Topic: Help me wire my hand control

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

1977 CB550F2 SS. I have the correct wiring diagram. The light kill switch leads me to believe someone swapped controls sometime in the past.

Wiring diagram shows from the right hand control:

Bk/R
Bk
Bk
Y/R
Bk/W
Br/b

all connecting to corresponding colors in the harness. Double female for the two blacks on the harness end. Although the picture is how I think the bike came to me, and it was running.

The control I have:

Bk
Bk
Bk/W
Br/W
Gr/R
Y/R

I'm not responsible for the mangled-ness, came to me like this from the PO  

[TwoTired]

Do you have a switch in the module that doesn't show in the 77's diagram?

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

The control I have differs from the '77 unit shown in the book in that it's a light kill switch, where the stock unit was a "P H" switch. I don't know what "P H" means though. My schematic reading skills aren't good enough to tell if they serve the same function.

The left control appears to be from an earlier model as well. They appear very similar, but the 77 model shoud have a Passing fuction added to the horn switch. The controls on there now look the same as my 550K0.

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

Photo

[TwoTired]

OK, I'll try again.  Where is your headlight switch?  Is it only H/L?  Is there and additional on off?

In short, the wires on your "different" control don't describe the operational features of the control.  I know what the original was intended to control.  I don't know what your replacement was supposed to control.

A picture of the wires doesn't tell that story.

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

Ok, I think this is the info you need.

Right hand control has a master kill switch "ON OFF". Along with ignition "OFF/RUN/OFF" and starter button.

Left control has blinker switch, "HI LO" and horn.

Inside the right hand control:

To ignition switch: Bk/W & Bk
To starter button: Blue/R & Y/R
To headlight kill: Brown/W & Bk

[TwoTired]

Bike wiring <===> new control
Bk/R  Goes to, "powers" headlight fuse on bike  <===> connect to Br/W on new control
Bk  <===> Bk
Bk  <===> Bk AND Gr/R  (This gets power to your starter button)
Y/R <===>Y/R
Bk/W <===> Bk/W
Br/b Tail light fuse power Jumpers to BK in the harness.

Note, the lighting switch will only interrupt head light power instead of all lighting as on the 74. Unless you connect BR/W on switch to both BK/R and BR/B in the 77 harness.

BTW, I've assumed your right control is the same as on the 74 CB550. (wire diagram and function)

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

Great, thanks for that.

One problem so far. The harness only has one Bk female, and that is occupied by Bk & Gr/R. That leaves me with one other black wire from the control with no where to go.

There is an empty double Bk/W female harness wire. I tried running my extra black hand control wire to that, and also tried it with it disconnected. Swapped the two back hand control wires out for a total of 4 wiring combinations to no effect.

No matter what I did it had no power. When I jumped the terminals on the starter solenoid the bike came to life and the starter would run on until I killed the ignition.

Right now I have the headlight ON/OFF switch hardwired as the plasitic in the mechanism had disintigrated.

[TwoTired]

One problem so far. The harness only has one Bk female, and that is occupied by Bk & Gr/R. That leaves me with one other black wire from the control with no where to go.

Gr/R is supposed to be the clutch/neutral switch connection.  Now way it should connect to black, unless a someone prior has "re-purposed" the Gr/R wire for another task.
I had assumed that the rest of the 77 bike still adhered to the wire diagram.  If that is not the case, then all bets (and wire connection assignments are off.

There is an empty double Bk/W female harness wire. I tried running my extra black hand control wire to that, and also tried it with it disconnected. Swapped the two back hand control wires out for a total of 4 wiring combinations to no effect.

No matter what I did it had no power. When I jumped the terminals on the starter solenoid the bike came to life and the starter would run on until I killed the ignition.

Better check the wire connection to the solenoid and see if they still match the 77 wire diagram.
Ain't it great when people change things and leave no paper trail to what they've changed?

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

Will you take a look at your instructions, I saw you had Gr/R and thought you confused it with Blue/R. I mistakenly referred to Blue/R as Gr/R in my response.

I think I got us confused.

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

Run on was my fault, I resoldered the starter button wrong. We're back to just sorting out the wiring I think.

When I rewired the starter button correctly I still got nothing with the key on. Jumping the terminals on the solenoid brought all lights online same as before, obviously with no run on problem now.

Would any more pictures be helpful?

[TwoTired]

Will you take a look at your instructions, I saw you had Gr/R and thought you confused it with Blue/R. I mistakenly referred to Blue/R as Gr/R in my response.

I think I got us confused.

Yup confused, blue/red wires are used for the oil pressure switch in the Honda wire diagrams.  Doesn't normally route to either bar control.   

