The Hodaka Club Forum

Looking for some guidance on a recent spark issue that came up with my Wombat following Hodaka Days. Quick background on the problem. She ran fine for the Bad Rock and performed without issue. Started up fine when we rode her to line up for the Parade then when we were actually taking off she was really hard to start. When we did get her started she was gutless and smoking like a chimney. Didn't run her again while we were there. By the time we got her home she was DOA. Haven't been able to get a spark since.
Changed the plug and it didn't help and the original plug wasn't fouled. Hooked up a multimeter to the coil and was getting resistance. Hooked the ignition coil up to a 12V battery and grounded the plug and when we'd break the current we'd get spark at the plug that way. Even tried this with a different coil from another bike and got the same results. No spark when kicking it over but would generate a spark off the 12V battery. So my guess is that the coil in the stator isn't generating enough current to jump the gap in the plug. I'm not much of an electrical guy so I'm just trying to figure out what the likely culprit is before I start replacing parts. Does it sound like I'm on the right track?
Thanks
Marlin

Have you replaced the condenser??? Just asking. Didn’t see you state it in your post. Victor

I also don't see any mention of cleaning the points . . . or of disconnecting the kill switch (to remove the kill switch as a possible culprit in the lost spark issue).

Ed

I think points, but I have been wrong before. -------------- Clarence

Thanks for the responses. I did disconnect the kill switch, so it was absolved of guilt. I haven’t touched the points yet. That seems like a good next step. I’ll try to get in there tomorrow and clean them up. I was thinking some acetone and emery cloth or very fine sandpaper. Are there any other recommendations for proper point cleaning?

I use new points. And I check them using the battery technique.--------------- Clarence

All good advice. Sounds like a condenser as I just had that problem, points could be closed or be dirty. Number one culprit always the spark plug, I've even had defective new ones. Always something, they say.....Maxie

From the hard knocks I've had with both points and condensers I would say this may be points.

While your points might look clean and fine I find that they still won't conduct without an aggressive resurfacing with 400 emery paper.

Another points issue that stumped me for awhile is that one of the contacts came loose on the arm so that it floated a few thousands, which narrowed the point gap to the point where the bike wouldn't run.

And I would just renew the condenser as preventive maintenance. The old one's likely going to fail soon anyway.