Topic: What now? Electrical problems!

[Duanob]

1976 CB550K


When I bought this bike a couple months back I knew the running lights, signals, horn didn't work but the starter, headlight and tail light and starter button worked, so I thought it was something simple. I tore a part the front end rebuilt and painted and put everything back together. I noticed the corner signal lights were never hooked up insdie the bucket. I thought that was an easy fix. Not so easy, when I hooked them up they shorted out the main fuse (red wires). I replaced the fuse and it blew it again. I disconnected the signals and replaced the fuse and it didn't blow but I have no starter! Is there a relay or some other electrical thingymabob I could blew? I know it worked fine before so I don't think it's the starter just not getting power to it. I'm stumped and am seriously thinking of taking the bike in to fix the electrical.

I tried the lights directly hooked up to the battery and they all work fine just not hooked up on the bikes harness. Electrical gremlins are something I hate dealing. I do have a tester can anybody give me an idea where to start? Funny, I thought a bike would be simple but I am stumped.

[kslrr]

Do you have a manual with which you can refer to the electrical diagram?  That is your first thing to do.  When trouble shooting, break things down into systems/components.  Don't try working on the entire system at once.  Check for chafes in the wiring.  Measure for grounding where it should not be: only green wires are grounded.  Keep us posted.

[Duanob]

Thanks for the reply. I have a diagram but that's not to say the PO didn't put a different component like a left and right controls. I have a couple of wires that don't go to anything on my schematic. I've tried running down a short or bare wire. I installed a 30AMP fuse and got the starter to kick for a second until that fuse blew. Frustrating. I know it's a grounded wire somewhere but I just can't find it. How do you measure for grounding?

[kslrr]

Disconnect the battery (remove "-" side first).  Then measure between a suspected wire and the frame.

[Duanob]

Thanks kslrr. I think I mgiht have found the problem. I have a bare wire going to the starter button grounding on the handle bar. If I assume that the wires going into and out of the button are hot then this very well might cause a blown main fuse? I put some liquid electrical tape over the bare spot and wrapped the handlebar under the control switch in tape. Waiting for it to dry and put it back together to see. Cross your fingers!

D