2 STROKE WORLD .net

The 2-Stroke Garage => Turning Wrenches => Topic started by: Milan on October 11, 2022, 01:05:16 PM

Title: Kawasaki G3SS Wont Kick Start
Post by: Milan on October 11, 2022, 01:05:16 PM
Headed up to Barbers this past week.
Picked up a little 90 cc Kaw.

Owner then told me it runs if you bump start it in first, but will not start by kicking.
Runs fine after bump start. Shut it off, will not kick start

He said others told him it may be the points.

Took carb apart & cleaned. Put back in same thing.

Any thoughts of where else to start?

M
Title: Re: Kawasaki G3SS Wont Kick Start
Post by: m in sc on October 11, 2022, 01:21:45 PM
if it runs bump-starting, it isn't the points. does the Kickstarter spin the motor after warm or is it slipping?

you didn't buy that yellow 71 for 3 k did you?



Title: Re: Kawasaki G3SS Wont Kick Start
Post by: scully on October 11, 2022, 01:27:44 PM
more than likely a mag coil, kicker can't spin it fast enough to create voltage.
Title: Re: Kawasaki G3SS Wont Kick Start
Post by: Milan on October 11, 2022, 01:43:04 PM
Kickstarter spins motor fine.

I was able to start it a couple times with the kick starter.
Bike came with a NOS flywheel & points plate with the coils.
Getting a puller & going to put that on & see.

Hard to believe the mag coil would be bad, bike has less that 2K on it.
Must have been an ongoing problem with the bike tho, as it also came with a used ignition coil, and a used ignition switch, and some points

I did not get the yellow bike.
Title: Re: Kawasaki G3SS Wont Kick Start
Post by: m in sc on October 11, 2022, 01:43:39 PM
yeah, good point.. (pun intended).

that ign winding can get weak.

fyi, early kh100/ke100 stuff swaps right in.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/325109223902?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=dH0rbNM2RSO&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=9DXeqLNdSLW&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Title: Re: Kawasaki G3SS Wont Kick Start
Post by: Milan on October 11, 2022, 02:38:52 PM
https://www.partzilla.com/catalog/kawasaki/motorcycle/1972/g3ss-b/ignition-generator-74-75 (https://www.partzilla.com/catalog/kawasaki/motorcycle/1972/g3ss-b/ignition-generator-74-75)

Mine has the 3 coils on it.

In the diagram the bike came with parts 6 & 7.

M
Title: Re: Kawasaki G3SS Wont Kick Start
Post by: m in sc on October 11, 2022, 02:49:06 PM
it varied from year to year. only 1 winding is for the ignition. . also ,make sure the coil wire is ok, cap, etc.  Mileage doesnt mean everything, its 50 yrs old elec components can and do break down over time

it runs well after its started?


Title: Re: Kawasaki G3SS Wont Kick Start
Post by: Milan on October 11, 2022, 03:00:46 PM
Runs good after bump start.

The PO rode it out of where he was at, at the show to me.

M
Title: Re: Kawasaki G3SS Wont Kick Start
Post by: m in sc on October 11, 2022, 03:42:38 PM
My opinion.. id start with the coil and plug cap. a corroded inner plug wire can cause initial firing issues as well. once running, the magneto coil will produce enough voltage tp push the power through high resistance that may be present due to corrosion. .02
Title: Re: Kawasaki G3SS Wont Kick Start
Post by: Milan on October 11, 2022, 04:00:17 PM
PO gave me the parts list & workshop manual.

So I will test the coil & plug wire resistance to spec

May have some spare wire & cap in my parts cabinet.

First Rotary Valve 2 stroke I have seen as well

M
Title: Re: Kawasaki G3SS Wont Kick Start
Post by: m in sc on October 11, 2022, 04:05:52 PM
they run well. my 67 is a rotary earlier version of the same motor, they run well. my old 71 G3 ran ok but the transmission was just garbage.
Title: Re: Kawasaki G3SS Wont Kick Start
Post by: Milan on October 11, 2022, 04:45:59 PM
Hope the 74 has an updated transmission fix then.

M
Title: Re: Kawasaki G3SS Wont Kick Start
Post by: Striker1423 on October 11, 2022, 09:12:42 PM
I had a 72 G3SS. I ran the shit out of it, then it started kicking out of 5th gear. Same as Mark's comment above haha. Was a sweet bike though. Had a 7 tooth larger rear sprocket on it, so it topped out at like 55, 60, but got there in a hurry.
Title: Re: Kawasaki G3SS Wont Kick Start
Post by: Dvsrd on October 12, 2022, 04:10:56 AM
It may even be the flywheel magnets that have weakened over time. I experienced that on a Villiers 12D engine (50s vintage125 cc 2 stroke)
I had a guy re-magnetize the flywheel, and it became a one kick starter.
Title: Re: Kawasaki G3SS Wont Kick Start
Post by: Milan on October 12, 2022, 08:42:51 AM
Had not spent much time troubleshooting.

So last nite I tool the spark plug off, and set it on the fins.
Kicked & no spark.

Re-gapped at 0.028 was a little large

Tested the ignition coil:
     Primary = 2.6
     Secondary = 10.7K

Was looking through my cabinet & came across a flywheel puller I did not know I had.

So pulled the flywheel and coil plate.
Installed the new coil plate & flywheel.
Checked the timing per manual = all OK.

Kicked it over.

Still no spark.

The main wire running to the ignition coil. also splits off to the ignition switch.
Per the wiring diagram, in off, it is grounded.
So I pulled that wire.

Still no spark.

It was getting late and dark, so I did not try to bump start it.

So what to test next.
The ignition coil is grounded tot he bike via a spacer, so I will check that ground loop.

M


Title: Re: Kawasaki G3SS Wont Kick Start
Post by: Striker1423 on October 12, 2022, 09:24:56 AM
compression. A low compression bike may run with enough oomf behind it. But, will be a bastard to start...
Title: Re: Kawasaki G3SS Wont Kick Start
Post by: m in sc on October 12, 2022, 10:07:28 AM
^ good point but lack of spark... might jus tbe dirty connections, im sure its something simple.
Title: Re: Kawasaki G3SS Wont Kick Start
Post by: Milan on October 12, 2022, 01:35:44 PM
Is there some type of measurement or test I can do with the meter on the black ignition wire when not connected to the ignition coil.
To see if a get a pulse signal.

One lead to ground, other on black lead, kick over bike.
I should be able to see a voltage spike?

I tested the black lead to stator coil ground with the points open, and it was ok.
I will test again
Title: Re: Kawasaki G3SS Wont Kick Start
Post by: m in sc on October 12, 2022, 01:53:06 PM
it shoudl spike when the magnet passes over it. make sure the condenser is in good order and nothing grounding out down there.
Title: Re: Kawasaki G3SS Wont Kick Start
Post by: Milan on October 13, 2022, 08:26:16 AM
So I re-measured the primary stator coil resistance.

I opened up the points.
Put one lead on the black wire.
The other to the stator plate.
I got 1.6 ohms.

Initially when my old eyes looked at the book, I saw Good = 5 ohms.

Not

When i re-looked with glasses i saw Good = 0.5 ohms.

so I am over.

That was with the old stator assembly.

When I did the same test on the NOS one, I got the same result.

So how could this even run with bump starting.

Now looking for a primary stator coil.

M
Title: Re: Kawasaki G3SS Wont Kick Start
Post by: Milan on October 17, 2022, 01:05:39 PM
New coil supposed to be here today.

So I will have a go at replacing it tonite

I will test it prior to putting on, as well for the 0.5 Ohms or less.

M