No spark intermittently

[fourth500]

I had the bike out yesterday and it ran fine. Went to ride today and it wouldn't start. Checked the ignition points with a test light and no power, although the all the lights and horn operated and the battery is strong. Then it regained juice to the ignition. Just wondering where I should begin looking to find the gremlin? Ignition switch?? Thanks.

[Frank]

Does the bike run now? Can you explain what you mean by "checking the points with a test light and now power"?

thx

[fourth500]

Hi, Frank. The bike is running now. The bike wouldn't start, but I had lights and horn, so after making sure the kill switch wasn't in the off position, I took off the points cover and checked for current using a small test light. The light looks like a small screwdriver with a sharp metal probe and a wire with an alligator clip coming out of the top. I grounded the clip on the engine and put the probe on the movable side of the points and turned the crank. When the timing indicator line aligns with the stationary line the light would normally illuminate as soon as the points open, but nothing happened. This is how I normally set the timing on the bike so I knew no power was getting to the L or R points. The power just as mysteriously came back on and the test light illuminated when the points opened. I kicked the bike over and she started right up, so the power was back to the ignition. Later on I wiggled wires to the ignition and kill switch while the test light was illuminated, but was unable to make it flicker, so for the moment the bike is running fine, so the problem is intermittent, just not sure of the source. Would like to pin it down before I end up stuck somewhere.

[engrevals]

Perhaps you have a wire destroyed inside the insulation and depending on the wire motion, sometime it works, sometime not
Defect very difficult to find. Gremlins