How to get at ignition points

In older engines with traditional points-condenser-coil ignition systems the dwell if the ignition was set by the gap between the points. The points act like a switch that opens and closes the circuit of the primary side of the ignition coil.

All later engines use electronic ignition that do not require points.

Sounds like you have concentrated on the HT items.
Time to go back and check out the LT circuit from the ignition switch through to the points in the distributor.
disconnect the feed going to the coil from the ignition switch. Switch on the ignition and 'flash' the lead to earth (ground)
You should get a healthy spark you would expect from the battery. If all is OK switch off the ignition and reconnect the lead. Remove the distributor cap. Worth checking the spring loaded carbon brush in the top of the distributor cap at this stage
Rotate the engine until the points are closed. Switch on the ignition and with a small insulated screwdriver open and close the points, a healthy spark should be seen every time you open the points. Check the condition of the points while here to make sure there has not been an excessive build up due to arcing, Clean or renew if necessary, Some distributors are fitted with a capacitor near the points - these can break down in time and always suspect.
If the spark across the points is good get a friend to turn the engine over while you watch the points. A good spark should be seen every time the cam opens the points. Clean the corrosion from the rotor and the segments on the distributor cap.
Sometimes the points are badly adjusted and prevent a good spark or the heel that runs on the cam gets badly worn.

Ignition points open to collapse magnetic field in ignition coil to make spark. They have a condenser across the points to reduce the spark which comes because the current collapse also generates a back feed current in the now open circut in the primary windings. This is the spark that damages and wears out the points. Check with a competent Auto Electrician that the condenser (also called a Capacitator) is the right capacity for the coil being used.

You understand that the points are the ground point for the primary circuit to the ignition coil? When the distributor shaft turns and the points break contact, that cuts the primary current to the coil. When that happens, the secondary windings in the coil are induced to generate high voltage through the high tension cable out of the coil.

Are the points set to the proper opening gap? Here are a couple of checks you could make: With ignition key on, not start, the small wire to the coil's + terminal should have voltage-check with a test light or voltmeter. Or if you don't have a tester, take off the distributor cap and the rotor. Turn the engine till the contact points are opened. Or you could prop them open with a piece of cardboard or thick paper between the contact points. Turn the ignition key to on, not start. Take a small screwdriver and hold it on the moveable arm of the contact points set. Slide the screwdriver down and touch the base of the points set. If the primary circuit to and through the coil is good, touching the (grounded) base should cause a small spark at the screwdriver tip.

If you have current to the coil, but no spark, it could be a bad coil, but don't forget to check the secondary ignition: From the coil high tension wire to the distributor cap to the rotor to the plug wires and to the spark plugs. All of them need to be checked.

If I owned a car with mechanical ignition points, and planned to keep it more than a year or so, I would buy an aftermarket electronic ignition set up for it (like a Petronix kit, for one). I think you can buy them for under $100, and you will never have to bother with those old points again.

There is a little rub bar on points that wears down and limits adjustment on points.Sounds like you need new points.

Check for voltage at the points should be battery voltage if thats ok i would also check that the points open fully when the cam rotor is on its edge cant remember specific figure for this but guessing 0.15 thou if thats ok and still no spark at points I would suspect a faulty ignition condenser also known as a capacitor the look like a small steel or alloy cylinder with a single wire
coming out it per set of points ie if you have dual points you will usally have two capacitors
A really good fix for points troubles is to replace them with a dyna plate ignition which upgrades to electronic ignition which is loads better spark and reliabilty on my zed

The ignition condenser is needed for good coil saturation and is directly related to the voltage output of the coil, the weaker the ignition condenser is, the weaker the spark will be from the coil.

The signs to look for when replacing the ignition points are burnt or pitted contact surfaces at the breakers, and for a worn down rubbing block. (where the points contact the cam lobes inside the distributor)

The only things that you can do to prolong the life of the ignition points is to make sure that the rubbing block on the ignition points and the distributor cam lobes are properly lubricated with die-electric grease, and make sure that the dwell angle is properly set. (you would need a dwell meter to set the ignition points properly)

The only reason that the engine would stall from the ignition points is because either the condenser burned out, or the rubbing block wore down and the ignition points closed up. (The ignition points should open and close to provide a primary signal to the coil, if they do close up, you can get home by using a piece of a match book cover to set the gap for the ignition points, it is approximate enough to work well enough to get you back home if stranded from closed up ignition points)

I hope that this was helpful to you in any way.

