Need Guidance Bike Will Not Start

1977 KZ1000 Dyna Ignition

Biked fired up when purchased. Trouble started when I replaced the battery.

The starter cranks the engine. There is gas to the carbs and good compression. Pulled a plug and it will not spark when touching the block but will spark when isolated from the block. The kill switch is missing the control knob. Should the contact be bridged or left open to be in the run position.
Any ideas where to start.

Thanks for the help

those need to be twisted together i believe....been a while but that is what i think...wont hurt it to try....the red battery cable also has a wire that comes off it (white/or white red stripe)and maybe even an inline fuse to the harness/fuse box where there is a main fuse...did you maybe pop a fuse when changing the battery

oh and just for nothing it is a dyna ignition

enjelly wrote: 1977 KZ1000 Dyna Ignition

Biked fired up when purchased. Trouble started when I replaced the battery.

The starter cranks the engine. There is gas to the carbs and good compression. Pulled a plug and it will not spark when touching the block but will spark when isolated from the block. The kill switch is missing the control knob. Should the contact be bridged or left open to be in the run position.
Any ideas where to start.

Thanks for the help

Pulled a plug and it will not spark when touching the block but will spark when isolated from the block. -- more elaboration could be helpful.

Good Fortune!

Initial test pulled the plug, set it on the block, cranked the engine, no spark. To get a better look, set the plug on a rubber screw driver handle, cranked the engine, big blue spark. Found a loose wire Blk w/yellow (pic attached) but can not locate the other end. There is an open wire in the harness from the Dyna 2000 box to the coils (same pic). The blinkers, headlight and gauge lights work. Let me know if you need any additional info. Thanks,

Black with Yellow stripe wires are usually ground circuits, so look for the mating end(most are Bullet connectors)or ring terminals.

Problem resolved - replaced all 4 spark plugs

The plugs were internally shorted...When off ground they sparked but when grounded the path was already completed, no spark.