Topic: New guy and girl from Indiana

[HurryingHoosier]

Hello everyone  We currently have 5 bikes between us, two newer Yamaha sport tours, a 1982 CX500, a 1988 Honda Hawk GT and her 1972 CB500F. Was going to wait till I got a CB before joining but haven't found the right one yet. Her CB lost power last ride and I found the coil to 2-3 wasn't getting power. Found it odd that it shared a power wire with the horn. lol Anyway, I pulled the headlight and found I had power to the splice behind it and when I hooked it back up I magically had power at horn/coil. My question is when I checked the coil the plug wires are as old(almost)and stiff as I am so should I replace the coils and wires since I have it apart or just ride on? Thanks

[calj737]

Welcome - the stock coils on her bike had plug wires permanently attached. You can buy a splice kit and replace most of the length (and caps). Stock coils rarely go bad, but if you're set on replacing coils and wires, be certain to purchase 5 ohm models, not 3 ohm. And you'll want resistor caps or plugs.

As for the power supply, it should come via a BLK/WHT wire from the right side KILL switch and the horn should be independent.

[HurryingHoosier]

Thanks Calj, I thought it was weird that the horn and coil shared the same power wire but it comes right out of the harness and has a factory two hole female plug for the coil and horn wire. I'll probably run a new wire from the headlight bucket to the coil since it seems there may be a problem with it and put the old coil back on since it ran fine before.

[HurryingHoosier]

Well duh!! Just put figured out that someone had plugged the horn into the two way split for the coils and the right coil into the power wire for the horn  So basically you could run two cylinders with the kill switch off   

[strynboen]

i have put nev high volt vires on my coils...i make a cut in to a veld/piont a littel Cooper plate cast inn the plastic housing..and cut the vire free..and pull it back aut...press a new vire inn and tin veld it in the kontakt point..and seal the cutt..vith a glue..
the stock koils are best to safe..they are tuned to the generator autput..as be 5 ohm coils..3 ohm use more power..and can give load problems(not alvays)

[mrbreeze]

A year or so ago I had trouble with that double female to the coils. The wires were plugged in but one was a bit loose (#2-3 power wire). What happens is a loose connection draws heat which will accelerate corrosion . It will start out as intermittent and soon become a bad connection. Don't do like I did and assume it's OK because it's connected. Take the connections apart and clean/crimp for a solid connection. I was pulling my hair out because I was losing 2-3 but then it would come back and everything was fine.......NOT!!!