1995 motoguzzi california carburetor model

[Harleymotoguzzi]

I'm new at this forum thing. I was wondering if anyone would know why I have a spark when I first push the start button but then I have no spark if I continue to crank it? If I push the start it sparks really well but if I keep doing it the spark gets less excited. If I leave it for a minute or so it sparks good again for the first initial crank? I am suspecting the E.C.U but have had it checked and have been told it's fine. I have rung a couple of numbers around but everyone is either to busy or want a million dollars first then I'm not sure if they really care. I only want someone to work on my bike if they actually want to and not sit and look at it while watching the hourly rate clock up. Hence why I'm asking on here to see if anyone can help because they want to. Cheers. I hope this doesn't sound to negative as it is not my aim.

[Laava]

It could be a number of things, such as leads, plugs or coils. Or a faulty ign switch or kill switch. Or a combination of things. I had a similar problem where I had double lead coils on a gsxr750. The coils tested fine on a coil testing machine, but they were toast. If you possibly can, try swapping bits with known good parts?

[Grumph]

Check your manual. If it's got a ballast resistor ignition, I'd expect an initial very good spark then a drop back to running voltage.

You don't say if it's starting well or not....

[mossy1200]

Check your manual. If it's got a ballast resistor ignition, I'd expect an initial very good spark then a drop back to running voltage.

You don't say if it's starting well or not....

Does sound like this^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^.
Doesnt say if its starting at all.
Is it firing at all or just cranking over?

[OddDuck]

Rooted / old battery?

Put a voltmeter onto the battery terminals while cranking it over and watch the voltage, if it falls to 6V-ish then that might explain what you're seeing.

[Harleymotoguzzi]

I'm new at this forum thing. I was wondering if anyone would know why I have a spark when I first push the start button but then I have no spark if I continue to crank it? If I push the start it sparks really well but if I keep doing it the spark gets less excited. If I leave it for a minute or so it sparks good again for the first initial crank? I am suspecting the E.C.U but have had it checked and have been told it's fine. I have rung a couple of numbers around but everyone is either to busy or want a million dollars first then I'm not sure if they really care. I only want someone to work on my bike if they actually want to and not sit and look at it while watching the hourly rate clock up. Hence why I'm asking on here to see if anyone can help because they want to. Cheers. I hope this doesn't sound to negative as it is not my aim.

Thanks for the replies. Does not fire and does not start. Does not even spark at all now.. I'm looking at buy a zdg3 from Germany. Has anyone had any dealings with these? My bike has the Ducati charging system

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[Paul in NZ]

Have you called Pete and Moto Kiwi?

That would be my first call.

Second would be to buy a book called Guzziology

Third - join the American 'Wild Goose Chase' forum - there is nothing those guys don't know about Calis

[Harleymotoguzzi]

Ok. So I have stripped the bike to the frame. Lol. And will start from there. Sanded scratches and will repaint the frame and replace parts and bearings as I go.

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[awayatc]

Had once (different vehicle) that it was faulty contacts in starter/on of switching gear...
When starter turned over there was not much current going to coil ....
Relatively easy to check with voltage meter or test light.

[AllanB]

Ok. So I have stripped the bike to the frame. Lol. And will start from there. Sanded scratches and will repaint the frame and replace parts and bearings as I go.

Strikes me as a rather excessive reaction to a starting problem bawahhahahahaha

[MotoKuzzi]

[QUOTE=Harleymotoguzzi;1131038917]Thanks for the replies. Does not fire and does not start. Does not even spark at all now.. I'm looking at buy a zdg3 from Germany. Has anyone had any dealings with these? My bike has the Ducati charging system

I had a similar problem with my Fuel injected '97 Califiornia, identical symptoms to yours, for a while it would turn over and fire but eventually wouldn't do either. After a year of it sitting in a workshop with no progress someone suggested the ECU requires a steady supply above 12.5 volts to operate which means the battery, the charging system and the Voltage regulator need checking. In the end I rewound the alternator $300, replaced the regulator $400 plus and put in a new battery and problem went away, it has never run better so I think it's an insidious thing happening over time. In retrospect I would have just done the alternator and battery and tested it because I suspect the voltage regulator is still fine.

[Honest Andy]

I had a similar problem with my Fuel injected '97 Califiornia, identical symptoms to yours, for a while it would turn over and fire but eventually wouldn't do either. After a year of it sitting in a workshop with no progress someone suggested the ECU requires a steady supply above 12.5 volts to operate which means the battery, the charging system and the Voltage regulator need checking. In the end I rewound the alternator $300, replaced the regulator $400 plus and put in a new battery and problem went away, it has never run better so I think it's an insidious thing happening over time. In retrospect I would have just done the alternator and battery and tested it because I suspect the voltage regulator is still fine.

Yup.
And coils, check them or just replace them along with the HT leads. You were getting some spark at first so bits of your ignition system are working, at least until the battery voltage drops off as it's cranking. But coils and leads can break down under load so replace them and your plugs and that's all the high voltage components. It's a 22 year-old bike and that stuff all wears out slowly and sometimes only starts causing problems when you've done decent mileage when everything is getting slightly poked.
Everyone does plugs but forgets about coils and leads...

[MotoKuzzi]

Yup.
And coils, check them or just replace them along with the HT leads. You were getting some spark at first so bits of your ignition system are working, at least until the battery voltage drops off as it's cranking. But coils and leads can break down under load so replace them and your plugs and that's all the high voltage components. It's a 22 year-old bike and that stuff all wears out slowly and sometimes only starts causing problems when you've done decent mileage when everything is getting slightly poked.
Everyone does plugs but forgets about coils and leads...

With mine i did the HT leads but not the coils, initially it would run and then occasionally drop one cylinder, which then progressed to stopping altogether on the side of the road and would restart after 10 minutes or so, then run a few minutes before stopping again. It turned out in the end that the alternator had a broken wire and battery was not taking charge either so once those two things were done everything else came right.