2000 Katana 600, no spark problem please help

[firechicken]

I just bought a 2000 Katana 600 street fighter a couple weeks ago. The wiring harness is intact and it had spark when i bought it. I rebuilt the carbs and reinstalled them and now...no spark. I'm baffled. I didn't even disconnect any electrical components. The bike will crank and all other electrical elements (lights, signals, etc) still work. I checked the coils with a test light and they are getting power in but no power out through the wires. So this tells me the bike must think it is off...bikes don't think but you know what i mean. I crossed the solenoid but there was still no spark. the kill switch works, as in the bike will crank when you flip the switch. but perhaps something in the killswitch/start button system is fubar. Can i hard wire the kill switch and start button to bypass a potential problem? I'm so frustrated with this bike, it was running fine before i pulled the carbs now there is no spark. maybe something is grounding out? please help i'm desperate here.

[GSXFJim]

Are you sure you don't have spark? How did you test for it? The cdi triggers the coils to fire, voltage is constant to them with the ignition and run switch on. Pull a plug, attach the plug wire and lay it on the head and try starting the engine, if you get spark your ok. Pull a plug after trying to start it if the plug is dry, you're not getting fuel.
Carb work leads me to believe you're not getting fuel. Did you check the vacuum line from the petcock?

[92xjunker]

Crap, too slow, how do know your not getting spark? Because it won't start? Is the hose from carb 4 to the petcock connected? Did you turn the petcock to PRIME first then to RUN before attempting to start?

[Kreylyn]

How much power are you getting to the coils? If less than 11v, the bike won't start. Spark won't be hot enough.

If power is at the coils, and the starter button will turn the motor over, I'm inclined to think it's either not enough power to the coils as mentioned, or a fueling issue.

The starter button does work right? Cause if no, that would point to other problems.

Krey

[firechicken]

thank you for the responses. I AM NOT GETTING SPARK. i pulled a plug and wire and felt for spark...ghetto i know but its a great way to test for spark. as you all know, the coil on our bikes have 2 connections, one on the top and one on the bottom. the top connection is getting juice, the bottom is not. The bike was running 2 days ago, i know both coils didn't fail at the same time. anyone have any input about the kill switch?

yes the starter button works. it turns over but doesn't fire. its getting fuel. I have had over a dozen motorcycles and do all my own work, i am just not the best at chasing electrical gremlins.

[arsenic]

Okay, you have 2 options. You can hold on to the spark plug a zap yourself. Or you can hold the plug against the engine and look for spark. So you decided to shock the shit out of yourself? I think I've found the problem.

[Kreylyn]

thank you for the responses. I AM NOT GETTING SPARK. i pulled a plug and wire and felt for spark...ghetto i know but its a great way to test for spark. as you all know, the coil on our bikes have 2 connections, one on the top and one on the bottom. the top connection is getting juice, the bottom is not. The bike was running 2 days ago, i know both coils didn't fail at the same time. anyone have any input about the kill switch?

yes the starter button works. it turns over but doesn't fire. its getting fuel. I have had over a dozen motorcycles and do all my own work, i am just not the best at chasing electrical gremlins.

Lets narrow down your issues and be specific.

Which wires to the coils have no power? The orange/white striped ones which are paired 1 to each coil, or the black wire/white wire that are the signal wires, one each to a coil?

Krey

[firechicken]

Haha touche. Problem solved. Sometime in the bike's life it had been involved in an accident which damaged some of the wiring. The rubber coating on one of the ignition switch wires had been scraped off and it was grounding to a bolt on the engine. I must have pushed it into that location when i reinstalled the tank.

[Kreylyn]

Haha touche. Problem solved. Sometime in the bike's life it had been involved in an accident which damaged some of the wiring. The rubber coating on one of the ignition switch wires had been scraped off and it was grounding to a bolt on the engine. I must have pushed it into that location when i reinstalled the tank.

Grats on solving the problem.

We should go riding some time.

Krey