Bike starts but dies as soon as start button is released

[reppert]

1976 GL1000 the bike starts right up when I hit the start button but dies as soon as start button is released. Note bike is equipted with dyna coils so there would be no ballast resister.

[virgilmobile]

It has to be a wiring problem.
On the original design,the ballast resistor had 12 volts on one end and the other went to the coils.
The wire that attached to the coils also goes to the start switch so you would get a boost of power during cranking.When it starts,it goes back to the regular 12 volts.
The coils need to have 12 volts on it with the key,you have volts only during cranking.
You could verify this but I believe that when it's fitted with a cdi unit the ballast resistor is no longer needed and the wires that were attached to it are connected together,not just taped off separate.

[dingdong]

Your ballast resistor is disconnected. There are 2 spade connectors there, one of them has pulled loose. The ballast resistor is mounted to the left coil.

[Fred Camper]

The ballast resistor wires need to be jumped together or you get no coil voltage once the start button is released. If the old unused ballast wire are open, then you found the issue.