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Spark with no battery?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Adler
  • Start date Start date
A

Adler

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So Im restoring a '79 GS550 and I havent yet purchased a battery but i notice that when I lay a plug on the engine and i kickstart, there is no spark. I would think it wouldn't need a battery to spark using the kick. Am I wrong? Is it time to troubleshoot the wiring?? :(
 
Yes, you do need a battery to get spark.

This isn't a magneto setup like a Briggs and Stratton.
 
well, on my 78' GS I don't have a battery and it has spark...and it runs
??
 
If it runs without the battery It has to have some type of capasitor
 
Isnt the condensor just a capacitor? or do you mean some other one?
 
um the bike has no magneto or other electrical device
on old dirtbikes you got spark cos electricity came diectly from a magneto

the battery is an integral part of the system on your bike soooooooooooo
no bat no spark
 
If the bike isnt producing electricity somewhere, how is it charging the battery?
 
It produces it in the stator but only once it's spinning at a decent RPM & doesn't supply enough to charge the coils on a kickover far as I know.

The battery is like a huge capacitor, the charging circuit charges the battery.
 
Very interesting and good to know, I wonder how goggleboy's runs without the battery. Maybe its some kind of mod?
 
Typically most charging systems charge the battery and take voltage off of it. Then you get others that run like a dirt bike charging system. Its a use it or lose it kind of system. No battery involved at all.
 
What if batt is dead?

What if batt is dead?

Okay what if your battery is dead would you be able to still get the bike kick started? If not what is the point of the kick start? :confused:
 
Electric starters used to be relatively unreliable. Also, bikes always had a kickstarter. Notice 79 was the last year for them.
A small bit of trivia, the Suzuki two strokes had the kickstarter on the left side, not sure why. Everyone else had them on the right.
 
Redneck said:
Okay what if your battery is dead would you be able to still get the bike kick started? If not what is the point of the kick start? :confused:
Click to expand...


it is so you can look manly
it is so while madly kicking a wet incalcitrant machine you can have the rubber work off the kicker and drive your foot full force into the pavement thus causing you to fall to the ground gagging in pain (happened to me once on a single cyl dirt bike )

I think they kept kick starts in case the starter failed not the battery
my bike terrified me when i saw there was no kick start
not that kicking over a 4 cylinder bike is fun
hell bump starting is easier
 
Calvin Blackmore said:
it is so you can look manly
it is so while madly kicking a wet incalcitrant machine you can have the rubber work off the kicker and drive your foot full force into the pavement thus causing you to fall to the ground gagging in pain (happened to me once on a single cyl dirt bike )

I think they kept kick starts in case the starter failed not the battery
my bike terrified me when i saw there was no kick start
not that kicking over a 4 cylinder bike is fun
hell bump starting is easier
Click to expand...

your tellin me.. it was 96 degrees that day, and I was out the driveway kicking this thing 15 times...talk about work!
 
1948man said:
What is the correct procedure for safely bump-starting?
Click to expand...
hah funny you should ask

to me its


setting the tranny to neutral

and pushing off hopefully a hill as fast as you wee legs can carry yah
and then a drop ignition on into 2nd or even third gear


odddl fist is a bastard as compression or torque or some evil will not let the motor spin as high as needs be
 
If no hills are around, find a couple of friends. Put the bike in second gear, ignition switch on, clutch pulled in. Have them push you up to a decent speed (I'm usually the pusher, so I don't get to look at the speedo). When they tell you, pop the clutch while they keep pushing.
We did this to a GS1100GK at the Fennimore rally this year, and were successful multiple times.
 
Yeah, I did it successfully on my 1100 with the friends pushing method (actually just one fit friend.) On an old Honda 450, I used to push it myself with the clutch pulled in and jump up and pop the clutch as my butt hit the seat. Just wondering if there was a one man method for a bike as heavy as an 1100.
 
1948man said:
Yeah, I did it successfully on my 1100 with the friends pushing method (actually just one fit friend.) On an old Honda 450, I used to push it myself with the clutch pulled in and jump up and pop the clutch as my butt hit the seat. Just wondering if there was a one man method for a bike as heavy as an 1100.
Click to expand...
Yes, the hill method, minus friends, but everything else as I described. Too dang heavy otherwise.
 
Run around on a shag carpet and then grab the positive terminal while kickstarting.
 
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