Make sure that the primary wire between the distributor ignition points and ignition coil is not damaged anywhere and grounding the circuit out. This is not a ground wire.

Replace the ignition points condenser, if this is shorted your points will never be able to work. With the condenser removed, use an ohm meter to check the resistance between the end of the condenser wire and the condenser caseing, there should be infinite resistance or an open loop, but it should not show any kind of a connection between the two, or it is grounded or "shorted to ground" and it will prevent the ignition system from working.

Are the ignition points adjusted properly? They have to open and close to send a dwell signal to the coil.

Connect a test light to ground and on the NEG. (-) side of the coil, have someone crank the engine and look for the test light to flash, the test light should flash indicating a dwell signal or coil pulse. (Do not use the POS. + side of the coil for this test, because you will not get a dwell signal).

If no dwell signal, then...

1. Turn off ignition and remove the distributor cap and turn the engine over until a high spot on the distributor cam lobe is on the rubbing block on the ignition points.

This is the fully open position for the ignition points and where they need to be to set them. and if you do not know the feeler gauge size, or the dwell angle to set your points at (according to manufacturers specifications), then tear off a piece of a match book and place it between the two point breakers.

2. Loosen the point hold down adjusting screw and move the base of the points with a screwdriver (look for adjusting nothches), until there is a light drag felt pulling on the match book. For the newer GM's up to 1974, just use a 1/8 allen wrench to obtain the same light drag on the match book.

3. Remove the matchbook and there should still be a small gap between the point breakers, rotate the engine and you should see the points open and fully close.

4. Pull the coil wire out of the distributor cap and ground the end of the coil wire well or you might get shocked.

5. Have someone crank the engine and re-check for a dwell signal, you should also see a blue-white spark flashing between the point breakers as they open and close.

If you now have a dwell signal then replace the distributor cap back onto the distributor and the the coil wire back onto the distributor cap, the engine should now start.

If you did not grease the rubbing block of the ignition points with die-electric grease when you installed them, then the rubbing block on the points will wear down prematurely, the points will close down, and the engine will no longer start.

If you crank your engine over and the ignition rotor turns clockwise (looking down at the rotor) then you need to put the die-electric grease along the right side of the rubbing block edge (looking down at the points) so that the grease is trapped between the points and the distributor cam lobe, and the distributor cam lobe can pick up the grease. (Grease the left side of the rubbing block edge if the ignition rotor turns counter-clockwise). Only use die-electric grease.

You might not have spark as the 12 volts needs a ballast resistor or the points burn out preytty quick. 8 volts at the coil in run with the points open and 0 with the points clsed and battery voltage at the coil when cranking. coil wire near the intake manifold while cranking should jump at least 2 inches. Closed points should be 0 volts at the neg on the coil. pos and neg should be the same 12 volts with the points open. if not either the coil or the points are bad. The condenser can fail and no spark with all the rest right

I am assuming your bike is stock, or close to it. In 1974, all h-d's used a battery coil ignition with wasted spark. Battery positive flows from the ignition switch to the coil, through the coil primary winding to the points, then open or shorted to negative (through the chassis) depending on the points being open or closed. When the engine is turning over, this is what happens: The small cam that operates the points has the points in the closed position, so battery current is flowing through the coil primary, through the closed points to negative. This causes the primary winding inside the coil to set up a magnetic field. When the cam starts to open the points, the current tries to bridge the gap. If we let this happen, the big arc between the point surfaces would burn up in a hurry, and the plugs would not fire for the following reason: The ignition coil is a transformer. It has a primary and secondary winding.The secondary winding has many more turns of wire than the primary. When the secondary winding "cuts" magnetic lines of force a larger voltage is induced in the secondary. In the case on your sporty, we are boosting 12 volts to over 10,000 volts. This depends on 2 things: The number of lines of force and the speed they are cut. So, when the points just start to open, the condenser absorbes the current until the points are open enough to prevent arcing. Then the current flow through the primary winding stops. The magnetic field quickly collapses, cutting through the secondary windings that are connected to the spark plugs. The resulting high voltage (pressure) Jumps the gap on both plugs and lights the fire. One of the cylinders is on the exhaust stroke so that spark is wasted. So: ignition on : 12v at coil positive. With points closed, 0 volts at coil negative. If you read voltage here, the points are dirty or open or the wire from the coil to the points is open. Points open: 12 volts at coil negative. To check for spark, you don't have to crank the engine. Just manually opening the points should fire the plugs. After you get the plugs firing, post again and I will tell you how to razor tune this thing. It should start instantly with a perfect idle. Hope this is clear.