Long story really short...
This is on a 1990 FLHS
43,000 miles (new motor at 23,000), got it last Sept. 5,000 trouble free miles til now.
In July I had a front tire go down FAST whilist my spouse and I were on the highway.
I'm not sure if this has anyhting to do with it, but here's the history
Damn near saved it but layed it on it's side at @ 30 mph er so.
My buddy said it slid, went into the air and did 2-360, landed on it's wheels, stood for a second, fell over.
Over all not too bad damage, windshield scratched, right mirror scratched, hard bag cover scratched, the front crash bar and the side marker lights took the road rash and the brunt.
We both got 4 broken ribs, me a deflated lung, my wife some road rash on her arm, (I had my helemt and body armour jacket, gloves on, she had JUST taken her jacket and gloves off, cuz she was "hot" (against my wishes, but she had enough time in the shotgun seat to make her own mind up).
(I had beat into my wife's head WHEN we go down, "keep your arms in, hang onto the bike and ride it down, I did a "death grip", (40 years of off raod racing kicked in) with my knees on the tank and hands on the bar. I would have saved it, but when I pulled off the road as I slowed, the front tire got caught up in the rumble strips on the shoulder and the front tire dug in).
So, I fix the bike, ($600 some E bay parts, new front tire).
After I fixed it picked up a "wander" on the road?? Had maybe 150 test miles trying to figure out the story.
Checked the wheel and front head tube bearings, all good, (ok I'll start repalcing all the rubber stuff, them the bearing.....
Replaced the front motor mount, (bad), the rear swing arm bushings, (some play, but I didn't know if it was "normal"), rear motor mounts to the frame, (if anyone is doing those, use a 5/8 bolt to compress them and slide the swing arm in, makes it easier).
All done......
So, I'm warming up the bike, stalls? Like I turned the key off stalls? (NEVER does that)??
Flip it to reserve, it fires.......... (gas gauge reads 1/2 tank)??????
On the way to the gas station, backfires through the muffler sputters and catches it self...
I only add 1 1/2 gallon of gas???? (OK, it wasn't runnin' outta gas, but water? sheet in carb)?
Run it back and forth on some back roads, 10 miles, all good.
Went to turn onto the highway, dies....
Cranks good, wouldn't fire.
Turn the switch off/on, fires........
Doesn't miss, sputter, runs "normal"?
I get home, add dry gas and "Sea Foam".
120 miles all perfect. (OK it was sheet in the gas, but I'm not totaly sure, just a hunch)....
Then in 2 blocks died twice.
Noticed the tack doesn't move when it was crankin' (hmmmm no spark), turn the switch off/on, fires. "Am I resetting the module"?
"OK, it's losing spark. pick up? Ignition module? coil?
Runs perfect the 4 miles to the house.....
I get home, take the EVERY plug apart in the dash area, inspect EACH connection, wires, clean the ground connections, electrical grease the pins on the connections, (my gas gage was funky last fall, til I did that and now it reads perfect).
Get the Factory manual out, go step by step, check the pickup, ignition module, coil, sp.wires, nothing, (course it was firing when I was doing it), all perfect, within specs.
I BELEIVE, cuz it weird, it's the Ignition module, but at $255, it a expensive guess.
I'm a bit afraid to go anywhere, but @ the neighborhood to test it incase it craps out, and now with the rain...............
Anyone have the same problem at 1 time?
If I had to bet, I'd say the connection at the pickup (which is down on the frame tube, exposed to the weather) and being low voltage MAY have been a poor connection, I couldn't see anything BAD, but... that may have caused it, when I cleaned it up??) or the Ignition Module, cuz it a "Weird" problem.
Joe
Why are ALL my problems the 1 in a 1000000?

 

WOW! What a crash. Don't want to dwell on those Life and death "accidents" too much. What a story though!

Those are not the real odds of having an ignition problem like this. I chased the issue for weeks late last fall.

I started with the circuit breaker and thought that fixed it until it did the same thing again,. Moved to the coil as the next cheapest possible solution. Next was the cam sensor, and finally I borrowed a good used ignition module and magically the bike ran perfectly again.

My final choice on the ignition module was to buy an aftermarket Crane HI4E module (no longer available). I got a close out deal for $125 and it cost another $35 for the conversion wiring harness, which was a Dayna product. The HD conversion pigtail has to be set up with tiny pins that you need a special crimp tool for, the Dayna was completely assembled and made the upgrade easy. BTW any replacement module for that is going to require you to convert the ignition module plug to the most recent style, even for a stock replacement!

Good luck with it because intermittent issues are the toughest to pinpoint. You've already done well to discover it's ignition issues and the spark is gone and returns with a full shut down.

Me I also took the "could be a gas supply issue" route too. Discovered my tank was nasty inside and clogging the petcock. Then that disturbed some some debris that wound up in the carb and I had overflow issues.

The ignition trouble only gets worse with quicker shut downs and longer waits for a restart until it doesn't start until repaired.

The outcome was I had overhauled the entire ignition system and the entire gas supply system. I added another fuel filter inline and it has trapped out all kinds of debris getting past the new petcock filter.

And lastly an aftermarket ignition module allows for many adjustable settings and actually increased the performance of my EVO by a noticeable amount.

Wanna read my threads about it ....

EVO Ignition Module Issues and Info.


Ignition troubles solved. Crane HI4E module.

 

Glad you two are OK after that spill. Chest tubes are fun, aren't they? Oh, wait, not from your side. Sorry.

Anyway, it might or might not be related to your mishap, but I had an intermittent no spark issue for years that I could never track down. Of course, it never happened when sitting in my driveway. Long story short, look at the wire under the cone to the frame. The motor moves, the frame doesn't, the ignition pickup wire flexes right there. It eventually breaks inside the insulation so you can't see it. Try pulling on the wires. If they give, or if the bike dies when you pull on them, they are broken inside.

 

The doctor is correct about that issue. It's on the leads from the cam sensor to the ignition module. I even had the harness touch the pipe and melt and short out in a few areas along the front frame.

I didn't take into account any of the accident disturbances that could occur. Those situations aren't normal and could send you into a long troubleshooting session looking specifically at damaged areas for something minute that's amiss. Simple bare wire shorts to frame have been known to creep into these bikes and could be exacerbated by the collision. Those wires broke inside of the insulation are the toughest to locate. Usually you have a soft pliable area of the insulation where the wire has broken inside.

 

Tanks!
I'll check out the wires going into the pick up.
That is a very good possiblity, seeing how i had the motor hoisted up when I had the swing arm off and kinda, sorta, "man handled the motor up with a bar to get the front motor mount off and replaced.
I had looked at the wires and discovered that the P.O. had? the clutch cable over them and they were squashed between the cable and the engine case. Thought i had the problem right off the bat, but nope.
Jeese, I love the bike, but to start replacing EVERYTHIN that has to do with the ignition system....... Well, I COULD easily love another one.........
Joe
"It's a Igniton Module and a coil.
What kinda birthday present is that?
Whattta mean? It's a AFTERMARKET one, look it comes with a STICKER! I thought you'd like it!!!! Isn't is wonderful honey?
Honey"?