Motorcycle Repair: loss of spark 82 suzuki sp250, volt ohm meter, electrical diagnosis


Question
Recently i got a sp250 to ride, we have done a bunch of work to the thing and it is now running great for about 5 mins at the most then for some reason it seems to lose spark and shut down. you can't restart it until it completely cools off, we have checked the common things and nothing seems to be showing a problem do you have any suggestions on what type of tests to do and how to do them to find out what is shutting down and killing the bike.  we dont want to just start replacing parts cuz its too expensive but we dont know where exactly to start at to troubleshoot.

Answer
Hi Courtney,

Sorry for the delay in replying. I usually reply in a couple of hours. Working alot of overtime lately.

I recemmend obtaining a copy of the service manual and following the troubleshooting procedures.

I suspect an electrical component is defective (CDI). You'll have to isolate the faulty component. Do this by electrical diagnosis/process of elimination. It's really simple, though confusing to many. You may need a VOM (volt ohm meter) aka: multimeter and/or a 12 VDC tester (ice pick looking tool with wire and aligator clip).

Begin by looking for obvious signs of damaged wiring and components. Check for corroded or loose electrical connections. Move to testing circuit components until you've located the defctive component.

Visit "www.electrexusa.com" and check out their troubleshooting chart. I recommend their replacement parts over factory parts. Their manufacturing tolerances are superior to original parts.

Use "www.bikebandit.com" to see michrofiche parts and compare parts prices.

The service manual should help you diagnose and make repairs. I would need to inspect the MC to find the source of the problems.

Respectfully,
Mark Shively