Cheers

[Scotsman37]

Try thoroughly WD40 your bike's wiring loom's connection blocks and no doubt there will be connection blocks too just underneath the fuel tank and so the tank will have to come off to check this out. Usually the connections underneath the fuel tank never get cleaned but over time muck, grease or oil accumulates enough to interfere with it and so try cleaning them.

If you use large screwdriver with a plastic/rubberised handle on it and place it across the solenoids but don't worry about the sparking sound when you do this, and the bike starts up then you need to clean the bike's wiring loom and make sure all wire connections are securely in place and the negative wire too.

[katana]

There's no spark from friday to Monday the starter mottor turns.

The tank has been off but still no joy I was just thinking if I missed something as there is voltage at the coils.

[Scotsman37]

[katana]

Not that either as if the stand is down the starter motor doesn't turn. Tried with the bike in gear, out of gear and side stand up or down.

recommend contact cleaner rather than wd40 as the light oil accumulates dirt and then you get more contact problems. Thats what I've found in the past.

[Scotsman37]

[katana]

Well if the stand is down the starter doesn't engage so that is out as well. That's why I'm so confused as if it was cdi i have thought that the coils wouldn't be getting voltage, but the coil internal resistance seem fine.

I am stuck and need ideas.

[Scotsman37]

If you use large screwdriver with a plastic/rubberised handle on it and place it across the solenoids but don't worry about the sparking sound when you do this, and the bike starts up!

At least it will narrow it down to certain areas of the bike.

[katana]

OK what solenoid? The engine turns and there is no spark at the plugs. So which solenoid are you talking about, and where would it be?

[Scotsman37]

Have you not got a manual as the solenoids should be near the starter motor.

[katana]

Now the bikes starter motor works. There is no spark when the engine is being cranked, I believe I have mentioned this before so how will the solenoid thing help?

[Scotsman37]

[katana]

Cheers for the advice, and amazed that you'd been on the buckfast so early in the afternoon.

Your advice is very floored in future, if you don't know, don't answer. There's voltage at the coils so is the fault in the CDI or is the pick up faulty. So not sending a single to change the voltage?

So once again your advice is not a correct asumption. Please don't answer I would like the topic to be answered by some one who has an idea cheers.

Kickstart where are you?

[bish777]

Check all the wiring between the pickups and the CDI to ensure they arent shagged. 12v should only show on the inputs to the coils when they are sparking? perhaps you have a short? You can make up wires directly from the CDI to the coils bypassing the loom from 13 amp mains cores. This is what i did on my Gixxer 1100 when i found the loom was a rottern mess.

pop the timing cover off and visually inspect the pickups, disconnect the pickup coils and ceck they are within tolerance on the ohmmeter.

Rather than looking at the plugs for spark, take one off, take off the ht cap, bare the lead bak and try and see if that sparks agains the frame/engine-the spark in the plug isnt always easy to see. treat yourself to a new set of plugs whilst your at it.

If this doesnt turn up a problem you either have a dead CDI or you need to look at the carbs. Try draining the float bowls, the repriming and failing that a good strip n clean.
____________________
GSXR1100J

[silent]

i would say get new spark plaugs and try that, bish has said it but im saying it in one sentence so it cant be missed :p

Andy

[katana]

Hello no spark with any plug, the coils show voltage all the time while the engine is cranked but have only a multimeter.

What resitance in the pick up supposed to have any ideas?

[katana]

Well after cleaning the battery terminals with a wire brush and sparying contact cleaner in the connector under the tank for the pickup. The connectors was clean both sides and showed no signs of corrosion. The fecker started.

It ran for a few seconds then stopped. Well after a short dose of easy start, it started and ran fine and I used it all day (sunday).

Now I'm completly stumped to what caused the problem.

Any ideas?

[Scotsman37]

It was probably a dry connection or one of the wires in the connection block wasn't fully seated.

[katana]

Do you even know what a dry connection is? If you did you would know that this is not possible.

Following my earlier coment in the post about you, please follow it.

[westendboy7]

I know it sounds stupid, but is the cut off switch on the right handle bar on cut-off? Or has moisture got into it? I got a katana 600 hundred and I'm forever forgetting to switch the cut-off back to normal

[katana]

Cheers I will look in to it.

But the git has decided not to start anymore. So out with the multimeter once again tonight.