Hi there, my names Josh from Kent, UK.

Signed up to ask for some advice and perhaps looking to get a NSR-125 to learn on!

Anyways, I run a mobile car repair business so play around electrical issues on cars all day long, however this is a bike so I am still trying to get my head around it all.

My brother in law purchased a 1987 MC16 NSR 250. Kick start. It's been sat for years (I think 20 odd was mentioned) and he wanted to clean the carbs up and see if it would go.

I suggested a quick dose of easy start/carb cleaner and start from the beggining so we did. Anyways, fast forward, awesome compression but no spark!

We couldn't get the neutral light on so I grounded out the neutral switch to rule that out. There is a slight gear selector issue according to bro in law but I did managed to get it in today and the light lit up on it's own.

I checked the kill switch, fine. There is AC voltage going into the rectifier and there is 12v out. It's a brand new battery.

Anyway, after all these checks it sparked! Checking the coil with a screwdriver that is. The bottom coil didn't do anything though! Plugs in and it spluttered and then nothing. No spark and no matter what I tried I could not get a spark full stop. I temporarily bodged in a Yamaha coil and that did nothing either.

There is 2v at the coils. Resistence is fine on the coils from specs pulled from the net.

He's thinking CDIs. I'm almost with him on that. I do need to load test the wiring but it all seems fine from breif testing.

There is two CDI units together in a rubber boot and one on the tail. Is that right? I am very new to bikes!

I'm sure with a spark it'll run well!

Any pointers would be awesome, I don't 100% how the ignition system works!

Cheers,
Josh