chg'd handlebars, now no electric start?

RobbZ · New Member Joined: Feb 28, 2006 Posts: 4

This might be an odd one, or maybe not. I just swapped to a lower set of bars on my 1980 Special II, and immediately thereafter, the electric start won't work.

With the key on, the neutral light works, as does the tail/brake light, signals, etc. Push the button, nothing, not even a buzz. Can't imagine what I could have screwed up, a cursory look thru the headlight bucket didn't show any loose wires.

The killswitch operates as normal, that is, it'll kill the motor if it's running. Otherwise the bike's fine, just took an hour's ride after dinner tonight in fact.

Where should I (being electrically ignorant in the first place) start looking, any ideas?

Thanks in advance,

Robb

BigGeorge · Full Member Joined: Apr 13, 2008 Posts: 267

Robbz, try this. Run a jumper wire from the negative side of your battery to the screw that holds the handle bar switch assembly to the bar and see if your starter now works. If so you just lost the ground to the bars............BG

hal0tw0

My special did the same when I went from bullhorns to low bars. During the swap the wire might have gotten pinched or some dirt disloged in the switch. Just give everything another good cleaning and make sure the wire is out of the way when you tighten everything back up Wink

pumps

Possibly someone has a wiring diagram that might help? You took the switches off when you swapped out the bars. Seems like I read that you get your ground thu the bars.Looks like on mine that the blue/white wire from the start button goes to the starter solenoid. Maybe check continuity on the wire .

Here is a page from a guy who sells starter buttons that has some pictures that may be different from your model.Something to look at.
www.freewebs.com/kibok...lation.htm

BigGeorge · Full Member Joined: Apr 13, 2008 Posts: 267

Pumps on my 79 and 81 when the starter button is pushed it just completes the ground through the handlebars. The risers are rubber mounted so if you lose the ground to the bars the starter wont work and neither will the horn....................BG

Retiredgentleman

RobbZ; There's actually 3 sources for the ground that you need. The Yamaha people ran a black ground wire from the headlight harness into the turn switch on the left handlebar. This is what grounds the handlebar and also supplies the ground for the start PB on the right side. The ground comes from the handlebar through the switch housing to one side of the PB. On my bike I found 2 other sources of ground to the handlebars. The clutch cable sheath and the throttle sheath also provide grounds, but I'm sure thats not intentional. So, you must be missing the black wire going into the turn switch, but interesting that neither sheath supplied a ground.

BigGeorge · Full Member Joined: Apr 13, 2008 Posts: 267

Retiredgentleman on my 79 the throttle sheath has a little rubber sheath insert that covers it just where it goes up into the switch housing to keep it from picking up a ground i guess. Hummmmm interesting why yamaha would do that on some and not others........................BG

RobbZ · New Member Joined: Feb 28, 2006 Posts: 4

Thanks for all the excellent advice ... Sunday morning now, I'll have some time to troubleshoot, but this whole "ground through the bars" may be the key. I probably should have mentioned that the bars I put on are aluminum alloy.

Would that have been what screwed me up?

RobbZ · New Member Joined: Feb 28, 2006 Posts: 4

FIXED, thanks to the collective wisdom of the group. I'd have NEVER thought of that ... many thanks to Big George and everyone else who chipped in, that was indeed the problem. I ran a ground wire from the screw in the housing to the front upper triple-clamp pinch bolt, and problem's solved Smile

pumps

I've not heard of aluminum causing issues with anything like that. Aluminum is actually a good conductor but it will oxidize causing the connections to become poor and so needs antioxidant gel applied.

BigGeorge · Full Member Joined: Apr 13, 2008 Posts: 267

RobbZ wrote:

FIXED, thanks to the collective wisdom of the group. I'd have NEVER thought of that ... many thanks to Big George and everyone else who chipped in, that was indeed the problem. I ran a ground wire from the screw in the housing to the front upper triple-clamp pinch bolt, and problem's solved Smile

Thanks RobbZ. Sometimes the simplest things can drive ya nuts.........BG

Retiredgentleman

RobbZ; Glad you got it working. Something doesn't add up though. If the handlebars were not previously grounded, then your turn signals should not have worked either. If the turn signals were working, then that means the starter PB should also have been working. Another mystery in XS650 trivia!

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