Went for a ride...

Danno · Jul 31, 2016

Been doing longer and longer Sunday morning loops. Still suspect a charging problem as the ammeter either shows even or a slight discharge. Had it on the charger for a few minutes after last weeks loop. This morning, I took a route I hadn't ridden lately. As I approached an intersection where I planned to turn and do the last 12 miles back to the house, I lost fire and coasted to a stop. Made sure there was fuel in the tank and then kicked it a couple of times. Nothing.

I stood there for about 3 minutes, peering for obvious signs of a problem. As a truck was passing, I heard, "Hey, old geezer, what the hell you doing up here on that old piece of s#!+?" Turned around to see two former apprentices grinning at me like idiots. I said, "You got any tie-downs in there?" "You know I do", replied the driver. He backed into a ditch to drop the back axle and the three of us loaded it up and tied it into the back of the truck.

I don't think I was stranded a total of 10 minutes. We brought it back here and I broke out some cold beverages. It's good to have friends.

1up3down · Jul 31, 2016

Still suspect a charging problem

Danno, you can easily and very quickly confirm or deny if you do have a charging problem

hook the leads from a volt meter to your battery terminals and start the bike and read what the volts are

then raise the rpm to about 2000 and see what the volts are, if they have gone up to like 13.5 or so then your battery is charging, if no volt change you have a problem

Danno · Jul 31, 2016

1up3down said:
Still suspect a charging problem

Click to expand...

Danno, you can easily and very quickly confirm or deny if you do have a charging problem

hook the leads from a volt meter to your battery terminals and start the bike and read what the volts are

then raise the rpm to about 2000 and see what the volts are, if they have gone up to like 13.5 or so then your battery is charging, if no volt change you have a problem

Almost certain there's a charging problem, but still had plenty of battery power when it shut off.

I let it cool off while I changed a tire for the wife's bother-in-law. By then I was filthy, so I went inside and showered. Had a bite and went out and pulled the plugs. Both looked fine, a little soot around the rims, both insulators and electrodes light brown. Cleaned up the threads, grounded the plugs and kicked it over. Spark on both. Screwed them back in, gas on and kicked again. Fired right up and settled into a loping idle.

Put it on the trickle charger and it came up to green in about 10 minutes. Took a half hour last week and it ran all the way home, so I don't think the two issues are related. This week I'll pull the tank and left sidecover and start looking at the wiring.

htown16 · Jul 31, 2016

Have had similar syptoms on several bikes. Mysterious dying then restart fine later. Two bad ignition switches and one bad kill switch.

Danno · Jul 31, 2016

htown16 said:
Have had similar syptoms on several bikes. Mysterious dying then restart fine later. Two bad ignition switches and one bad kill switch.

Definitely worth scrutiny. Thanks.

gortnipper · Jul 31, 2016

Depending on your ignition type, also look at the leads there. My old Rita would loosen up the binding nuts on the pickup plate. I know Boyers have their own issues there as well.

Danno · Jul 31, 2016

gortnipper said:
Depending on your ignition type, also look at the leads there. My old Rita would loosen up the binding nuts on the pickup plate. I know Boyers have their own issues there as well.

Another good place to look for a gremlin. I've heard about issues with old Boyers.

The problem with any intermittent glitch is getting it to repeat itself while testing. Thanks for the suggestion.

Maybe next weekend I'll toss the ramps and tie-downs in the truck along with a multimeter and some tools and have the wife follow me around . Maybe have her bring some sandwiches and beverages and make a breakdown picnic out of it!

lazyeye6 · Jul 31, 2016

Danno said:
gortnipper said:

Depending on your ignition type, also look at the leads there. My old Rita would loosen up the binding nuts on the pickup plate. I know Boyers have their own issues there as well.

Click to expand...

Another good place to look for a gremlin. I've heard about issues with old Boyers.

The problem with any intermittent glitch is getting it to repeat itself while testing. Thanks for the suggestion.

Maybe next weekend I'll toss the ramps and tie-downs in the truck along with a multimeter and some tools and have the wife follow me around . Maybe have her bring some sandwiches and beverages and make a breakdown picnic out of it!

