I've been chopping my 883 Sportster all winter and now I'm trying to get it to fire. It'll crank all day no problem, but won't start. I have no spark. Everything to my knowledge is wired up correctly, but then again wiring is not my thing. I had a buddy help me who can wire bikes. I replaced the coil thinking maybe that was the issue. No luck.

There is 4 wires coming off the coil. 2 whites on the left side. One white goes to the ignition module and the other goes to the handle bar controls (which aren't hooked up to anything since I deleted them)

2 wires come off the right side as well. A pink which goes to the handle bar controls (not hooked up) and a blue that is spliced to a pink that goes to the ignition module as well.

Any help is much appreciated.

 

If you got rid of the handlebar switches, where are you getting power from for the ignition?

Two white wires on the coil, one is the power supply coming from the kill switch, the other goes to the ignition module, both wires are connected to the same post on the coil.

Pink, one to the ignition module, one to the tachometer.

But seriously, you need a factory service manual, it will have the wiring schematic, and you need to clean up the mess of wiring you have.

Forget about trying to start the engine, get a voltmeter and start repairing and routing the wires properly.

 

I have a switch hooked up that will start the bike.

I was told that that white power wire from the coil just needs a 12v constant and it should be good. I don't know if that's accurate or not, but I did run a hot wire from that white straight to the battery and still got nothing.

Also, my bike did not have a tach on it, just a speedo and that pink either ran into the headlight bucket, or the controls. I can't remember, and I got a little ahead of myself and started taking the bike apart without labeling anything. Live and learn.

Of course I'll be cleaning everything up, but I figured it would be more beneficial to figure out what I need and don't need so I can ditch the unnecessary wires and it will be easier to clean up? Maybe I'm wrong.

Thank you for the reply

 

Where's the chassis ground in your improvised set-up?

 

It's bolted to where the transmission and hardtail bolt together. Still bare frame.

 

run hot wire from battery to white wire on coil take off white wire that goes to kill switch leave other white wire on now you will have power to coil make sure your grounds are hooked up module grounded.if no tach cap pink wire. now you bypassed every going to handle bars

 

I have a wire running from one of the mounting screws to the negative on the battery for the module. Is that enough to ground it?

 

Figured out the issue. My dumb self had the ground wire on the ignition module hooked up to the battery positive. In my defense the wire had red tape on it.. anyway, it fired right up. Thanks for all the help!

 

Glad you got her sorted out.