hi guys. i have an '07 DR-Z 250. when i got it it didn't go. it has a rewound stator with new pickup coil. it had low compression, so i rebuilt the engine. it still won't go. it only seems to spark now and then while cranking. the spark is also weak. i tried a known good cdi in it, and it is the same. should i send the stator back to get tested ?

Check coil,wiring harness,and voltage reg.is it a weak spark?

disreguard last question

tried a known good working coil too. and just as an aside, could it be the source coil in the stator not putting out enough voltage ?

my guess would be a voltage reg since thats what controls voltage input

ozmx, on 20 January 2012 - 11:30 PM, said:

isn't the cdi stuff seperate to the charging system ?

id spose the best way to explain would be to compare it to a car,if a voltage reg dies in the alternator then it can't charge the battery,if the battery doesnt get charge the output weakens.
especially if u try and crank it with an under powered battery,spark weakens too.
worth a shot,happend to one of my bikes

I have the exact same problem with my 2001. Will not start. New magneto (stator and pick up) new cd box, new coil and battery is fully charged. I get no spark to plug if I use the starter and a weak spark if I use the kick starter. Will not even pop. I know this sounds like a battery/regulator problem but remember, you do not need a battery to run this bike. The magneto should deliver all the spark necessary to fire the plug sufficiently to start it and run it. The battery is for the lights for when the motot is not running. Once the motot starts you do not even need a battery for the lights. The magneto provides the juice for the lights and the spark plug. The regulator controls the amount of charge that the batt gets from the mag when running and the rectifier converts the AC charge coming from the mag to DC which is what the batt needs for charging. Therefore if you have a fuuly charged batt or start it with the kick starter the regulator does not come into play, correct??

I am wondering if there is a resistor somewhere in the wiring harness or somewhere else that is bad. I know that on older models of Chevrolet cars there was a resistor in the starting circuit that would occasionally blow and if so the car would not start due to insufficient spark voltage to the plugs. Anyone got any suggestions??

I posted a reply to this earlier and since have used a web site called "ask and expert" and found some answers. The web site puts you in touch with experts in any field and they email chat with you and give you helpful hints and info to solve your problem. They charge a fee but only if you are completely satisfied. I got to talk with a guy who seemed to really know his stuff. Has been on the web site for many years and has a history of over 1600 satisfied customers.
He gave me a simple but I believe (haven't tried it as yet, batt is on order) it will solve my problem and possibly yours. It's simple. I believe my batt is not doing its job. Even though it shows fully charged it does not have the capacity to provide enough energy while the starter is engaged to supply both the starter and the ignition system at the same time. I tought that the magneto provided all the energy necessary to powere the ignition without help from the batt but I was wrong. He suggested that you check the batt voltage in three ways.
First, with key off batt should read 14.5 to 12.5 volts. Second test, key on (thus lights are on) batt should read 12.5 to 11.5. Third, crank starter for 10 seconds and then check batt. Should still read 11.5. If not it is not providing enough to both turn the starter and ignite the fuel.
Hope this helps, I paid $28 for this suggestion because I was satisfied that it is my problem. You can have the info for free. Good luck

it ended up being a poor connection when the sidestand switch had been bypassed. it had just been twitched together and taped over. when trimmed, cleaned and soldered it fired straight up. i had ignored this connection because i'd pulled on it and it didn't come apart. once the tape was removed the problem emerged.

Glad to hear you solved the problem. Thanks for the info. I will double check any and all wiring connections throughout the bike. Good riding.

@stlriding, the information you paid $28 for is absolutely correct. Your battery check on the bike is a bush-mechanics version of a load test. Any decent service centre can do it with a dedicated tool.
Information I have seen in the past, has said that the CDI on a DR-z250 needs at least 8volts to fire a spark plug.

Where were you before I paid the $28?? Just kidding. I did not have a local Suzuki dealer or a dealer who knew the basics of the bike. Thanks for the reinforcement of my paid advice.