It just quite, no spark

[yghp]

I have a 79 650 special. It just died, It smelled like something was hot or burnt but I couldn't pin point what. After pushing it 1/4 mile home the smell wasn't as strong. It has no spark on either side. The fuses are good, the battery is charged, no pinched wires. Does anybody have any ideas. I am not good with an ohm meter.

 

[XSLeo]

It could be the coils. Just age can hurt them.
Do you have a repair manual? If so just follow the steps in it to check coil ohms. Primary ohms use the 200 ohm scale secondary use the 20k scale.
Leo

 

[yghp]

Are there any hidden fuses I may have overlooked?

 

[yghp]

Is it normal for both coils to go at the same time, I don't have spark on either side.

 

[retiredgentleman]

There are no hidden fuses. You need to use a VOM or test light to measure where you are losing voltage. Power flows from the battery to the main fuse, and then on to the ignition switch, the ignition fuse and the kill switch.

Those original fuse holders cause lots of problems, and they will heat up when they make poor contact with the fuse.

 

[XSLeo]

Fuses, no hidden ones. I think yours has the four fuse box under the seat. It could be that. Often after 30 plus years the clips that hold the fuses in place get weak and don't make good contact.
On the coils not normally but it can happen.
I might suggest you remove the tank and start by looking at the wiring. On my first 75 back in the day the ground wire for the turn signal flasher burnt up and melted the wires together in the bundle. It also happened on the 75 I have now. I think when the turn signal flasher goes bad it sends power through the ground, getting it hot enough to melt the adjoining wires before it burns completely.
I might also suggest you start at one end of the bike and work toward the other checking every electrical connection on the harness for clean and tight. A bit of dialectric grease will help keep them clean.
Your repair manual has testing procedures for many of the electrical components.
As far as useing your test meter you can google instructions on how to use it. Many good vidieo's out there explaining this.
Leo

 

[Tomterrific]

Are you sure the battery is charged? The charging system has been known to stop charging.

The kill switch may have been switched or gone open circuit from corrosion. This happens.

Have you done recent work on the bike? Quite often that is where the problem is located. Like the points. You cannot believe all the engines I have fixed where new points were installed and the point cam wasn't lubed. The point heel quickly wore down where the points wouldn't open.

Here is a test. Charge the battery just to make sure. Run a jumper wire from the battery positive to the positive of the coils. This eliminates all the bike's switches, connectors and wires. If you get spark then you can be certain that the wiring path has a fault somewhere and go looking for it.

Tom

 

[yghp]

Thank You for all the input. When I turn the key on and touch the starter the red idiot light comes on, when I turn the kill switch to off the light goes off. Hopefully that means the switch is ok, and the fuse block is also ok. I will check the point cam, and run a jumper to the coil.

 

[yghp]

I didn't think about online videos and instructions for the meter, thanks great idea.

 

[peanut]

follow your nose ! try and pinpoint where the burnt smell eminates from it should narrow down your search.

 

[yghp]

My nose was mistaken, i have power to the points. The camshaft isn't turning when i crank the motor. This can't be good, I can grab the nut on the end and turn the camshaft by hand.

 

[retiredgentleman]

My nose was mistaken, i have power to the points. The camshaft isn't turning when i crank the motor. This can't be good, I can grab the nut on the end and turn the camshaft by hand.

You are just turning the ATU shaft (not likely the camshaft). Check the right end where the ATU weights live. There are pins that drive the ATU shaft and they have been known to shear and/or fall out.

 

[yghp]

Retiredgentleman you are very wise, i took the right cover off and everything fell out. Thank You very much!