The bolts under the plugs? Yes. Plugs out. Points/advance weights covers off. I used a 1/4 drive and standard length socket. It won't clearance to get them all the way out, but that's what your fingers are for! Good luck....
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'80 Special Refit
- Thread starter Solomoriah
- Start date
In regards to the unplugged connector in the bucket. If it's black, it's a ground. Find an open ground female connection and plug it in......otherwise, determine the color of the wire and and find an open match.
On torquing the head bolt next to the spark plug.
On a TCI engine I pop the cam end covers and the housings off.
On a TCI engine I pop the cam end covers and the housings off.
If you mean what looks like a black wire in the center, that's probably a ground for something. Trace it backwards to see what it's coming from. There are a couple double bullet connectors for grounds. You can see the grounds from your headlight and turn signals running to them in your pic. There should be enough connection points for all the ground wires. In fact, I see an open spot in the double bullet that the headlight is ground is connected to.
But, examine the wire carefully, maybe clean it too, because one of the turn signal wires is what Yamaha calls "Chocolate", and it is a very dark brown, almost black. It's easily mistaken for a black ground wire. And if it is the "chocolate" turn signal wire, that could explain one side not working. That wire powers the left side signals.
But, examine the wire carefully, maybe clean it too, because one of the turn signal wires is what Yamaha calls "Chocolate", and it is a very dark brown, almost black. It's easily mistaken for a black ground wire. And if it is the "chocolate" turn signal wire, that could explain one side not working. That wire powers the left side signals.
Solomoriah
XS650 Addict
You are welcome, sir!
For those who might be interested, here's the "before" picture of my front end again:
And after:
They aren't perfect, but they are a lot better. I think I can live with it.
Next up will either be the retorquing or the resoldering... next week, I'm sure, as I'm rather busy with non-motorcycle activities this weekend.
For those who might be interested, here's the "before" picture of my front end again:
And after:
They aren't perfect, but they are a lot better. I think I can live with it.
Next up will either be the retorquing or the resoldering... next week, I'm sure, as I'm rather busy with non-motorcycle activities this weekend.
To get things really straight, I remove the headlight bucket and insert a length of all-thread between the ears double nutted at each one. Measure the width of the bucket and set the inner nuts on the all-thread at that. Then tighten the outer nuts and it will bend the ears parallel to one another again.
Solomoriah
XS650 Addict
I wondered about that. As I said, I haven't found it yet... it goes to the left pod, source of all my current lighting issues.
That one, I found. I got the left signals working by hooking the dark green wire up to the left side chocolate harness, after unplugging the unmistakably chocolate brown wire from the left pod. I did try that black wire in that harness, just in case the colors were off, but it's not the problem.
Now that the pod is apart, I should really be able to find that wire...
... okay, I went back and looked again. The only wire that color inside the left pod is connected to the white thingie that the leading edge of the turn signal lever slides into... the bit with the spring that pushes the turn signal button out. Is that part of the auto-canceling feature I read about in the manual?
Solomoriah
XS650 Addict
Ah, most excellent answer! I may very well have to do this!
My technique is similar to 5twins....
Btw..... I keep forgettin' to mention it..... I'm also going through an 80 SG Special.
If you're still having trouble with the flashers not working consistently, in the switch on the left bar there are three wires that are soldered into little cups. Those usually need to be resoldered for dependable signals. You'll probably be able to just pull at least one of them out of its cup.
Any of you front end guys got a suggestion for deleting the trim piece across the front with the nameplate on it? Seems like anytime I want to do anything up there it's in the way. E.g cant remove the brake without removing the wheel, forks with it on. Purplezinger did it to his '83 but I wasn't able to figure out just how.
The Standard models come with just a simple chrome cover for each fork without the connecting nameplate. Essentially you have the same there except they're attached with the name plate.
Prolly best to find some Standard covers.
Great discussion on several points! I really like the headlight ear straightening method.
I had a devil of a time telling the difference between black and chocolate wire colours - and that caused exactly the same sort of grief that Solomoriah is having. Basically, I was reduced to simply plugging and playing until everything worked - and I ran through a fair number of fuses in the process.
Yes, I know there are better ways of doing this - but it was cold, I was tired and well...you know.
I had a devil of a time telling the difference between black and chocolate wire colours - and that caused exactly the same sort of grief that Solomoriah is having. Basically, I was reduced to simply plugging and playing until everything worked - and I ran through a fair number of fuses in the process.
Yes, I know there are better ways of doing this - but it was cold, I was tired and well...you know.
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Solo,
Happy to see you started this thread, you’ll like having all your info in one continuous flow.
Did you ever figure out where that unplugged bullet connector goes? I noticed a double female plug that only has one male plugged in, I can’t tell the color from this photo.
Happy to see you started this thread, you’ll like having all your info in one continuous flow.
Did you ever figure out where that unplugged bullet connector goes? I noticed a double female plug that only has one male plugged in, I can’t tell the color from this photo.
Solomoriah
XS650 Addict
This is, in fact, the problem; I think I mentioned that above.
Solomoriah
XS650 Addict
The black wire goes to the white thing with the spring in it that pushes the turn signal button out. No idea what it's for.
That is the ground wire for the entire housing. Since it is attached to the housing with a screw, it grounds the entire thing and anything connected to it. That includes your horn button. The horn button provides a ground for the horn circuit when pushed, and then the horn beeps.
The left housing also provides the ground for the right (throttle side) housing. It transfers through the bars from housing to housing once they're clamped in place. This wire retaining clip makes the ground connection with the bars .....
The right housing requires a ground for the starter button. Many have issues with losing function of the starter button when they change to painted handlebars. That's because they've cut the ground feed through the handlebars now. Those wire retaining and grounding clips in each housing are no longer making contact with the bars because of the paint. The solution is simple - clean the paint off the bars where the grounding clips make contact.
The left housing also provides the ground for the right (throttle side) housing. It transfers through the bars from housing to housing once they're clamped in place. This wire retaining clip makes the ground connection with the bars .....
The right housing requires a ground for the starter button. Many have issues with losing function of the starter button when they change to painted handlebars. That's because they've cut the ground feed through the handlebars now. Those wire retaining and grounding clips in each housing are no longer making contact with the bars because of the paint. The solution is simple - clean the paint off the bars where the grounding clips make contact.
Looks to me like where it goes. I think all those male single bullets are black and ground. (from memory)
If you take every connector loose in the bucket you can remove the bucket, and use a brush on a drill on the rust inside. Follow that with "Rust Reformer" spray from Walmart. Gives it a matte black finish that lasts and looks a lot better than that rust. Putting it back together, each connector is unique -- it's impossible to connect something to the wrong connector.
After cleaning the inside of the bucket, I like to paint it with something lighter so it's easier to see in there. I usually use white or silver and just brush paint it because it's never seen. A smooth, good looking finish isn't important, just total coverage is.
