Coil compatibility?

[Magua]

Coil connected. Once started the bike seems to work (I only ran it to work and back), but it's a bitch to start, really doesn't want to. Tried it with the wires plugged in both ways.

[xwhatsit]

Coil connected. Once started the bike seems to work (I only ran it to work and back), but it's a bitch to start, really doesn't want to. Tried it with the wires plugged in both ways.

They haven't supplied the wrong coil, have they? Kind of sounds like it. David Silver is supposed to be pretty good (I wouldn't know myself, you've ordered from them much more often than me) but you hear stories on UK forums about them mixing up models on occasion.

[Ixion]

Is it definately a CDI coil? Or conversely is your bike definately CDI? Not everything with no points and a black box is CDI

CDI coils run off a much higher primary voltage. So a non CDI coil in a CDI circuit may be feak and weeble. Conversely a CDI coil expects a much sharper voltage spike, so a CDI coil in a non CDI circuit may also be feak and weeble

[Magua]

Definately a CDI bike. The Coil box says in vivid "P coil 250/400n", but there's nothing written on the coil itself (from memory), I'll go take another look.

[Magua]

No writing on the coil. I had an umbrella open and drying behind my bike, it just shot it across the length of the room with a backfire trying to start the bike.

[Magua]

Received an email from davidsilver. It can be wired either way, yet it wouldn't work either way on my bike. Assuming a faulty product, they sent me a new one, and again it wont work. It doesn't want to start, and when/if it does, it dies as you try to rev it.

If this is the correct part, then what could be the issue? Could I potentially have fucked up connecting the spark plug caps to the leads (was rediculously difficulty to do)?

[Ixion]

Hm. A pertinent question might be : WHY did you get a new coil?

[Magua]

Hm. A pertinent question might be : WHY did you get a new coil?

The search for power. I replaced my jets, needles, float valves etc. Worked well, could sit at 100 in top gear finally, hell, I could even cruise at 120. :0 It didn't last, sometimes I'd have power, sometimes I wouldn't. I assumed this to be an electrical problem, due my electrics sporadicly dying (like they did on the learner ride late last year).

My manual said to look at the ignition system for power problems. I've got a little spark plug tool that checks the power through the leads, told me that the right lead is down on power versus the left. Tried to get a measurement with a multimeter, but it wouldn't return any readings.

So I went fishing again and got a new coil + leads for $50, but now I can't even get it to stay started!

[Ixion]

Well, the problem on the learner ride was a straight forward crappy connection. Nothing to do with the coils.

I'd be somewhat distrustful of "little spark plug tools". Unless there was evidence of misfiring, I'd be more inclined to suspect the CDI for power loss (if indeed it was anything electrical at all).

I'd suggest replacing the original coils. If the hard starting etc goes away then the new coil is probably unsuited to the machine.

From the sound of it these are generic Honda coils. Is there another Honda twin rider who would volunteer his machine to test the coils ? (An IL4 might also work, I don't know if the Honda IL4s have two coils with a waste spark or not)