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Cdi box alternatives.

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6.5K views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  nick57  
#1 ·
I’m pretty new to motorcycles, I picked up a 99 vstar 1100 for a few hundred bucks and have been slowly getting it running. I’ve replaced ignition switch, coils, plugs, stator, and rectifier. Yet I still have a weak inconsistent spark. So I guess my question is does that sound like a Cdi box issue and if so does anyone know where to find them cheaply? Or Are they the same part as on a 650?
 
#2 ·
The part you want is Yamaha #5EL-82305-00-00, which was used on XVS1100 models from '99 till '05. You can research this kind of question yourself, by using one of the parts supplier online databases like Partzilla's, find your machine, find the part, and alternate models the component was used on are listed.
Yamaha Motorcycle 1999 OEM Parts Diagram for Electrical - 1 | Partzilla.com
Yamaha 5EL-82305-00-00 - IGNITOR UNIT | Partzilla.com

Used, take-out parts on Ebay are ~$250 and up. Not cheap in the context of a $300 motorcycle, but not expensive by most rider's standards.

I've read accounts of folks using substitutes when replacement ICUs are particularly difficult to find, but this does usually require:
- Figuring out if input signal from pickup coil and output signal to coils from substitute ICU are compatible.
- Tracking down what each terminal on substitute ICU does.
- Finding mating connectors and splicing them into your harness to connect with the substitute ICU.
- Living with the spark advance curves programmed into the substitute ICU.

Seems like a lot of work to me.

The physical construction of the ICUs for the VStar 1100 and 650 do look very close to me, so maybe that is a good candidate.

1100:
Image


650:
Image


Looks to me like the connectors would mate right up. Still have to verify that the pinout is identical, and that the advance curve for the 650s aren't too radical. Also, the coils on 1100s and 650s aren't the same, so it's not unlikely that the output signal is different.

Did you try replacing or even testing the high voltage spark cables and spark plug caps? Internal connections can get intermittent, and some machines have internal resistors inline that can get wonky.
 
#4 ·