Oh the sheer ignominy!!

Time for a Labor Day ride -- dry roads,nice temp., on with the Joe Rocket jacket, helmet etc., bike starts on 2nd. kick,lumpy idle but clears up,into first and off we go -- for all of three quarters of a mile -- bang -pop-pop-silence -- just the sound of a well greased chain running over sprockets,look down -- puzzled, NOW WHAT!, plenty o'gas,try a few kicks, nothing.The push home was sweaty and not without a few choice words -- the ignominy came as a couple of Harley riding "people" rode by with looks of derision "limey crap" was heard over the noisy "shotgun" pipes.
Pull the plugs, attach wires spin motor -- no sparks, hmm,off with the tank to investigate the rats nest of wires lurking there,nothing burned,nothing adrift,push -- pull -- twist --,hook up the plugs,spin motor SPARKS!!,why?,I dont know,I will be rewiring over the winter to eliminate these kinds of events -- hoping to come across some broken down Harley," He who laughs last laughs best!!".
Sorry to ramble but felt the need to share with others who may have experienced such an event,all part of being a Brit bike owner I guess,I should know better,I grew up in the UK in the '60's,riding every day to work,every night to the "coffee bar",roadside repairs were all part and parcel of biking, perhaps nearing 60 years of age puts a less than rosy image on things. Ride safely. James.

Check your kill switch, by wireing around it. Then same deal for the key switch.

oh the sheer ignominy

Thanks Norbsa,it seems that the kill switch is a real bugger in the circuit,it crossed my mind that it may be the culprit,I do not use it but I guess that it can still act up,thanks again,-- wire around the key switch?,how so?.ride safely. James.

Mine had the same symptoms a number of times until I soldered the ignition feed connectors rather than rely on the push fit ones (i use a Boyer system) I also only use the kill switch to trigger a relay for the kill function thus negating the necessity to run ignition current through a circuit almost designed to produce resistance.

Mine was into the stumble and quit thing after it was warmed up and running nicely. It turned out to be the Boyer ignition pickup. The vibration had work hardened the wiring right at the point the wires left the pickup. They are epoxied onto the circuit board and then are tie wrapped to the board before passing through the case and up to the control box. The weight of the two push connectors shook over time and work hardened the wiring in the insulation. When things got warm the insulation got soft and broke the circuit. Fun one to find.

Good luck.

DucsandNortons I have been selling a kit to stop that problem for a long time.

James , If you have a boyer just jump neg from the batt. to power wire to the Boyer. If points neg from the batt to coils.

double post no delete

Thanks Norbsa,
If I need to mess with it again I'll pm you for a kit. I replaced those wires with new, and hard wired it from the circuit board solder points to the control box as a solution.
So far so good.

Cheers

Simon.

Just another thought, next time its running reach down and take the ignition key and jiggle it in the key hole. If it's worn it could break a contact in the ignition housing causing you to missfire, stumble, burp, fart and quit. When riding with the high beams on if this is the case the high beam indicator in the headlight shell will flicker as the ignition key interrupts the circuit.
Hope it helps