My 450 got progressively hard to start over the summer. I checked out the plugs, caps, wires, etc. but all that stuff was relatively new and it ran perfectly after it got going. The clue was that the bike would sometimes fire just as the starter button was lifted, indicating low voltage to the ignition.
I thought of the starter draw perhaps being high; it's an oldie, but appeared acceptable inside a few years ago. One morning I was going for a ride with a friend and the thing just wouldn't go. I looked at the ignitor and tried giving the mounting screws a back up and tighten. Poof! - touch and go.
The ground lead goes to the mounting screw, and then the plate is grounded somewhere else. Moral of the story is that rusty bolts make poor connections. Single point ground and a headlight relay are the next projects, I guess. I do wonder how many ignitor failures were cured when the bolts got disturbed during installation of the new one. And how many 'failed' ignitors ended up in the bin at bike shops over the years.
I thought of the starter draw perhaps being high; it's an oldie, but appeared acceptable inside a few years ago. One morning I was going for a ride with a friend and the thing just wouldn't go. I looked at the ignitor and tried giving the mounting screws a back up and tighten. Poof! - touch and go.
The ground lead goes to the mounting screw, and then the plate is grounded somewhere else. Moral of the story is that rusty bolts make poor connections. Single point ground and a headlight relay are the next projects, I guess. I do wonder how many ignitor failures were cured when the bolts got disturbed during installation of the new one. And how many 'failed' ignitors ended up in the bin at bike shops over the years.
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