Now, that's a good wife and a good relationship!

Fullauto · Aug 1, 2016

Danno said:
gortnipper said:

Depending on your ignition type, also look at the leads there. My old Rita would loosen up the binding nuts on the pickup plate. I know Boyers have their own issues there as well.

Click to expand...

Another good place to look for a gremlin. I've heard about issues with old Boyers.

The problem with any intermittent glitch is getting it to repeat itself while testing. Thanks for the suggestion.

Maybe next weekend I'll toss the ramps and tie-downs in the truck along with a multimeter and some tools and have the wife follow me around . Maybe have her bring some sandwiches and beverages and make a breakdown picnic out of it!

Hey! Then you can claim she's stalking you!

Danno · Aug 1, 2016

She's been putting up with me for nearly 30 years, so she could probably be canonized.

Onder · Aug 1, 2016

You gotta be dead to be canonized. You might want to keep her around a while!

Ive had similar recently with my Commando. Ignition switch as in the lucars connected to it. They
were tight but by removing and reseating I had continuity. The switch is new. The harness isnt.
I hate to toss and stock good looking harness but the wires themselves can get oxidized and that
isnt going to help where the lucar is crimped on no matter how secure the crimp. The next
two bikes I did after the Norton I went with new harnesses.

Danno · Aug 1, 2016

She's got a way to go but she's building her case.....

The wiring is all new, but the ignition switch is a replacement and I'm thinking it's of questionable integrity. I pulled the tank and checked the wiring-no shorts and no disconnects, but when I dropped the headlight out and wiggled the wires on the switch, there was some discontinuity and blinking of the gauge bulbs. Guess I'm up for a new, high-quality switch.

cyclegeezer · Aug 1, 2016

Sounds like you're onto something with the ignition switch. I was going to ask if you had coils in series or a dual output coil with a wasted spark ignition, then suggest maybe your coil was over heating and going open circuit.

Danno · Aug 1, 2016

2 6V Lucas coils in series. They would have both have had to overheat simultaneously, because both cylinders shut down all at once.

cyclegeezer · Aug 2, 2016

Danno said:
2 6V Lucas coils in series. They would have both have had to overheat simultaneously, because both cylinders shut down all at once.

If they're in series, and one coil fails, the other one is isolated from the circuit.

Matt Spencer · Aug 2, 2016

A tipler with a BSA said If he ever got to a certain statte , I should do him a favour and shoot him . Was sorely tempted to after wireing his bike , over one of these , which he said he'd replace. Previously.

Danno · Aug 2, 2016

cyclegeezer said:
Danno said:

2 6V Lucas coils in series. They would have both have had to overheat simultaneously, because both cylinders shut down all at once.

Click to expand...

If they're in series, and one coil fails, the other one is isolated from the circuit.

If that were the case, why does it fire right up and run fine now? I really think it's the switch.

Danno · Aug 2, 2016

Matt Spencer said:
A tipler with a BSA said If he ever got to a certain statte , I should do him a favour and shoot him . Was sorely tempted to after wireing his bike , over one of these , which he said he'd replace. Previously.

Is that a lighting switch?

cyclegeezer · Aug 2, 2016

Danno said:
cyclegeezer said:

Danno said:

2 6V Lucas coils in series. They would have both have had to overheat simultaneously, because both cylinders shut down all at once.

Click to expand...

If they're in series, and one coil fails, the other one is isolated from the circuit.

Click to expand...

If that were the case, why does it fire right up and run fine now? I really think it's the switch.

I don't disagree, just throwing out other possibilities. I've had a coil behave itself cold, but open up the primary circuit when hot. Granted, that was long ago, in a Datsun SPL311, not a Norton.

Bob Z. · Aug 2, 2016

A little off subject, but that switch photo reminds me of the Lucas headlight hi/low beam switch located on the headlight of my little Triumph 250.
Yes, you have to move your left hand off the handle bars to push down on the switch to get high beam, then push again to get low beam.
Ah, the good old days of non-standardized controls placement.

Went for a ride...

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