1979 Yamaha xt500 wiring issues

[Mike alvares]

Hey guys I got a xt500 and the guy before me ran a wire straight from the ignition points wire to the coil. So I got it ready to run but I get spark every other couple kicks at the spark plug. Idk what to do. If I could rewire the bike up to be a tt500 would be nice I need it to run asap. 

[Matthew C Hansen]

Man, electrical wiring is my weak suit...but I'd take a look at the kick starter itself if the spark plug is good. Definitely worth checking what the manual would say about troubleshooting spark issues. Maybe try posting this in the technical forum, I'm sure there are dudes in there that'd point you in the right direction.

[BluePill]

You probably have a "standard Battery & Coil" system.  If so, the points do connect directly to the coil.

 

Here is a diagram:

 

 

 

Poor wiring connections, dirty or mis-adjusted points, a bad condensor or coil will give you a weak or erratic spark.

 

Lots of information if you google "tuning up ignition points"

 

Here is one sample:

 

http://www.autozone.com/repairinfo/repairguide/repairGuideContent.jsp?pageId=0900c1528004d2fe

Edited March 11, 2017 by BluePill