Topic: 73' CB500 POWER LOSS :0(

[Shtonecb500]

I was riding along with a friend following and they had mentioned my rear tail light flickering. After I had pulled over I saw the flickering for a moment, I made adjustments to the rear brake but it didn't help. At this point I had turned my key multiple time from the on/off position and had lost the rear light altogether. Now the bike has zero power no matter the key position, I had purchased a new battery a couple days ago and it was sitting on a charger so I picked it up and swapped out the battery and a new fuse and it did nothing. Still zero power on the bike. Im about to head there now with my meter and try to find the source of this, I came across misc. causes for power loss in my Clymer and one said dragging brakes but didn't say much more, can someone elaborate on this because my front brake has given me issues all the time and sometimes gets hung up. Im asking because i tried to roll the bike and drop it into first and pop the clutch and the bike tried to turn over but didn't.

Ill check back in here in a couple of hours after ive put my meter all over this bike to give some more information.

As of right now the bike sits with a new battery, new fuse and new fuse cable from a few weeks ago, Zero power.

[calj737]

Confirm power from the key switch itself (check the BLACK wire from key to RH switch housing). Also, check the key side of the fuse block for presence of 12v. It sounds like the fuse block itself is preventing voltage from battery to key.

[Shtonecb500]

I unplugged the ignition and put a meter across the black and red and nothing, also put a screw driver on the two prongs and nothing, should it have tried to turn over at that point? Ill check the RH housing once I get the damn screws undone.

[calj737]

The black and red are both power. Check the fuse block, the key side of the red fuse. Power from battery to fuse may be getting there, but not traversing the fuse block despite a new fuse.

Also, get a fresh reading on your battery.

[Shtonecb500]

Sooo....

I went and picked up a truck, loaded my bike and got it back to the shop. Now Im able to look at this bike and figure some #$%* out and it looks like I may have put the bad fuse right back in? It was dark and Im going to just swallow that one. I took apart the bates taillight and the black wire had broken from the solder. New fuse, new solder, new battery, bike runs great. I was just kind of stressed because my truck is getting its transmission rebuilt and I was down all vehicles. I really need to get this 550 back together so I have a spare bike.

Could the faulty wire have been blowing the fuses?