MOPED ARMY

Hi Brandon, Lights all work. Tail light comes on with the key. I've replaced everything: generator (aka stator), condenser, coil, points, plug, plug wire and boot, ignition switch. Have checked connections and ground numerous times, and have even tried using an additional ground just to be sure it was grounded. Battery is also new, although that shouldn't matter. I am wondering if the polarity of the coil is reversed? Went over the wiring diagram again very carefully this morning, and I do have it wire properly. I had the bike running last summer, and at that time was working out jetting issue with new Mikuni VM16 carb. Today or tomorrow I will try a test I read about where you use a battery to make the coil take and expend a charge (spark). Seems stupid to buy another coil for this thing.... I have the original stock coil, and two aftermarket coils for it that are supposed to work for non-cdi 6 volt systems. All of which could be garbage.

Well Brandon, the sad thing is I don't have spark, so there would not be any point in taking off the muffler. Last summer, last time I had it running, the compression and exhaust seemed fine. Like I said, I think I got the jetting issue worked out. Might need to adjust the needle after I get it running again. Thanks for responding!

this is stupid i know .... fuse?

You mentioned that you replaced the ignition coil (I am guessing once) and then the condenser itself 3 times. The condenser is built onto the ignition coil, did you buy the right ignition coil? Try reverting back to the old one. Did you do the test in the manual on page 8-4 for your timing? Definitely check the woodruff key too.

What about the spark plug wire? Are the ends attached tightly? If I remember, the plug end screws on. My friend just had this problem with his Derbi and he snipped off about 1/2 inch from the ends of the plug wire, re-attached them and got spark. Is this an Urban Express?

Also try a new plug, I took half my Express motor apart only to find out the plug was bad.

I also agree with checking the kill switch, maybe it got bumped or is bad.

Are you referring to the key that is underneath the stator plate? If you are, then yes, it is. I got a good look at it when I replaced the stator/generator last week.

Man, I think you walk would have been more like 40 miles to Christmas Valley from the Hwy 395 turnoff. What's really funny is some of the online maps of this area have Great Sandy Desert printed across them diagonally. That is a leftover from an 1881 surveyor's map, back when this area was basically 'uncharted.' I guess most people still think of it that way. I call it The Other Oregon because it's the Oregon that nobody knows about.

Anyway, how about my bike? I am ordering a used (hopefully good) coil for it today. Should I have 6 volts at the black/white wire right before the coil?

I have not messed with the kill switch wiring. I believe that the kill switch is fine because, unless I am reading the diagram wrong, current goes through the kill switch and then goes back to the coil. Like I said in my original post, I do have current right before the coil where the black and white wire goes into the coil. It lights up a test light real bright when I kick the bike over. I don't think I would have current there if the kill switch was funky. Thanks, though. Nice try!

kill switches do get grounded out like the control switchs do, if old. might be something to look at.

I really dont know much about these bikes Im more of an urban guy but they are similar in some ways and wiring is wiring. below is wiring on an urban. i dont know if the part Im pointing out is like yours or not, and maybe I should stay out of this but Im just trying to help, If these blk/red wires arent looped at the ignition switch and right before it goes to the battery it will not spark either

Okay, I bet all you guys were out riding over the holiday weekend, while I was stuck at home trying to figure out why I have no spark. All I can say is, the weather was here--wish you were lovely! Ha! Here's a little update:

I tried the test on page 8-4 of the manual. That's the one where you line up the F mark with the index mark, then put current through the circuit using a battery and try to light up a light bulb. We passed this test. The only thing that seemed a little odd was that the flywheel did not want to stay in place with the F on the index mark. If I took my hand off of it, it turned about an inch counterclockwise to about the T mark. I just held it in place on the F to do the test. If anybody sees this as a symptom of a larger problem, please let me know.

Also did a test on two of the members of my 'coil collection' that is a little complicated to explain. It's not done on the bike. You run a ground wire from the coil and the condenser to the - side of your bike battery. Then you connect the coil and condenser to the + side of the battery, and run a jumper wire from the coil and condenser and tap it on the negative battery terminal. This is supposed to mimic the alternating current coming off the generator. Next you are supposed to touch the spark plug wire from the coil to the ground, and it is supposed to produce a big spark. Could not get it to spark at all, and I tried this test on both coils. This could mean that either (A) Both coils are bad, or (B) I am a dumbass and don't know what I'm doing. Read about this test on a Harley discussion board.

I also tried connecting my multimeter to the black and white wire that comes off the generator and kicked the motor over to check the voltage coming off the generator. I got so many different readings that I think this test was inconclusive. It is putting out current, like I said, and it will light up a test light at this point. I have a digital multimeter, and I know one time it read 1.3v, another it read 4.5v, and a couple of readings in between. I don't know if this means anything, because it's such a short little burst of electricity, I don't know if this is a good way of measuring it. The guy I got the new generator from said it was functioning AND bench tested as good.

Anyway, still no spark. Ho-hum. Waiting for a used, stock coil which shipped out today. Hope to have it by the end of the week.

Hi Harvey, My bike does not have CDI. I think I read in some other posts that some a couple of Express guys have switched to CDI ignition. Don't know if that would fix my problem. I'll read up on it again. Thanks for the tip, though. It's always nice to find cheep parts!

D'oh, never mind. Got my Express threads mixed up.