hi guys have a question was out riding wifes bike today a 125 six days that doug w has rebuilt for me it was running great and all of a sudden it quit like some one had turn the light switch off check no spark took off tank checked all wires checked ground even pulled the kill button wire no luck so i guess my question is will a moto plat do that with no warning tryig get it ready for the feb meeting so the wife can show it thanks dave when in doubt gas it
Dave,
It's possible yout MP died out without warning but here's a few things to look at. I'd say the first thing to do would be to double check to ensure you have a good ground path especially if you have painted or powdercoated the frame. Next be sure that the wiring to the stator has not been rubbing the back of the flywheel. If those are good I'd try swapping to a know good coil and rechecking for spark. If the coil doesn't solve the trouble then swap the stator to a known good unit. Hope this helps.
Dave McCullough
After doing all the above and still no spark, pack it off to Dane at Penton Racing Products for proper testing. His contact info is on the suppliers page.
Steve Minor
Wilmington, NC
My KTM had the same problem. The previous owner put in a resistor spark plug and it blew out the motoplat, then let it sit for 30 years.
72 six-day
P V L.
Brian
'72 Berkshire
Hello Dave and Debbie, I suggest you go to PENTON OWNERS GROUP, click on MEMBERS, plug in Dane, select TGTech, and Dane's email box is available. Dane is THE person to ask your questions. I assume you know that he is presenting a seminar on ignitions at the Feb. meeting. As far as I know, there is a blue wire which goes to the coil, and a black wire which is the ground. The other colored wires are for accessories. Be sure that there are no shorts in the system, specifically the blue wire. Have you tried spark with a new spark plug? Sometimes plugs foul quickly if they pick up debris. Do you have a puller to inspect the electrical parts? Hope the weather cooperates, and we will see you at the next meeting. Joe
Joe is correct in asking you to check the spark plug. Years ago I had a spark plug cause a similar problem as a "finger" of carbon/metal? was present causing the plug to short out.
My Motoplat on my KTM died while idling just like yours...it was there and then ....... I said out loud to myself, "That didn't sound good."
I opted for a MZB electronic ignition. Vance Smith does a remarkable job in testing/repairing Motoplats. He's a enduro enthusiast like yourself with a uncanny knack for all things electrical.
Phil
thanks for all the different ideas i put in a new plug still no fire i live about a hour from vance i will call him if he is to busy iwill bring to meeting and maybe dane can look at it thanks dave it was really runnig good and then just shut right off thats what bothering me i know its old but i slow down before i quit LOL when in doubt gas it
I am convinced that a huge problem with vintage bikes is the grounding. I recently started working on my MC 5 The spark was ok but not as good as I really thought it should be, I added ground wire from the coil to the cylinder head, that way there is no chance of there being poor connection... It is easy to check connection at the coil but the connection between the engine and the frame is not so easy and if it is dirty or has come loose... it could cause a problem.
Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)74'
250 hare scrambler (project bike)
i can speak first-hand of dane's expertise when it comes to these ignitions. if that one turns out to be shot, another low-price alternative is available. dane reworked some nos motoplats that i believe were originally intended for use on yamahas. you would need to send him your flywheel but i put in a full season on this unit in my penton 250. its a 1 kick starter and runs very crisp. when i need another ignition, i will certainly consider it again. chicago jerry
I've got a good motoplat(external flywheel) coming off my Berkshire, because a new PVL is going on it. Available complete with coil for $125.00 delivered.
Or call Al B. and set your troubles behind with a new PVL, for "few dollars more."
Victor
xracer,
Before you do anything do what slvrbrdfxr said and check for condinuity from where the coil is bolted to the frame to the backing plate behind the MotoPlat. I know, I am going to jinx myself, but I have never lost a MotoPlat period. And for that matter neither has Dane. But I will say that I have always been very picky about my bikes and I always believed in preparing my bikes to where I didn't have to walk to the finish line.....which I would have just to finish. Now I am ready for all the war stories about how bad MotoPlats are and how bad Sachs transmissions are....but I think I am safe in saying the the Sachs engine like we use has probably won more Championships and I know won more MX Championships back in the day in Texas than any other engine design. OK, I am ready to listen to all the bad, But three years ago Tom Benolkin won 6 straight Motos in 125, 250 & Open expert vintage at Diamond Don's National on a 125 Sachs Powered Penton. Thats it. Happy New Year.[^]
Ron Carbaugh
Victor: If xracer doesn't need it I am interested. Mine is at Dane's and I should know outcome soon. Ted
You bet, I believe Dr. Biro will be making the transplant this week !
Just e-mail me at
[email protected], at your convenience.
Thanks.
Victor
xracer,
We do have brand new Motoplat stators that can replace the OEM stators.
Make sure that the there is bare metal between the frame and the engine, the coil and the frame because there needs to be a grounding between the spark plug and the coil/CDI. If there is a bad ground, then the spark can go away.
Over the time, the magnetics in the flywheel can get weak and we do have a remagnetic device in the shop.
If the electronic components can go bad, then we do have replacement parts for the Motoplat systems. We do have original, NOS stators and PVL coil/CDI's for the Motoplat systems.
Dane
Penton Racing Products, Inc.
44875 North Ridge Rd.
Amherst, OH 44001
440-989-4474
fire in the hole fire in the hole thanks to everyone with there ideas cleaned the grounds installed spare coil got fire called and talked to nelson mc in pa he suggested i look at old plug cap on other coil sure enough that was it so put that coil back on good to go when in doubt gas it dave