Motorcycle Repair: 1984 Honda XR 80 no start-4 stroke, honda xr 80, haynes manual

Question
I have my son's bike that won't start I do have fuel but no spark at the plug when grounded out.Any suggestions on testing the coil or any other advice .Thanks Al  

Answer
Al,

There are quite a few weak links that can cause this. Let's move backwards as they say. replace the plug with a known working one that is gapped correctly. Make sure the coil wire is in good condition including the plug cap. Make sure the coil has the correct low and high tension resistance (primary and secondary/ you'll need a basic mutimeter). Check the condition of the wires from the stator(altenator) to the coil. Check the condition of the points and the settings.  They must be in good condition, no charred or pitted point surfaces. They also must be timed correctly and the gap set. If they are in question, buy a new set ALONG W/ A NEW CONDENSER, very important. Last of all check the kill switch to make sure it isn't broken.  If you havent done so already, purchase the Haynes manual for that model, it will walk you through all the procedures I've mentioned.

Hope this helps,
mike