Blowing Coils Left And Right

[Golfwang]

Greetings!

Alright, let me start out by saying I am a complete newbie at motorcycles in general... and an electrical problem is pretty much my biggest fear come to life.
Now then...
I just got this sweet bobbed out XS in my hands and the thing started fine a few times... then while it was running it just DIED on me. Did some digging and found out it's not getting a spark anymore. Well, I sort have guessed that the coil went bad and ordered a new coil in... Installed the new coil and she started back up on the first kick! I let it run for a little bit... then :CHUG: SHE DIED ON ME YET AGAIN! Lo and behold: NO SPARK... AGAIN!
What the hell is going on around here?? It's got a Boyer Bransden Micro Digital ignition system (blue box). And the coils for this P.O.S. are NOT cheap.

CAN ANYONE HELP A NEWBIE OUT!?!? I just wanna ride my scooter...

 

[XSLeo]

What is your bike? Year? Model?

 

[Golfwang]

Well its pretty much a completly custom job. Its a 71 frame with a rebuilt 1980 engine in it. All the wiring has been stripped down to just the basics. No blinkers, no switches... nothing. Hell I just found out the guy I bought it from didn't even put fuses in there! I guess I could wire in a fuse or two in hopes of blowing a fuse instead of blowing the coils... but that wouldn't exactly fix my problem, it would just make it a "fuse blowing" problem. Any ideas on what's wrong? Maybe the electronic ign is bad? Maybe a bad rectifier? ...would a bad rectifier even have anything to do with it?

 

[XSLeo]

I don't know much about the Boyer ignition. I'm sure someone that does will come along and teach us both a little about them.
As far as fuses go, they can prevent fires in the wiring. It should have at least one bwtween the battery and main switch.
It seems I have read about the box going bad, but I don't think that it will burn your coils out.

 

[Golfwang]

Damn. Well thanks anyway. Anyone else have any idea why the boyer coil would suddenly stop sending a spark after only a few minutes of running?

 

[PhatTony]

My best guess would be the Regulator/Rectifier is bad. Does your bike have the factory charging system or has it been modified. If it's the factory one check here for a good trouble shooting guide. I would think the boyer would fry before the coils would but I'm not expert on Boyer either.

A fuse is cheap compared to a coil or a boyer unit. I'd put a few fuses in the system if it were me.

 

[scott s]

A fuse is cheap compared to a coil or a boyer unit. I'd put a few fuses in the system if it were me.

Ditto....

 

[gggGary]

quick looky look sez this is the proper coil for an "earlier" boyer. Note 4.5 ohm primary resistance. On some ignition systems coils will blow if the ignition is left on but engine is not running.
Dual Lead Ignition coil for use with single contact point type
conversions or Early type Boyer Digital Ignitions. 12 Volt,
4.5 Ohm Primary Resistance, 102mm. c-c mounting points.
Part #17-6822
$34.00 USD Ea

And this coil is for the "newer buyer ignitions.

Ignition Coil - .6 Ohm Dual output Coil for Boyer micro power micro digital
ignitions (Spare/replacement for kit 12-0089). Not for use on older Boyers.
Part #12-0094
$99.00 USD Ea

Note the huge difference in primary ohms, wrong coil will blow quickly.

 

[Golfwang]

Nah the charging system has been upgraded to the perm magnent style. It very well might be the rectifier... while changing out the old battery a couple of wires got pulled out of the harness... might have put them in the wrong holes. (HEY I'M A NEWBIE DAMMIT!) Anyway as far as the old style/new style boyer ign goes... I think ihave the new style since its the blue box micro power. I thought the old ones were just black boxes or something. But I might be wrong on that. If I'm NOT wrong, and I DO have the new style... Well, I bought the new style coils for the ol girl! Thanks for all the replies so far guys!