No spark at any plug, just won't start!

[Mordalo]

Please oh great and wise ones... I'm going nuts here. About two months ago now I got stranded at work on my 99RSV. Rode to work just fine. When I went out to start it to go home, the starter turned and turned but she wouldn't start. I pulled the two back plug wires (cuz I could reach 'em) and stuck a screwdriver in there. No spark. I got the bike towed home and checked the other two plug wires. No spark there either.

 

Checked resistance to the coils, and I'm easily within specs. Same on the batt'ry voltage. I then skipped all the other smart things to do and ordered a new pick-up coil and gaskets. After installing the pickup coil, the bike started!! Unfortunately after I shut it off, I could not replicate the victory and it hasn't started since.

 

Well... I'm too much of an idiot to admit to my co-workers that I don't want to ride cuz it's just too darn cold, so I've been using the excuse that the bike ain't runnin' as my out. I'm now starting to get that twitch in my eyelid from driving the cage to work for two months and have decided to re-enguage. Any ideas? I'm gonna try to bypass the Kickstand and kill switches tonight (there's no need for anyone to remind me that I should've checked that before buying a pickup coil... my wife has that covered) but I'm not hopeful.

 

any suggestions?

 

thx!

[Mordalo]

Pickup coil $80

Gaskets $20

Listening to my wife say "I told you not to skip troubleshooting and jump straight to buying parts..." Priceless.

 

So... I started poking around the switches and discovered that there was NO slack in the wire running to the kickstand switch. So I jiggled it and POOF!!! the bike started. Can you say "DOH!!"never ever ever skimp on troubleshooting by thinking "nah, that can't be it.":doh:

[GeorgeS]

So why did you admit to all this ??? We never would have known

[rod]

Thanks for the reminder to K.I.S.S. the trouble shooting...keep it simple stup...well you know. Run into that with the range bikes all the time. They will be tagged out with all sorts of major problems by the other coaches and it will be the side stand or clutch switch. Rod

[Mordalo]

Well, I admitted my stupidity for two reasons:'

 

1. I didn't want to leave the forum hanging and couldn't come up with anything better.

2. I would hope that by sharing my mistakes I can help someone else to avoid making the same one. Thereby cleansing my Karma.

 

I also enjoy making other people laugh, even at my expense.

[GeorgeS]

Well, I admitted my stupidity for two reasons:'

 

1. I didn't want to leave the forum hanging and couldn't come up with anything better.

2. I would hope that by sharing my mistakes I can help someone else to avoid making the same one. Thereby cleansing my Karma.

 

I also enjoy making other people laugh, even at my expense.

 

Have you had the Ignition Switch, " ON - OFF " Contact failure problem as yet ??

 

Exactly the same symptoms, No Start. Fix is replace the Ignition Switch.

I have heard it can be dissassembled and repaired. But the bolts have to be Drilled out to Remove it. ( just a heads up, in case you have not heard about that one )

[RedRider]

Pickup coil $80

Gaskets $20

Listening to my wife say "I told you not to skip troubleshooting and jump straight to buying parts..." Priceless.

 

So... I started poking around the switches and discovered that there was NO slack in the wire running to the kickstand switch. So I jiggled it and POOF!!! the bike started. Can you say "DOH!!"never ever ever skimp on troubleshooting by thinking "nah, that can't be it.":doh:

 

This is good to know. I thought if the kickstand was down it wouldn't even crank. I'll have to check this. Glad you found the problem.

 

Now, how did you fix it? On my dual sport I have bypassed the side stand switch just to prevent this type of thing happening (riding off road fills the switch with gunk and it quits working). Perhaps I should also do it with the RSV.

 

I assume it is just making contact between two wires.

 

RR

[V7Goose]

I start my bike on the kickstand all the time.

 

The RSV runs fine with the kickstand down as long as it is in neutral, so unless you always try to start your bike in gear you still have another problem.

Goose

[Yammer Dan]

My kickstand switch is out. I have a jumper wire crossing over the plug that goes into it. Have a switch to put in there when it warms up so I will quit trying to pull out with it down. Floorboards cover it so well you can't see it and being used to switch working it is easy to forget.

[Mordalo]

Currently, the fix is to get on the ground, jiggle the wire while pushing the starter switch (I'm about 186cm - or about 6'1") until she kicks over. That usually only takes a few seconds. It looks like the switch completely disassembles so I'm assuming I can service it. As with every stinkin' Yama fastener, the damn screws stripped out on me trying to get them out. I understand that soft metal bolts form a tighter fit over time so they don't walk out but it sux for getting them out when you want to.

 

Soo..... short story long I'll be rebuilding the switch if I can this weekend when I can run to the BGP (Bolt Gettin' Place) and get some new screws for it. If it's not rebuildable, Pinwall has a used one for $5 + S&H. My local Yama dealer has a gold-plated one with titanium leads if I have to go new (at least I assume that's what it's made of if I'm going to pay $40USD) but it'll be another month of no bike if I go that route. They only order when they feel like it. And they don't feel like it very often.

 

I'd rather not bypass the switch simply because I'll forget. I know I'll forget. There is no doubt in my mind, that if I make it possible to embarass the crap out of myself in a parking lot full of my peers I will most definately sieze the opportunity.

 

Cheers!

[N3FOL]

I hope you would consider this a happy ending...now you can ride. Ride Safe.

[BoomerCPO]

That darn kickstand switch has stranded more than its share of riders.....I guess it would pay off to do just a little bit of maintenance on that rascal huh?

[N3FOL]

With this thread, I will keep in mind many possibilities that can go wrong including the kickstand. There is always something new to learn in this forum everyday.

[Dav]

With this thread, I will keep in mind many possibilities that can go wrong including the kickstand. There is always something new to learn in this forum everyday.

hopefully when i look at the kickstand sw tomorrow that will have been my problem....cross fingers

[steamer]

Sooo was that the problem?

[Marcarl]

Currently, the fix is to get on the ground, jiggle the wire while pushing the starter switch (I'm about 186cm - or about 6'1") until she kicks over. That usually only takes a few seconds. It looks like the switch completely disassembles so I'm assuming I can service it. As with every stinkin' Yama fastener, the damn screws stripped out on me trying to get them out. I understand that soft metal bolts form a tighter fit over time so they don't walk out but it sux for getting them out when you want to.

 

Soo..... short story long I'll be rebuilding the switch if I can this weekend when I can run to the BGP (Bolt Gettin' Place) and get some new screws for it. If it's not rebuildable, Pinwall has a used one for $5 + S&H. My local Yama dealer has a gold-plated one with titanium leads if I have to go new (at least I assume that's what it's made of if I'm going to pay $40USD) but it'll be another month of no bike if I go that route. They only order when they feel like it. And they don't feel like it very often.

 

I'd rather not bypass the switch simply because I'll forget. I know I'll forget. There is no doubt in my mind, that if I make it possible to embarass the crap out of myself in a parking lot full of my peers I will most definately sieze the opportunity.

 

Cheers!

I like your take on things!