Rookie-XS650 Coil Question-Are they good?

The points faces must be very clean to fire properly, or even fire at all sometimes. Get the least bit of oil on them and they'll be contaminated. Clean any feeler gauge blade first before using it on points. To clean the points faces, cut 1/4" strips from a business or index card, spray them with electrical contact cleaner, and drag them through the points like a feeler gauge. Keep doing it until they come out clean.
 
Ok. This is maddening. Maybe i have this wrong. The points break the ground, right? The fixed part of the mechanism is always grounded, then when the point makes contact it grounds it. So, with a meter checking continuity between the wore to the points and the engine would beep then not beep if everything is correct. Assuming thats correct, i am hitting a wall because when i check the wires disconnected from the points, i have continuity from them to the engine ground. So either something is messed up or i am looking at this wrong. I added a video (nevermind, video didnt work) and a photo. I pulled the condensor to see if there were any signs of issues because the two points wires go to a split with two wires going to condensor and two going to coils.

So first question, when testing this way am i correct in expecting that the coil wires would NOT be continuous to ground?

Second question is what should i check next?
 

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So in post 5 & 10 we were talking about continuity between the wire coming from the points (or the bolt that attaches them at the points).

As in the pic, you're checking cont. going into the coils. That won't work.

As it is now, just see if continuity is "breaking" when opening/closing the points: ground to wires' bolt (isolated from base plate)
 
So in post 5 & 10 we were talking about continuity between the wire coming from the points (or the bolt that attaches them at the points).

As in the pic, you're checking cont. going into the coils. That won't work.

As it is now, just see if continuity is "breaking" when opening/closing the points: ground to wires' bolt (isolated from base plate)
I THINK thats what i did. So first, i made sure the point mechanism broke continuity. One probe on top of point, other probe on bottom. Pushed bottom away from top, broke continuity. I figured this would rule out a grounding issue on the mechanism itself
Then, i checked where the bolt connects; the black piece of metal and manually moved point and continuity broke. as soon as i put the wire in the mix, contonuity wouldnt break. I checked the rubber and insulators on the small nut and screw that holds the wire. Rubber was a bit dry but still solid.
 
Once you have wires re-attached as above, you should get the same "breaking" continuity between the orange & grey wires from the points, unplugged from their connection at the coils.

Once you have good breaking continuity, you can plug the points wires into the coils. Set the points' max gap per book.

Next is checking for voltage (prepare to change scale on meter)
 
Ok. Wires put back to match photo. Orange and grey wires disconnected. One probe on engine, one on top bolt or bottom bolt. I am getting discontinuity when points are not touching. I dont have a book, but what i found online says .012-.016. I set to .016.
 
Super!

If you want to proceed with ignition system check, change multimeter to volts DC. Assuming battery, fuses and grounds are in-place.
Turn kill switch on and key switch on, then check for voltage at Red/White stripe wire at coils. One probe on R/W wire, one probe to bare metal ground

No need to crank motor at this point
 
a narrow strip of fine paper 600 wet or dry doubled over so both faces sand, gently close the points on the paper, sand, then CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN. no sand, dirt, oil on the contacts.
Old condensers are often faulty, failing, many meters have a farad setting to check the condensers. They tie into the points wires above the motor and are located on the back side of the LH top engine mount. If the mount is removed it's a good time to retorque head studs, search for the thread.
 
Super!

If you want to proceed with ignition system check, change multimeter to volts DC. Assuming battery, fuses and grounds are in-place.
Turn kill switch on and key switch on, then check for voltage at Red/White stripe wire at coils. One probe on R/W wire, one probe to bare metal ground

No need to crank motor at this point
12.4 at battery. 9.8 from r/w wire disconnected at coil to engine (same engine spot used to test coils).
 
Just as practice, test battery voltage and R/W to coils both with key on: apples, apples. So, typical candidates for voltage drop are kill switch, key switch and fuse box. I really like working from the coils backwards testing as ya go and testing each connection along the way until you identify where voltage is lost
 
Just for giggles do one voltage test to rear fuel tank mount hole (verifies engine as ground)
 
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