Honda XLR250 cuts out when you turn the lights on?

[Taipan]

Bike is an import. Will die as soon as you put the lights on. Take the headlight and rear bulbs out and it'll run? I don't have any more info at the moment. Anyone got any ideas why based on that?

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Bad engine earth, an XLR250 (I had an XLR250RH) has a generator like a two stroke, with a winding for ignition and another for lighting etc. I think the ignition windings are generating current back through the lighting windings, or it could just be that the stator is fucked and can't generate enough power to run the lights and the ignition.

From memory, my one didn't have a battery.

[Felix]

R/H switchgear or block connector so full of green copper rust crud its shorting and thinks you are hitting the kill switch

[Skub]

What the cheese said.

If it has a battery,a loose connection will do that. I had a GS1000 with exactly the same symptoms. The earth wire from the battery to the frame was mostly green dust.

[iansoady]

If (as I believe) it's a similar setup to my CB250RS, the ignition and charging circuits on the generator are completely independent. The kill switch / ignition switch actually earth the CDI (via a black / white wire) unit to stop the engine. Felix's suggestion would be worth pursuing.

[Taipan]

Thanks everyone I'll pass all the comments on and let you know if it solved it.

[Taipan]

Turns out it had the wrong magneto cover fitted? Something about 6 pick up points instead of 18? Anyway, its all good now.