Have you bypassed the clutch and kickstand switches. I will bet $ the ignition coil is fine. Unless you meant pickup coil? You are 100% certain it was ignition problem & not fuel related? KLR's seldom let you down. When you figure it out, post up. I suspect a bad wire somewhere. Maybe.
Could be a lot of things. It backfired a few times and smelled flooded... pretty sure it's weak spark. Hopefully it's nothing to do with the CDI module (they're pricey!). Yup, all safety switches bypassed BTW. Have done a bit of on-line research as I like to run heated jacket liner & gloves. This is why I want to replace my stator by installing the uprated one. I found several posts that say that the ignition power is provided by the stator (has special windings) and ignition should be unnaffected by battery/voltage regulator condition/charging... saying once running you could actually disconnect the battery! There is also a pulse coil that reads crank position that could be toast. ...all part of the "getting to know your KLR" program! Edit - did NOT have heated jacket liner & gloves plugged in today BTW.
Suspected vacuum lock too... popped the fuel tank cap - no vacuum present and no change. Full disclosure - it did it last ride in January too... got 2 or 3 blocks from home and died. This ride today was further investigation... was running well until it suddenly faded. Letting it cool down 10 or 15 minutes and I restarted and rode home. It seems to be heat related (and electrical). Battery was fully charged this morning BTW.
As always, and as you know, check the easy things first; grounds, frayed cables, corrosion on connectors, fuel and air... That said, I think (all the above being equal) your diagnosis of a weak coil is spot on. The symptom of running fine when cold then crapping out with time (heat) sure points to a bad coil. (And it's cheaper to replace when troubleshooting than a CDI.) If you need to test further with a known good coil you can steal the one out of mine. (Assuming they're interchangeable.) I won't have need of it for a wee bit... Cheers, Brian
Appreciate you chiming in. Maybe I should consult the book of wisdom (factory manual :^) ProCycle offers a new replacement CDI box for $125 - I e-mailed them to see if it's available yet (just in case). Won't be long before much of the old electrics is replaced on my bike! Hope you heal up quick... you should be fixed up by proper riding season - will the Beemer? Hopefully MPI won't write it off (plastic is bloody expensive!)... tough way to change your ride.
Hey Darryl, Should be good to go after the surgery (and a bit of time), but the beemer will be sidelined for this season. Had multiple trips already planned with the KLR to the east, (Icebreaker, EOAR, Trans Lab and Newfoundland) so the RT was going to sit fallow anyway. It was plated and insured in the NWT with just liability on it, so MPI won't have anything to say about it. I've sourced the plastics on Ebay Motors, and it'll be doable (assuming mechanicals are ok) when I get around to it. Cheers, Brian
Good to hear from you Trevor, I purposely set this up just to get you to chime in. Glad to know you're still with us. Cheers, Brian
Thanks Katharine, things are definitely looking up. It's been humbling (and energising) getting well-wishes from so many people. My sincere thanks to all. On another note, yesterday the doc told me I had to sleep sitting up, to relieve pressure on the shoulder until the surgery; but my old lazy-boy had three old keyboards in place under the seat to take the place of broken springs, and wasn't really that comfortable to sleep in... Today my sweetie talked me into getting a new "electric" Lazy-Boy... and I'm now in 7th heaven. WooHoo! Cheers, and thanks again to everyone, Brian
I agree the coil symptom usually is: runs good cold, dies when hot. One common issue is the vacuum line for the petcock or the petcock diaphragm. My line had a small split in it & fuel flow was impeded. Just throwing it out there......20 year old stuff on your bike 10-4 on the safety switches.
Nope, that's not it. I've got 2 tanks for my KLR - the one I'm running at the moment has the manual Yamaha petcock mod: http://www.eaglemike.com/Manual-Petcock-for-KLR650-mpcy.htm One less thing to worry about... but I often forget to turn it off. Good thing the carb float needle seals tight.
hope you get well soon, Brian. I havent checked here for a long time and didnt expect this story at all.
Hey Brian, sorry to hear about your off. I was waitng with apprehension for you to pass by here as roads just didn't want to clear. Hope to see you on the road this summer!
Hey Ian, both my son and I were watching for you as we went by in the pickup! Roads were actually a lot better than when I went through in 2011. Cheers!