Have a few problems with my 3aj. First the bike would hesitate and miss fire when engine got hot. I changed the stator for an aftermarket one and no more miss fire but the bike was very low on power and sometimes would feel like the ignition timing was wrong.
Today I swapped my generator cover complete with stator and pick up with another 3aj (also with after market stator)and my bike feels alot better it even felt like the front wheel would lift when opening the throttle quick. Not had a good run yet but am pretty sure the bike is better.
Has any one had to change a pick up and if so why?
I have been told by a couple of mechanics that the pick up will either work or it wont but I think mine works but is faulty.
The 3aj pick up is only avaible from Yamaha complete with stator and I cant find an after market one.
Does any one have a pick up they would sell if mine is faulty.
The pick up is quite large and not the same as any other XTs or TTRs
Thanks

Hi Bolla,

I have a 1988 3AJ Tenere and when I bought it in 2000, unbeknown to me it was fited with aftermarket alternator windings, that incorperate the coil that powers the CDI and others that tell the CDI when to fire.It was a difficult starter and nothing I did realy improved it except a brand new spark plug. If I fitted a new one in the morning and rode until lunchtime it needed a new one to start in the afternoon! Eventually I replaced the windings with a second hand set of Yamaha ones and it became a good starter. Prior to this it ran fine once it started, if it started.

This year I acquired a friends 3AJ Tenere to replace my crashed & worn out one.
This one has always needed a tip-top battery to start if it has stood for a week or more, which is not a situation that I was prepared to live with. I have a so-so battery (according to hydrometer readings after charging) which would not start this bike until I replaced it's alternator windings with those from my crashed bike. The ones that I replaced on this occasion did look like the original Yamaha part.

On both occasions I got what looked like a good spark fron a spark plug rested on the outside of the cylinder head, and a gizmo that connects between the spark plug and the plug cap suggested it was firing inside the combustion chamber too. But presumably it wasan't quite enough to start a cold bike.

I can't explain why but it certainly seems to me that the coil that provides the power to the CDI does go week and result in a spark not quite strong enough to start a cold engine.

I would reccomend caution if you are concidering aftermarket windings.

Good luck

Mark

CDI for XT600-XT550 check out this link for some more info that may or may not help. I will chime in with a few observations of my own. Some bikes will not start well even when everything appears and seems to check out OK. One thing to look for is the connections between components. In the US we have honda ATV's with electric pushbutton shifting. With age they sometimes stop shifting and the built in diagnosting system starts saying the problem is the main CDI computer. After replacing hundreds of dollars worth of parts I have found the wiring harness with its many connectors can be the problem.

Jeez bolla...

I think anyone else would of given up by now and just got another bike

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Hi
I did get another bike intending to make one good one thats where the stator and pickup coil came from.The plan now is to get a bike ready for a trip to Turkey in the summer. I think my old XT has still got a few thosand miles in it.
You buy a new bike and learn nothing about how it works You ride an old bike and have to know how it works.

I totally agree but theres a line where education and tinkering becomes an a frustrating headache.

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eBay.co.uk: YAMAHA XT600 COIL AND LEAD (item 110093483637 end time 19-Mar-07 20:40:40 GMT)

Will cost you £20 to find out.....


Ever thought that your starter motor could be lazy or is it kick start only ??

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.