What is this thing?

geezerbiker · Full Member Joined: Sep 15, 2007 Posts: 49

I guess the first step in rewiring my 1982 XS650 special is to locate and identify all of the electrical components. If I don't know what something is, I generally can identify it by its color coded wiring and referring to the schematic. This one has me stumped. Anybody know what it it? Its the small, rectangular box just below the coil.

5twins · Full Member Joined: Aug 05, 2006 Posts: 1616

I'm pretty sure that's the canceling unit for your self-canceling turn signal feature.

geezerbiker · Full Member Joined: Sep 15, 2007 Posts: 49

Could be, but the unit has one more wire than the schematic says it should. Other than that, nothing else seems to match any more closely.

royfisk · Posted: November 4, 2007, 9:57 am Post subject: Re: What is this thing?

The unit is used on more then one model bike it just so happens on your late model custom does not require the extra wire. and if you look at your harness closely you should be able to see this.

geezerbiker · Full Member Joined: Sep 15, 2007 Posts: 49

So maybe I shouldn't take the wiring schematic to be absolutely infallible. There might be some deviatons that are acceptable?

royfisk · Posted: November 4, 2007, 12:25 pm Post subject: Re: What is this thing?

geezer are trying to restore this or are you looking to modify the wireing? Its generally easier to get another harness and install it. How bad is your harness? Are all the ends there? Are the wires cut anywhere? If yes then remove the harness and fix what is broke and reinstall it. or if its to far gone then let me know what year and model you bike is and Ill check my inventory and see if i have a good match. If I do then I would get $25.00 for the harness. You install it in a couple hours and be done with it. If you tottaly rewire the bike you will be busy for along time. probably not worth it. Now the exception would be a custom motorcycle.

geezerbiker · Full Member Joined: Sep 15, 2007 Posts: 49

Good question, and one that I guess I should have an answer to. No, I'm not really trying to restore the bike to all original factory specs. I'm not sure if the term "customize" really applies. I am doing some things that are definitely not original, like different handlebars, painting the engine and fenders, that sort of thing. I recently "fixed up" a Kawasaki KZ440 that, like the current project, had been left outside for many years. After a few hours of diddling the whole wiring system, I came to the conclusion that it was just too far gone to try to fix. I simply stripped out every piece of wire in the bike and started over. Turned out to be the right decision, because when I sliced open the wiring harness, water came out of it. Same with XS650 now. I figured for the amount of time I'd spend chasing done all the shorts, I might as well just start over from scratch, and that way I'd know that all the connections were solid. Yes, no question it's time consuming. If I had a whole other wiring harness that I knew was in good shape and I could just plug it in, that would be great. One problem I have with what I'm doing is that there are so many different combinations of colors on those wires. I don't even know where to buy wire like that and if I did, I bet it would be expensive. So, I'm taking each length of wire that I've removed from the bike, visually inspecting it and testing it for continuity. If it checks out, I'll reuse it. Also, I wonder about trusting all those quick disconnect plugs. As bad as some of them look, and anyway after 25 years, I don't think they're dependable. I usually just cut them off and hard wire the connections. The bike is a 1982 XS650 special. If you have a good wiring harness I would certainly be interested. Thanks.

pumps · Posted: November 4, 2007, 3:32 pm Post subject: Re: What is this thing?

I see mikesxs has new harnesses for around $80. To me new would be worth it.

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