I have inherited a 1980 FXS with 80” motor (family heirloom). I replaced the points with an Ultima digital ignition (53-660 single fire, came with coil). After replacement the bike ran flawlessly. I lost a connection to the tail lamp and ultimately decided to replace all the wiring after seeing the condition of some of them. I replaced the wires one by one, connectors and all, with the exception of the factory wires from the switch housing on the handlebars down to the switch on the tank. Everything on the bike works, lights, starter etc.

However; when I turned the ignition on I got some smoke from the housing on the right side, later determined to be the run/stop wire which runs straight to the coil. I tore the switch housing apart and found no problems, replaced the wire anyway and connected to coil. I turned the bike back on, and the ignition module I just purchased popped and started smoking. Any help would be thoroughly explored thanks in advance. I am not using the VOES wire at all or the tach wire. The white goes to 12v on the coil, the pink/blue wires are wired to the correct cylinders. I have checked and rechecked the wiring diagrams and cannot come up with any explanations. I am leery to go get another ignition module to have it get fried and I don’t want to go back to points. The coil still tests good, and shows an ohm resistance of 2.8 which is right in line with the specs.

1.) Could having the wrong settings on the programmable ignition cause this type of problem (ie the installer had the curve set to 4 for large displacement motors not curve 1)?

2.) Should this wire be ran through a fuse or circuit breaker (although the diagram does not show or describe this?

3.) Could it have just been an anomaly with a voltage spike?

4.) Could there be a problem with the starter solenoid, even though nothing was changed from when the bike was running great except replacing the old wires with new ones?


I am at a loss please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CHJ

 

By what you wrote, you seem to be meticulous about rewiring. Are you working from a service manual so you know the proper wire coding?

Only 3 things that would make an ignition module smoke: reverse voltage polarity, or possibly an internal short to ground, or a frayed / loose connection with a heavy current draw.

Many of the internal ignition modules mounted where the pick up sensor typically is are subjected to high heat and fail more often than when the module is separate from the timing sensor. Also there are concerns about the wire as it comes through the hole in the cone , then is routed to the coil in your case. The exhaust is very close and if the wiring is not positioned properly the high heat of the exhaust will damage the wiring, and the angle the wire is when it goes through the hole can rub and short.

I don't know how any of this will solve your issue, but it's just a few more things to think about.

Hope you get it right soon. Be sure to post how it works out.

 

Update: After going through all the wires again, I tore apart the switch housing and saw the run/stop wire going to coil had been pinched, replaced the wire and am having no problems, I did have to re-install points for the time being....on to the next issue!!!!

 

I like a happy ending.

 

One thing to make sure that I didn't see but you may not have said it and hooked it up right but single fire coils have a +&- terminals dual fire coils don't. the white + goes to the +/ pink and blue to the -