Right hand control has a master kill switch "ON OFF". Along with ignition "OFF/RUN/OFF" and starter button.

er... the "OFF/RUN/OFF" is the engine "kill" switch.
the "ON OFF" is the a lighting control switch.

Inside the right hand control:

To ignition switch: Bk/W & Bk
To starter button: Blue/R & Y/R
To headlight kill: Brown/W & Bk

The blue/red must connect to the black in order to supply 12v to the solenoid for starting.
Bk/W and Black to Bk/W and Black in the harness  This is coil power (the Kill switch function)
To control only the headlight power connect the Brown/W wire from the control to the Black/Red In the 77 wire harness.  You'll need to connect the black wires to the black wires in the bike harness.

This assumes the rest of the 77harness/wires, connections are intact.

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

Ok, if I was doing this myself I would think this control couldn't be adapted to this bike. But it ran when I got it, so I'll read through your advice and disconnect everything and start over. Should have paid better attention when I unhooked it all.

Going from bad to worse, I was swapping on a new plastic connector and on the left side in this photo, I cant remember which wire was on top/bottom. Can someone with a 77/78 check to make sure the brown wire doesn't go below the black one, or if I have it correct in the photo.

ugh!

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

Still hoping for a definite answer on the above ignition wire question, although I think it's right.

I've gone through the harness and reconnected everything and am still having no luck. Does the fact that all lights will work if I jump the solenoid terminals give any clues to what might be wrong?

[TwoTired]

Don't the block connectors have the same color wires on both the plug and receptacle?

Tell me what wire colors you are jumping attached to your solenoid.  There are four terminals total.

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

Don't the block connectors have the same color wires on both the plug and receptacle?

Tell me what wire colors you are jumping attached to your solenoid.  There are four terminals total.

The block connector on the ignition end is built into the ignition, so there's no visable wires.

I'm jumping the large copper (?) terminals on the solenoid.

[TwoTired]

I'm going by a 77cb550K harness plug (or what's left of it).
Anyway...
Going by your posted picture (I can't really determine up/down orientation.
The top row is Brn - Red - Black
Bottom row is Br/Wht - Blank - Brn.

The Keyswitch has a blank pin position, and that should match the unloaded terminal position in the connector.

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

I'm going by a 77cb550K harness plug (or what's left of it).
Anyway...
Going by your posted picture (I can't really determine up/down orientation.
The top row is Brn - Red - Black
Bottom row is Br/Wht - Blank - Brn.

The Keyswitch has a blank pin position, and that should match the unloaded terminal position in the connector.

Dangit, thought I had it but now I"m not sure. Orientation in the photo is me at the left side of the bike.

My question is: the two wires closest to me are Bk & Brown. Which should be top/bottom? You do have a F model 550 correct? Should be the same if you don't mind taking a look.

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

I amended the title, I need to sort out this ignition before I go tearing through the harness.

Someone with a 550F please check out your harness end connector that plugs into your ignition.

Right now I have the wires in the connector block as follows:

Right side of connector block: Brown/White on bottom, Brown on top
Center: Red & Red
Left side of connector block: Brown on top, Black on bottom

[TwoTired]

This is how my 77cb550F bike has worked since new.  The 550k is wired the same.

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

This is how my 77cb550F bike has worked since new.  The 550k is wired the same.

mucho appreciated, looks like I might have mine wrong. Will swap and get back to you.

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

I've realized whoever rigged this thing up the first time made it impossible to decipher from a reverse engineering standpoint.

I connected the right control as you described. By jumping the large solenoid terminals I got tail light, cluster light and a big fat blue spark from the plugs.

By disconnecting the hand control I got tail lights and cluster lights, but no spark. So the control is somewhat functioning. The starter button on the control did not work under either scenerio. No headlight under either scenerio, which suprised me because I have the "ON OFF" function permantently hard wired together for always on.

I think I have to disconnect the entire harness and try to work from there getting systems on line. If I had just taken a picture before I disconnected everthing, ughhhh!!!

[TwoTired]

Has someone wired the solenoid correctly?
The bike routes power off the solenoid terminal that also connects to the battery.  Not the post that routes to the starter motor.

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

Has someone wired the solenoid correctly?
The bike routes power off the solenoid terminal that also connects to the battery.  Not the post that routes to the starter motor.

I assumed the large posts were interchangeable. Is one assigned to the starter and the other to the battery. Is it possible I have the wrong terminal assigned to battery/starter?

[TwoTired]

It's not about the solenoid, it is about what wires are connected together on the posts.
One post acts as a distribution point for power from the battery.  The wires that connect together must be on the battery side of the solenoid posts.