[mikerr24]

i have googled and read just about every topic on spark i could possibly find about this problem im having. im hoping that perhaps this is a common issue with lakotas and i can get more direct guidance here.
when im cranking the electric start everything sounds as it should but there is no spark at all until i let off of the starter button and i get one quick spark, thats it.
prior to this problem i had the top end rebuild, i put everything back together and she fired right up. i started it and let it run for approx 30 mins for about 3 days just to make sure everything was ok on it before i put all the plastics and such back on all three days it fired up on the second pull (battery wasnt holding a charge). so i put the stuff back on it and was gonna take it out to the country for a ride one day and it wouldnt start. i pulled and pulled, used many four letter words, pulled and pulled and nothing! so i have it all apart AGAIN and have found the spark issue (at beginning of this post). is this a lakota thing? note: before the rebuild i was riding one day and i think i overheated it, i believe the head wasnt getting any oil bc the bearing in the head started squealing and eventually pretty much seized up so i bought another head off ebay but it was from a bayou. i have adjusted the valves to the bayou settings. as i stated earlier, it ran fine when i first got it back together. sorry for the long post, just trying to get all the details out there!!

 

[jonboy]

Ok there should be no issue between it being from the buyou 300, they have same exact motor and tranny. The output shaft is the only difference. Did you get a new spark plug? Dumb question but have to ask. It may be bad and cause this issue. If so did you set the gap? If all is good on that end then, Sounds like the stator is your culprit. It worked fine when you pull started it because there was no load on the stator. When you use the starter there is a slight load that will make a slightly weaker spark when used. If you had the motor apart it could have gotten out of gap or there may be rust built up on the pickup. Simple fix just clean it with really fine sand paper or reset the gap.

 

[canada's t4]

cdi same issue on my ayou

 

[mikerr24]

thanks for the suggestions. can a stator be weak but not totally bad? regardless, i have learned the most complex problems can sometimes be right in front of me. i feel stupid for saying this but after scratching my head for several hours i simply tested the plug wire with a multimeter and realized the boot must have been bad. i swapped it with another boot (from a 350 warrior) just to see and bingo! plenty of spark. she fired right up! seems to be fine now (so far). its in the teens right now here and it started on about the 4th pull. once its warm the electric start is good but when its cold my poor battery just dont have the kahunas to roll her over unless i put it on the charger for a few mins. i cant believe i didnt check the boot first!! thanks again

 

[Mojave Magic]

I had a wire come out of an old boot once. You can cut a small piece off until you see clean wire and screw it back in. It worked fine after doing that. Before that, it hated to start up.

 

[bazwell57]

solution

i have the solution
change your oil and clean your stator with break cleaner and inside of your flywheel, put new oil and bingo

 

[heff770]

I know this is a very old thread, but did you ever figure out the issue? I have the same exact bike with the same exact problem. Sparks once only when i let off the button. I replaced everything ( CDI, stator, rotor, rectifier, pickup coil, wire harness, ignition coil) I was having issues with it before, then I finally replaced the ignition coil, it worked great for about an hour then it died and I was back to no spark.

 

[Donavon]

heff770. I have the same issues and have done everything you have done. Sparks once when I let off the button. When it finally starts it will only run for a few hours. My only luck is a new spark plug (=low resistance) but this will only last for two or three days and I'm back to no spark. Let me know if you ever figured this out.