Help! 1980 xs650

[gggGary]

To use the starter button - yes. Ignition goes through the kill switch and ignition lock of course.
Lights hooked up? no. but there are a few interlocks, to the starter solenoid, clutch, neutral, side stand on some years. they can easily be removed.

 

[XSLeo]

Try following this diagram, thanks Jayel. Hook power from the battery to a fuse. From the fuse feed power to the red/white wires on the coil and TCI box and plug the pickups into the TCI ground the black wire. to a good frame ground and it should run. need to kick it, unless you wire in the starter.

 

[XSLeo]

I have run bikes kinda this way just for testing. I use a battery setting on the ground by the bike. Run a switched fused wire from the battery Positive to the red/white wire at the coil, this feeds the TCI box too. A wire from battery negitive to a frame ground. kick the bike. or use a set of jumper cables from the battery direct to the starter to spin the starter. Either way will get the bike to turn over and fire. If the carbs are working and there is enough compression.

 

[SDcaffinatedXS]

Thanks for the diagrams XSLeo. i tryed something similar to your advice just to see if i got a spark at the right times. bikes kick only so, here it is: battery + red wire to 20amp fuse, connected to red wire to reg/rect, red wire split to 10amp fuse then directly to the + coil and split to red wire of the ignition unit. ignition unit orange wire to - coil and all black wires grounded directly to the frame along with the spark plugs cliped and grounded. Also the pick up coil is connected with stock plugs, rec/reg connected with stock plugs ignition connected with stock plugs. nothing else is connected its basically the components that would make it run all the rest of the wires are removed and put aside until i hear her start. anyways with that set up i kinda hand cycle the engine with the kick start to see if it would spark in intervals as it should through the rotation of the rotor and pickup assembly but no spark. also between the + battery and the 20 amp fuse i connected a clip to the battery + and use the clip to connect it to the red wire with the 20 amp fuse so its not always powered. but its weird with the way i have it currently connected theres no spark with the kick start, but if i the rub the + clip to the red wire with the 20 amp fuse the the spark plugs with spark with out kicking the bike. rubbing it sparks but connecting them and kicking it wont. so idk what it is, i think the pick up or rotor brushes are done. seems like somethings not telling when the tci when to spark. maybe it i fryed something cause i sure seems like it. maybe i need to do the pamco swap and permanent magneto.

 

[XSLeo]

On your TCI box is it a 6 or 7 wire box. They are pretty much the same except the 7 wire box has an extra black/white wire. From the reading I have done this wire is used with the sidestand relay to ground when the sidestand is down. If you ground this wire it stops the TCI from firing.
Now when you rub the hot clip you are starting and stoping the flow of power thru the TCI and coil, making it spark.
You can test the pick up. Unplug it from the harness You will find three wires in the plug the black or black/white wire is a common connection. Test specs for the80-81 pick up is 550-850 ohms, 82 is 630-770. The ones I've checked run around 700 ohms.

 

[SDcaffinatedXS]

Hey xsleo do you think you can school me on how to test my pickup coil and other stuff. Ive never used a mulitmeter and kinda dont really know what i should be touching with the mulitmeter. I used the + lead and touched the red wire on the pick up and the - lead to the black wire and i get no reading. Do you think you can give me a list of things to check and where to touch the leads to just to see if everything works. I know its alot to ask but id really appreciate it, if your ever in san diego ill buy you some drinks. Im so puzzled by electrical stuff and im pretty desperate for help or direction.

 

[XSLeo]

On your multi-meter is it digital or have a needle? The digital is easier to use. On your meter you have a knob that selects the ranges. On most digital meters the lowest setting is 200. The next scale is 2k. These settings are the highest that the setting can read. 200 ohms, 2000 ohms etc.
You select the setting to be just a bit higher than the reading you expect. On your pickup it should be from 550 to 850 oms. The 200 isn't enough, the 2k is the next biggest. Now with the meter range selected If your meter has an on/off switch turn it on. Some the selector is the off/on.
Now with the thing you want to test unplugged from the harness, in this case the pick ups. Touch one lead to the black wire in the connector. Touch the other lead to one of the other wires. Do the same with the third wire. you should get a reading from the black wire to each of the other wires some where in the specified range.
You might want to google digital multi meters. You will find a good guide to learn the basics of using a meter.
Learning the basic functions that way will be easier on me. My finger will get very tired typing it all out. In your repair manual it shows a bit on meter use.