No spark either side - R100 1982

[motopoeta]

Hey guys,

Incredibly strange but the other day I came home from dropping the girlfriend off and the bike just wouldn't start. Tested the plugs and I've got no spark on either side. I swapped out the ignition coils with new ones to test, and they're fine, so it's something higher up. New plugs put in a few weeks ago and yes, it's an electrical ignition. Any ideas on what to test and where to start?

[wirewrkr]

The most common failure is the ignition cannister.
It's the unit down under the alternator.
You can rebuild it yourself, if you're real mechanically inclined or have it done.
OR you can by an Asian made aftermarket cannister, or you can get it rebuilt by someone else.
The little sensor that fail is like $14.00 from Newark electronics.
The piece is called a "Hall Sensor"

[Airbear]

Motopoeta, you might like to check Wirewrkr's suggestion by testing whether there is a change of state (12V / 0V) at whichever coil wire comes from the ignition canister while you rotate the engine. Use a multimeter or test lamp. Test the least complicated and least expensive possibilities first. Are there fuses that might be blown? Are you getting 12V through your ignition switch? Silly question, but is there a kill switch?