Possible Electrical Issues?

I purchased a 1980 JX650 a couple months back and have been trying to prepare it for the summer. I have rebuilt the carburetors as well as changed the spark plugs. The bike will start and run for several seconds and then for no reason just die. After is dies it is extremely hard to get it running again. If I wait 20-30 min it usually fires right back up. Even cruising down the road the bike will stall. I have a feeling it is electrical in nature but don’t know where to begin. I have checked the plugs and they are sparking.

Any suggestions are welcome!

 

If you open the bowl drain screws do you get lots of fuel coming out? It almost sounds like you've got a plugged petcock.

 

Check the hose form the intake to the petcock. It must be a vacuum hose. An ordinary hose will collapse and stop fuel flow to the carbs.

 

Well let me correct my original post. I did some more diagnostics and found out that I have a good spark for 20 to 30 seconds and then the spark gets extremely weak. I tested plugs on both coils and they are the same. If I wait a while and try to start the bike I will get a good spark but then the whole process repeats its self.

There is fuel in all of the bowls.. I am thinking it is an ignition issue possibly TCI?

 

I'd say ... NOT ... the TCI.

Bad TCI ... No 20 or 30 seconds of go time.

I'd say Battery.
Alternator Brushes.

Battery not getting Charged.
(You need to see 14.2 -to- 14.5 Volts at the Battery @ 2K rpm's.)

Alternator Brushes ---> 10.5 mm or less = Replace Brushes.

Have Battery Charged and measure for AMPS.
You need AMPS to run the Bike.

There's 9V inn a Smoke Detector Battery but that wont light the Headlight.

 

You were right it was not the TCI. The owner before me switched the primary on the coils, so the bike was 180 degrees out of time. I switched the coils and everything is working as it should be! Ride on!!!