TOPIC:

Kawboy,

are you sure the Dyna 2000 ignition system will have 12v at the coil primaries?

SixPipes said: "This is fitted with a Dyna 2000 electronic ignition and the 3ohm coils." If they are Dyna coils they are 12 volt coils and should have close to the full battery voltage at the primaries.

I asked the question because I suspected that he had corrosion in the various connections to the coils. The fix is a bit tedious but does NOT involve the infamous coil relay mod. Just clean the connections.

Bill

the power supply into the dyna module drops to 8v when I turn the bike over - is this ok?
I also only have 8.5 v at the main fuse when I turn the bike over.

I once watched a video on YouTube in which the poster demonstrated a poor man's load test for a battery. His method was to monitor the voltage, as you did, during cranking. His limit was 10 volts. Lower indicated a bad battery higher was OK.
Here's a link to his video:


Good Luck
Bill

You're right Bill, this method is a poor man's load test. Generally speaking a battery is selected based on maximum load and usually quoted as having so many "cranking amps" and usually the reserve voltage remaining during cranking is enough to fulfill the needs of the other circuits during cranking. Generally speaking if you have 8 or more volts available during cranking you should have enough for ignition. Most ballast resistor ignition systems have a running voltage of around 8 volts and during cranking the primary of the ignition has a bypass wire feeding full battery voltage to the primary to compensate rather than less than 8 volts during cranking.
Sixpipes is probably having a feed problem to his Dyna ignition circuit. Electrical connections are always a gremlin.

well I have been at the bike for so long now another month or 2 will not kill me. I am now systematically cleaning every single connector - I will not be beaten.
On the plus side it looks like the actual ignition system is ok so its just time now.
Thank you all for your help, I will keep you up dated.