Ignition problem again!

This time, it's my roofed wing ('82 GL1100A with single carb)

Around 2 miles from home, engine lost torque and died all of a sudden.
Tried to start it again at road side. Starts but dies immediately.
Tried several times with the same result.
Fuel pressure gauge showed normal (~3 PSI)

Called AAA and waited for tow truck. Came home around two hours later. then the engine runs normally as if nothing happened.

What could it be?

This is like the 3rd time.

If I remember correctly:

1st time: 30~40 miles from home on a hot day in city traffic. Waited an hour or so and recovered itself.
2nd time: 10 miles from home on a cool day. Waited an hour or so and recovered itself.

The first and second were with aftermarket ignition & coils.
This time it's stock ignition & coils.

If I replace all the wiring related to ignition, will it be cured?
Or better off sending it to scrap yard? It's scary just to think about happening it again on a busy freeway.

I am not an expert in ignition issues by any means, but I do know that if your coils are failing, they are overheating for sure. Do you know if your regulator/rectifier is working correctly? I had one allow over 16 volts to pass through continuously (fried the battery) due to a bad connector at the R/R.

Also, is the ballast resistor intact? They can be checked for resistance. Big deal if you have a R/R not regulating voltage, the resistor can only reduce voltage by the amount entering. If the R/R output is too high (over 15.6 volts) the input voltage to the ballast resistor will be too high for the output which will cause high voltage at the coils causing them to overheat.

I replaced the ballast resistor on my '82 coils.

Thanks for the info.

My thinking was that because the failure happened both with after-market ignition (with its own brand-new coils) and stock ignition, it must be somewhere other than ignition system itself.

Overheating coil hypothesis doesn't hold up because the ignition worked fine in 90~100F heat for hours but it failed after only 10 minutes or so riding in 75F ambient temp this time.

I just got tired of this constant yet distant/intermittent ignition failures and sold my oldwing.

Obviously the buyer rode it home (an hour of freeway ride) without an issue. LOL
It's so unpredictable like natural disasters. It comes when you almost forget about it..

Awe man sorry to hear you sold it. I liked your customizing threads.

[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=221400#p221400:221oq3uc said:

dan filipi » Tue Mar 09, 2021 4:58 pm[/url]":221oq3uc]
Awe man sorry to hear you sold it. I liked your customizing threads.

Click to expand...

The last break-down made me realize how heavy my roofed wing had become.
It was a hussle to load it on a flat bed, unload it in my drive way, and put it in a garage.
If I drop it in the middle of nowhere, I may need a roadside service just to pick it up.
It's too heavy for me (5'7") and I am not getting any younger.. :fiddle:

I was thinking about buying NC700X which I rented in Japan and liked it (very good MPG) but figured I should utilize what I have so I am "roofing" XS750 now. LOL

This time, I will use Vetter fairing.

Windshield wiper is already mounted.

Currently attaching GL1500 saddle bags.


It will be a single seater.

I will use carbon fiber rods and marine vinyl to make it as light as possibe.

Lol project 2 roofed bike

Sorry to hear you sold your oldwing. If we ever get back to travelling, have to do another Big Sur evening(s). Just a few Kms for a camp night.

[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=221403#p221403:2k6422c3 said:

Rednaxs60 » Tue Mar 09, 2021 6:58 pm[/url]":2k6422c3]
Sorry to hear you sold your oldwing. If we ever get back to travelling, have to do another Big Sur evening(s). Just a few Kms for a camp night.

Click to expand...

Yeah, hopefully this corona thing should go away this year, then we can get together at a campgound.

Until then, I just load up dirt bikes in a van and go desert riding/camping with my son.

