Died in the arse - arggg

[Stout]

I'm thinking ignition trigger / source coil - LH end of the crankshaft, near the vacuum advance unit.

I haven't specifically heard of these giving trouble on an XS (unlike kill switches, including on mine...) but I've had exactly these symptoms with an old Honda in the past and it was the ignition source coil.

I suggest: Pull the alternator cover, find the ignition trigger and find a way to check its resistance. Check it cold, start & run the bike until it stops, then check it again. Should tell you if it is the problem or not.

[melbxs]

Well, just got in after stripping out the kill switch and giving it a good clean. It looked pretty OK though and in the garage I started, killed, started, killed etc a dozen times without a glitch.

Started her up on half choke, chucked on helmet, jacket and gloves, pushed in the choke and tooted up the road. Running just as nice as before and at more or less the same spot in the road as yesterday it completely died on me.

Wouldn't start at all and I had to push it home. 

All four pipes were nice and hot, so it wasn't a firing problem, as I say it felt as sweet as a nut. When I got it home I opened all 4 carb drain screws and they all had fuel.

Here's a video of it running again after it cooled down yesterday.Seems sweet as to me. Ignore the shitty sound on the iPhone - makes it sound really metallic.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/melbxs/5440674173/

Seems to die as soon as it heats up and starts again as soon as it cools down - though it may not be as simple as that.

[pgnz]

Yeah electrical,  carbs the bike runs like shit,   bad earth somewhere,  possibly buggered pick up coil wires?  But good chance it's kill switch circuit like EV said

[Eveready1100]

Definitely sounds electrical to me. Most probably in the last place you were working which is in the vicinity of the kill switch..................

[melbxs]

maybe a kinked fuel line?

Nah, fuel lines are straight through from the carbs, no filters, with a crossover between the 2 feeds. I had them both on reserve just to be sure I wasn't getting any fuel starvation.

I've fitted the starter button since my faultless run, so I'll have a look at that first. Cheers for all the ideas lads, always helps to get ideas from all angles.

[steptoe]

not good,,, just a thought,, my kill switch only killed the spark,, not the power from the battery,,

will pay to check the bakerlite in the back of the switch,,mine was cactus,, so have joined the wires still in the switch block but not the switch itself,,
looks complete but doesn't work

[petejw1966]

maybe a kinked fuel line?

[melbxs]

Everything looked fine and thinking about it the starter motor was still spinning the engine, so it was nothing to do with the kill switch.

Must be the carb setup I guess, but I don't quite understand why it would be great one minute then a non-runner the next.

Seemed to die as soon as it got to full temp.

[petejw1966]

have u got ignition lights on,
or has everything died?

[melbxs]

I blew a fuse when I was putting it in because i forgot to turn off the ignition  , but the button works a treat.

The engine died after 200m, but I had it sitting at a nice idle for a few minutes to warm up and it didn't so much as cough.

So many variables with this problem because so much has been fekked around with. It could be electrical ... or it might be the carbs ... or maybe an air leak ... or maybe a short somewhere totally unrelated to the switchgear ...or...or...or...   Think I'll have a look tomorrow. Can't look it in the face just now. 

[petejw1966]

mate that sux,
i hate electrical problems,

i had to replace the started button on mine the other day
and had a similar problem, mine was that i didnt have the bottom of
the button     in the groove of the casing  -    hope that makes sense?
it was blowing fuses, and made it a bugger to push the button in.

[melbxs]

Well after a stellar rideout of about 30km on Friday I go out today and 200m down the road the bike dies completely and wont start again. Was running a treat until I got to the bottom of the road. Wasn't a spluttering stop, just a complete instant death.

A bit lost for ideas, but have a feeling that it may be electrical. Had the switchgear open to install the new starter button and have maybe upset the kill switch.

I flicked the kill switch to off and a huge pop came out of the exhaust - co-incidence or related?

It started again a few minutes later, died again 100m up the road, but started again and got me home. Had to go collect a new TV, so haven't touched it yet. Was so hacked off it's probably best that I didn't go near the bitch with any sharp instruments anyhoo.