TOPIC:

Hi I'm new here and I have a problem.
I bought this A1 bike as a non runner, it had jumped the timing and bent all the valves. The bike was last run back in the 90's.
I replaced all the valves, timing chain and tensioner and I've had it running rough. I stripped and cleaned the carbs and it was running better but still rough. I suspected that it was drawing air in between the carbs and head, with my hand held above the rubbers I could feel it blowing.
I had the engine running to bleed the cooling system as per the manual but at the time I didn't have the expansion tank fitted so I used a 2 litre bottle sitting on top of the battery. The hot coolant overflowed and ran down over the IC igniter.
When cool I tried to start the bike but nothing, if I left the bike for a few hours and tried it, it would fire the first turn and then nothing. I thought the hot coolant may have entered the IC igniter, I removed it and placed it in a warm dry area. I plugged it back in a few days later and the bike did start but it sounded like it was running on 2 cylinders. I checked the spark and I had a orange spark instead of white/ blue spark. I got a second hand IC igniter and tried it, and nothing it wont offer at all. I checked the ignition timing and that was out and set it by the book, I have even checked it with a Snap on strobe and the timing is on the mark cranking it over. I got white spark to the plugs and I have about 130 psi compression and I got fuel, the plugs are wet. I have removed the carbs and resealed the rubber manifolds to the head after it cooled down when bleeding the cooling system. My theory is there are 3 ignition pickups and three coils, I can't see 3 coils going down altogether or all 3 pickups. What's frustrating is I am a professional mechanic.

Keith.

I feel your pain. I think we have all been there at sometime in the past.

If you are getting a good spark from all 3 coils then your CDI must be ok. The CDI is quite a basic solid state component anyway & I would be very surprised if water had got inside. I have took one apart & the 3 components inside are set in a bath of very hard waterproof rubber inside the alloy casing

This going to sound silly...........but if you have everything doing what is should do....spark at correct time....fuel to carbs....compression, then get a hair dryer & slowly warm the carbs up for 10 minutes to body temp then try starting.

Also turn the 6 mixture screws OUT 3.5 turns from all the way in.

Let us know how you get on !

Pete F
Uk.

Panic over, bad fuel. I got a gallon of fresh fuel when I first started it but I knocked it over and got another gallon. The bike started on the fuel already in the carbs and once running it was it was able to run on the bad fuel but not start. New fuel and it fires instantly. Anybody need a IC igniter?

Holy smoke !!!! save that igniter they are worth their weight in gold, no hang on .. they are more expensive than that, you just can't get them for a "79. I have a spare and it's wrapped up and safe, always good to have a spare just incase

How does it feel when a major problem that used to be unsolvable quickly turns into nothing and the bnike suddenly is running well and as wished for ?

Somehting you never can buy ...

Good luck$

Holger

any spare parts you get for one of these bikes hang on to at leased one back up.