Topic: confusing electrical problem.

[nowhere_fast]

Hey everyone, I have a 76 cb750F1, and quite possibly the most confusing electrical issue ever.. My bike fires right up, runs strong, battery holds a charge. For some reason I have absolutely no power running to my headlights, turn signals, tail lights or blinkers. I have a horn, and dash lights, but thats all.  There is power coming from the main, but when every connection is checked everywhere else, theres nothing. I would greatly appreciate any help on this!! Im in the final stretch of my build and summer is here!! I may even send ya a six pack if you can figure it out haha

[fastbroshi]

Are you using the original right hand switch pod?  Maybe it needs some electrical contact cleaner sprayed in there

[nowhere_fast]

yeah everything on it is the stock wiring set up. i did rerun the wires through the bars but i was really careful and didnt snag or tear any wires

[fastbroshi]

  Did it every work correctly after you reran the wires?  Maybe try backtracking and checking your connections in the bucket.  Worth going over with a multimeter if that pans out.

[Bodi]

Check voltage at the HEAD and TAIL fuses with the key on. The fuses get power switched from the ignition switch. The MAIN fuse should have power all the time, key on or off or park. You can check the tail light wiring at least by putting the key in PARK, the lamp should light.
Basically the ignition switch gets power from the MAIN fuse, and when the key is ON the black wire should be powered (anywhere in the harness). The black wire powers the things you say work directly (plus the brake light) but also feeds the TAIL fuse via the left switchpod or (when there's no headlight OFF position) through a strange wire in the left switchpod harness that connects a brown/black wire to a black wire - if that's missing (as on new replacement switchpods) you have to make your own male-male jumper and connect brown/black to black in the connection mess under the tank. Headlight power routes through the right switchpod via the starter switch, then feeds the HEAD fuse on a black/red wire. So look for where you are losing the power: if the solenoid works (electric start works) but the HEAD fuse is not powered you have ignition power at the starter button and either the button has failed (not unusual) or the black/red wire is disconnected - it goes straight from that connector bundle to the fuse box so the only connection is from the switchpod wire to the harness. If the fuse is live on both ends then there's an issue with the black/yellow wire from fuse to left switchpod or the left switchpod high/low switch. Or any of a dozen other things... use a real genuine Honda wiring diagram and it all makes sense. Complicated but complete. The other colored "wiring diagrams" in various books or online are useless for this stuff since they skip a lot of Honda's little tricks like that jumper wire...
Look for simple things too. The labelling in the fuse box is deceptive, if you don't have a spare fuse installed make SURE the unused clip is actually for the spare fuse! Test the fuses, they can look good but be bad.

[nowhere_fast]

Thank you so much for your replies!! I actually found the original manual that came with the bike, which has the wiring diagram in the back of it. (Along with a copy of the loan check, as well as dealer paperwork ..which was on my birthday 35 years ago. Fate?? haha) Anyway, I got the diagram over to my mechanic and he is going to re-check all of it. Thanks a ton Bodi for breaking it down for me. Im actually going to print this out and bring it to him tomorrow. I owe ya!