Motorcycle Repair: 1975 honda xl350 lighting, honda xl350, pushing electrons

Question
Hi bill, i have a 75 xl350 all the lights work except the headlight, i have checked cotinuity through the harness i do not know how to check the switches hi/lo, and the light on/off.  But my is there a method to test the lighting coil without removeing it from the bike? i took an ohm meter and but it on the (i think the lowest setting) 200 and took the red lead and put it on the lighting coil wire (wht. with yellow ribbon) and black lead to ground and got a .7 reading all the other scales in the ohm section came up zero. would this be correct and would the coil be ok? Thanks

Answer
Mike, wiring diagram is here:

http://oldmanhonda.com/MC/WiringDiagrams/MCwiring.php#class

The lighting coil is just a bunch of wound up copper wire, grounded on one end and pushing electrons out the other end. There is little resistance to be measured there. It is probably okay, if there hasn't been any moisture inside the generator and all of the wiring connections are okay.

Is the bulb okay? Are you getting any measurable voltage on the white wire coming up from the stator? It is hard to measure, but with the engine running you should see a voltage there. Note on the diagram the resistor in the circuit, too.

Bill Silver