Sorry to hear ya sold her, but that is how it goes many times. FYI, I have a fully restored '82 GL1100 ready to go with trailer, bags and windshield for sale! It would a great starting point for mods since everything is already in working order. (And known working ignition system!) :hihihi:

[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=221409#p221409:mwuedrd4 said:

mcgovern61 » Tue Mar 09, 2021 8:21 pm[/url]":mwuedrd4]
Sorry to hear ya sold her, but that is how it goes many times. FYI, I have a fully restored '82 GL1100 ready to go with trailer, bags and windshield for sale! It would a great starting point for mods since everything is already in working order. (And known working ignition system!) :hihihi:

Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer but it's going to be a pity to hack up such a beautifully restored bike.

I had a motorcycle that had that elusive intermittant ignition problem, and changed the whole works. I replaced the ignition switch... and it still did it.

Then i replaced the kill switch. ;-) Had a broken contact leaf that'd rattle around at times...

Sometimes, the answer to the craziest problems is just too simple.

[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=221422#p221422:37hwhxms said:

DaveKamp » Wed Mar 10, 2021 10:52 pm[/url]":37hwhxms]
I had a motorcycle that had that elusive intermittant ignition problem, and changed the whole works. I replaced the ignition switch... and it still did it.

Then i replaced the kill switch. ;-) Had a broken contact leaf that'd rattle around at times...

Sometimes, the answer to the craziest problems is just too simple.

Click to expand...

The thing is, it's so difficult to test stuff because it occurs so rarely and usually by the side of the road.

So I took the simplest solution, replaced the whole bike. LOL

>>So I took the simplest solution, replaced the whole bike. LOL<<

Y'know, my Dad had a fairly new (2 seasons) Deere riding mower, and it giving him problems with steering gear binding up... said he was gonna have 'em fix it when he took it in for it's next oil change'

I was down visiting him the other day, and he mentioned that he needed me to perform an 'adjustment' of the seat switch (He's lost lots of weight over the last 8 years, so the switch has false triggering problems). I noticed the tractor was completely new, and said "Ah... I see you got the OIL changed"...

He smiled, and said "Yeah... the oil... and the steering box... and the connecting rods... and deck spindles... and the hydrostat... new tires... new belts... but they didn't change the garage door opener, or the nut that holds the steering wheel...

[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=221487#p221487:3lmm0fwv said:

DaveKamp » Mon Mar 15, 2021 6:07 am[/url]":3lmm0fwv]
>>So I took the simplest solution, replaced the whole bike. LOL<<

Y'know, my Dad had a fairly new (2 seasons) Deere riding mower, and it giving him problems with steering gear binding up... said he was gonna have 'em fix it when he took it in for it's next oil change'

I was down visiting him the other day, and he mentioned that he needed me to perform an 'adjustment' of the seat switch (He's lost lots of weight over the last 8 years, so the switch has false triggering problems). I noticed the tractor was completely new, and said "Ah... I see you got the OIL changed"...

He smiled, and said "Yeah... the oil... and the steering box... and the connecting rods... and deck spindles... and the hydrostat... new tires... new belts... but they didn't change the garage door opener, or the nut that holds the steering wheel...

Click to expand...

So even a pro resorts to that simplest solution. LOL

I didn't know mowers had seat switches. Safety feature so the thing stops when you fall off (due to extreme boredom)?
Reminds me of a wrist band you wear on a jet ski (personal watercraft or whatever they call it nowadays.)

I didn't know mowers had seat switches. Safety feature so the thing stops when you fall off (due to extreme boredom)?
Reminds me of a wrist band you wear on a jet ski (personal watercraft or whatever they call it nowadays.)

Click to expand...

In some places, extreme boredom, or extreme pucker-factor. There's lots of places where falling off would only be from boredom, but contrary to what many people think, Iowa ain't flat, especially in the river valleys... it's not unusual for someone to get a little sideways on some oystergrass, and have it start slipping down the hill... and when that happens, a quick bail-out to the uphill side is oftentimes the wisest move. Seat switch doesn't keep it from tipping or rolling over, but it does shuts it down so the blades aren't whirling at 200mph as it violates a path downhill... :hi:

it also tends to keep people from brainlessly getting off the machine while the blades or drive is engaged... which does happen...