Motorcycle Repair: 1978 Honda CB400a Problems, bike cranks, cb400a

Question
i just picked up a 1978 honda cb400a and im having issues with getting spark.
everything else works, the bike cranks over but no spark. ive tested the power
going to the coil and i only have 1.1 volts when the start button is being pushed.
what else should i be checking?

Answer
Well 1.1 volts isn't enough to energize the coils.  You should have somewhere between 9-11 volts when cranking the engine. What's the battery voltage when cranking the engine?  It sounds like you have a bad connection somewhere in your wiring harness causing high resistance.  It could be about anywhere but if you check a few other circuits you should be able to track it down.  You will probably find the other circuits have battery voltage and the one you are looking for will have much lower.  I'd start near the battery and fuses. Look for evidence of corrosion or hot and melted terminals.  With that much resistance something is going to melt.

Good luck
Rich