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kiwiJeff said :-
Hi All, Inazuma fixed, was the coil. Measured ok with resistances, was firing ok outside motor with plug held to engine earth but obviously didn't like the firing inside the cylinder? I figured out how to disconnect the high pressure fuel line suzuki connectors to get tank of so was able to swap coils and proved the fault. New coils from Aliexpress 30 pound for two so once they arrived swapped a new one in and bike now back to normal. For any Inazuma owners reading this the Aliexpress coils were supposedly for a Suzuki GW250 (Inazuma) but the leads are a bit shorter than standard! You can still use them but need to re-route the plug lead. Picture below to see the difference. Thanks for all the advice was all appreciated. Regards Jeff
24/01/2026 10:18:44 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Well done KJ. It just amazes me how you work upside down.
I know!
Pffffffftttttt.
Upt.
24/01/2026 18:42:05 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Good result Jeff. Coils are one of those things that it's difficult to test properly without expensive kit. Yes you can check reistances but that's only half the story as you've found out. Re plug lead length: I needed to change the lead on my DR-Z400 engine but found the HT lead just screwed into the coil like it does with a plug cap. It was however a real hassle finding a long enough plug cap as the plug is embedded so deep inside the cambox. Eventually found one at the green spark plug people who are very helpful.
25/01/2026 14:18:40 UTC
nab301 said :-
That's good news Jeff , luckily you could prove the fault before purchasing parts and hopefully you didn't waste too much time following my advice re injectors... one maybe to watch out for on my Dl250 V strom.
Nigel
26/01/2026 14:25:38 UTC
nab301 said :-
@ Glyn , I hope the rehab is progressing nicely , by coincidence I bumped into a neighbour at the weekend while on foot , he was walking quite well with one crutch .. on enquiring he had had a knee replacement 3 weeks earlier , like you found, he said the pain was intense but he had been sent on a course of physio before the operation which apparently can help with the post op recovery and obviously post op physio .
Nigel
26/01/2026 14:34:50 UTC
kiwiJeff said :-
Nigel if the coil checked out ok the next step was to take out the injectors so your advice had been noted. I'd had a listen to the injectors with a screwdriver held to my ear and they were clicking merrily away so thought at least that part of the FI was working OK. My neighbour is an ex diesel mechanic and he pointed out that they might be opening and shutting ok but whether anything was coming out was another thing! I wasn't too concerned about pulling the injectors out and checking if they were blocked and replacing filters and o rings and seals if not the entire injectors the parts are available and cheap out of China. I treated the whole exercise as a learning experience and I'm now a bit more comfortable with FI vs the old carby technology so slowly becoming more "modern" lol! Regards Jeff
27/01/2026 09:01:55 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
At the risk of boring you all to death, I've posted pics of the mounting struts for the B'Zuki'Steib. All made out of 1" diameter thick walled seamless tube with steel inserts internally threaded m14. I'll start welding when I pluck up the courage.....
https://www.iansoady.org.uk/BSA/index.htm...
27/01/2026 12:48:10 UTC
ROD¹ said :-
It's coming along very well Ian.
The weather is not up to much for riding, you are better off in the garage.
27/01/2026 13:40:01 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Nice work Ian. Very over engineered just as it should be. You have to love a Nyloc too. I wonder when those first turned up on a vehicle, I know they were used extensively in the mid to late 70's.
Upt.
27/01/2026 17:21:09 UTC
nab301 said :-
@ Jeff , as you've discovered once you get your head around fuel injection , component wise it's less challenging than a late model engine with a CV carburettor which in itself is an engineering marvel .
@ Ian , nice work there , is it the inserts you have to weld to the 1" tubing?
Nigel
27/01/2026 17:35:09 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Thanks for kind comments. Nigel - yes, the inserts will be welded to the tubing. Welding's not my strong(!) point. I have a stick welder that works fine for these heavier items but no good for delicate work, not that I go in for that.
I've had some sensible comments from a sidecar forum, one if which suggests I make the forward upper link to the vertical hoop as otherwise all depend on effectively a friction fit around the chassis tube. I think I can manage that, in fact have added a couple of pics showing that configuration.
I think nylocs came in shortly after WW2. There were also variants on the theme, some with a little split that allowed the top of the nut to distort, and I think others which had a slightly oval section.
Actually a quick ask to Claude tells me a version of nyloc was invented in Sweden in 1927 which is long before I'd thought.
28/01/2026 10:14:13 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Have done the welding now but to save my blushes and your sanity have chosen not to photograph them.
31/01/2026 09:57:59 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Get the grinder out Ian, we'll be none-the-wiser
31/01/2026 16:47:40 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Oh OK, cleaned up on the grinder and a couple of coats of toolstation's finest satin black and they don't look too bad.
01/02/2026 10:09:14 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
They'll be fine I'm sure. You don't want to be losing Electra in the sidecar Wallace and Grommit style so I reckon you'll be checking them for structural integrity. How far off is the finished combo?
02/02/2026 08:08:39 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
It's getting there. Paint scheduled week commencing 2nd March and I should have finished all the mechanical bits by then. As I suspected, the nearside radiator wants to be in the same place as the struts so need a creative solution for that. I wonder whether a single, larger unit may do the job. Shame it's not air cooled.
I don't see Electra in the sidecar for some time. I plan to make a plywood box in place of the seat and put redundant paving blocks in it as some ballast to help keep the chair wheel on the deck otherwise left hand bends may be interesting.
02/02/2026 09:58:24 UTC
ROD¹ said :-
Maybe mount the rad at the front of the chair, and mount a heater matrix inside the chair so the sidecar can be heated in the winter?
02/02/2026 13:26:00 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Winter? All safely tucked up in the garage then. But I am toying with putting a single rad between the chair and bike. Otherwise the RH one will almost fit with a couple of small brackets, and the LH one moved out sideways. I'll sit and look at it a bit more. I've also managed to pick up a mounting for the upper front stay which will fit on the "hoop" to make it all a bit more stable.
Meanwhile have drilled and holecut mounts for the indicators and stop/tail lights on the mudguard. I'm using round Mini-type lights which are not as elegant as the originals but then they didn't have indicators back in the day. Obviously I'm not trying for catalogue perfection here.
Other things to do: drill holes for turnbuckle type retainers for the tonneau cover, modify the nearside cosmetic cover to fit round the sidecar brackets, etc etc etc.
02/02/2026 14:10:01 UTC
nab301 said :-
Ian , don't bother with paving blocks for ballast , fit a big commercial battery instead , then when the electrics inevitably fail ( although hopefully more reliable than the Norton!) you'll have no problem getting home , ( does your motorcycle recovery include sidecars...)
Nigel
02/02/2026 16:24:17 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I'm relying on Suzuki reliability..... and I'd have to pay for a big battery whereas the pavers are free being left over from a patio built by a bunch of cowboys. Plus I can add / remove in a modular sort of way as they weigh 2.5kg each. As I relearn my long-lost skills I can go progressively lighter. Till I end up in the ditch.
02/02/2026 16:44:09 UTC
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