05/80 Manu. Date, Electrical Diagnosis Help Please

[gemiller]

Hi everyone I just acquired a 1980 XS650 (ran great and just died on the guy) for a measly $100 payment. It has no spark and I am unfamiliar with this bike and have been out of cruisers for a while (I've built a few Vstars 650 and 1100) but had moved to street bikes (Triumph Daytonas and the like).

This bike has the CDI unit, dual coil. I have no spark and major lighting issues. I could care less about the lighting issues as I'm stripping it down and doing a hard tail bobber.

But is there a diagram with meter tests I can run on the CDI, Coil and Regulator and check what my bad component is or where my problem may lie? And is there any homebrew repairs for the CDI unit if thats bad as the price of those I've seen at some outrageous prices.

Thanks ahead of time.

 

[gemiller]

I'd like to add I was expecting something to be under the caps that normally appear to hold some electronics from what I was expecting. The caps that have the TCI or points on many XS bikes have nothing underneath them. I'm assuming thats a factor of the bikes model but maybe that helps someone place what model this bike may be.

 

[hmusket]

Congratulations on the bike. You'll find many answers by looking at the tech section and searching the forum. Here's a link to some manuals. http://www.biker.net/650_service/650service main.html
If you're talking about the round caps above the spark plugs, that was for the points on '79 and earlier models. The pick up over the stator controls the pulses to the TCI, (what you call the CDI). Look at the wiring diagram in the tech section. Check all fuses first, may look good but still be bad, and then battery. Everything you are asking about so far has been covered many times in many threads, so searching the forum will give you answers.

 

[gemiller]

If i am understanding all this xs650 ignition stuff i should just replace it. I am looking at the tcbroschoppers PMA kit, and a Pamco Ignition system conversion. If I do that the only other component I would need is a capacitor correct? (I'd love to ditch the battery)

I am looking at: http://www.tcbroschoppers.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=26&products_id=173
and http://www.mikesxs.net/products-81.html#products part number 14-0902.

Is there a site that has the capacitor that I would need?

 

[xjwmx]

I am looking at the tcbroschoppers PMA kit

That's reportedly a copy of a kit put together by a member of this board. You might consider getting his version instead, and the board support that comes with it.

Also, reconsider hard tailing it. It turns the bike into something ugly and relatively useless, imo.

If i am understanding all this xs650 ignition stuff i should just replace it.

You're not understanding it But you'll find that you're more than welcome to replace it.

 

[gemiller]

Well the TCI board after pulled off the bike the whole case is cracked, the cost to replace that unit seems to be more money than the complete ignition kits or darn close to it. It also seems more people are swapping back to points style than keeping the tcp electronic after failure.

I don't need another cafe bike, I have a CB400 thats cafe'd, and Triumph Daytona 955i for the street, this is just a toy and a fun bobber project.

Who is the person that puts together the PMA kit? I'd rather support the creator than a copy system.

 

[hmusket]

http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5536
http://www.yamahaxs650.com/

 

[pumps]

Punkskalar is his user name here. his site is http://hughshandbuilt.blogspot.com/p/xs650-permanent-magnet-alternator.html