[ace.cafe]

The easy way to check if charging is taking place is by looking at your ammeter on the dash.
The needle should move into the "+" area when you are running at a decent rpm.

Or, you can attach a voltmeter to the battery when the bike is running, and rev the engine up to a moderate rpm. If the voltmeter shows something like 13.5 to 14 vdc, than it's charging correctly.

[richardsz]

Well Guys, I got a new spark plug and it fired up. (Thanks Garbone) I was very surprised that a plug could just quit like that, especially since I could see it sparking when I had it out of the bike.
I took it for a ride and it runs OK, but I think that just setting the timing statically is not quite right. Bullet.wagon, how did you fine tune the timing?

I want to thank everybody for their input, lots of very good suggestions. It could have been anything, I'm just amazed that it was the spark plug.

Thanks again everybody,
Richard

[Hellbender]

I had a similiar probelm with my power arc ignition. Turned our the problem was that that corrosion had built up where the spark plug wire connect to the coil. Clean it up, a dab of thatt electrical grease and 'Presto"...

I'd check that connection as well

[single]

I had this same thing happen with a fairly recent plug.Ran ok if it would start,went from 10 kicks to 1 kick.Kinda weird,but that is the way it is.

[Ice]

Well Guys, I got a new spark plug and it fired up. (Thanks Garbone) I was very surprised that a plug could just quit like that, especially since I could see it sparking when I had it out of the bike.
I took it for a ride and it runs OK, but I think that just setting the timing statically is not quite right. Bullet.wagon, how did you fine tune the timing?

I want to thank everybody for their input, lots of very good suggestions. It could have been anything, I'm just amazed that it was the spark plug.

Thanks again everybody,
Richard

 Today's U.S. spec reformulated gasolines contain a variety of chemicals not present before reformulation was mandated.
 Some of them form a resistive and/or conducting residue under the right conditions.