TCI, Digital Ignition issues? *$#&ing HELP!

[desmarat]

First off, can someone explain the difference to me of these please, TCI and Digital Ignition.
So, on to the issue at hand. i Have had a few hickups in the past, but shes been running well for a few months. Then, on my way to work, 20 mile commute she shut down on me at a stop sign. Would not turn back on, acting like the battery was dead. Parked her and walked to work, on my lunch break i had to push start her to get her on, let the battery charge for a few minutes and tested it. Turned off and back on just fine. went back to work for a few hours and left to go home and she fired right up. Got home and turned her off and tried to start her again and the same thing, acted like the battery was dead. Tested the battery and it was a little low 11.8, but still well with in tolerance to start the bike. Threw the battery on the charger till it was at 12.8. While the battery was charging i re routed the VR to a location that got better cooling and air flow without compromising moisture or rain and debris. I thought this could have been the problem because i had it in my custom rear end. The bike wend down a few months ago and the rear frame had stress fractures in it so i chopped it all off just after the seat and built a metal box to contain the electricals and coolant reservoir. No air flow in there. So for the past 3-4 weeks i have noticed a dead spot while driving, only seems to happen after warmed up a few miles down the road after driving. Feels like the bike is fighting me to go, pull on the throttle and SLOW acceleration with a "dirt bike sound to the exhaust". If i drop her down to 4th from 6th i can power through the powerband with no issues. But crusing at about 80-85 (6,000 RPM) she fights me and wants to slow down like ive dropped a cylinder. The problem is not constant or readable, happens randomly, sometimes dosent happen at all. The motor was just rebuilt and carbs sync and tuned, all that stuff is good, valve job the whole 9 yards. So after i charged the battery yesterday and relocated the VR she fired up right away. But i think it was the cooling down and not the charge that helped. But the same fight this morning on the way to work, like im dropping a cylinder. She didnt die or stall made it to work just fine and shut her down and fired her right back up just fine. Just the issue now with the dropping a cylinder and fighting me to accelerate.

Any ideas, sorry its so long of a wright up just wanted to get it all in there.
THANKS

[M in KC]

Have you pulled your plugs after your symptoms started showing up to see if any of them are fouled.?

[desmarat]

Ill pull em today, they have 400 miles on them Maby. Ill post with my findings.

[reelrazor]

I think you have multiple issues, but the cylinder dropping is either losing spark, or carb related.

Losing spark-check for any arcing to ground at a point other than the spark plug electrode(read; wire to frame/engine arcing), or loss of conductivity in high tension spark lead (read: bad plug cap/resistor/connection).

Poor fuel level control in one or more carbs-either starving the bowl or over filling it

The shutting down and acting like dead battery when battery has charge? 100% chassis wiring issue.

[DonTZ125]

TCI = Transistor Controlled Ignition, basically a solid-state points ignition. Digital Ignition just means it's computer-controlled, rather than cam and vacuum actuated.

If the problems you're having were due to the ignitor box, you'd be dropping cylinders in pairs. This is a wasted spark ignition system, with two driver transistors firing two coils alternating; each coil fires two plugs simultaneously.

[desmarat]

reelrazor, any more in depth info on the chassis wiring? Grounding...
My issue is intermittent, carbs are okay and tuned recently. also, i have spark at all plugs and no jump or loss of spark. new coils and wires and plugs.



DonTZ125, i read the wright up in the wiki and get a general idea of how it works. My issue is intermittent, happens sometimes but not all the time or constantly. Do you know where i can get one for a good price?



THANKS GUYS

[reelrazor]

Just because the carbs were "recently gone through.." doesn't mean they are okay.

[desmarat]

right, but if the carbs were an issue wouldnt it be more of a constant issue? my problem is maby 30% of the time.

[reelrazor]

Im thinking you might have a sticky float assy in one of your carbs.

Sticky either open-allows bowl to overfill

or sticky closed-allows a bowl to go dry.

You should get a screwdriver and make sure all the bowl drain screws will open and let fuel out.

Then when the problem occurs-find the cold exhaust and use that screwdriver and check that carb bowl-if it has fuel, check that spark plug and see if it's drippy

[desmarat]

WELL, all screws will let fuel out. To do it when the issue occurs i would have to do it on the side of the freeway. The issue is intermittent and seems to occur when i ride the bike pretty hard, but only shows its face above 6,000 rpm's. I usually cruse at 80mph on the highway, roughly 6,000 rpm. Sometimes the issue will not show up, other times it shows up and bogs me down, exhaust sound changes and fights me with random bursts of power but mostly lag. So, to find out i guess i will have to keep a long screwdriver in my backpack and do it on the way back from work.