Flat battery bike died

Thanks mate......gonna go and run a ground ( not aground) right now even though its daylight.
You understand electricals far more than me...any ideas on why the RLU bypass wont work on my non hardwired machine?
 
any ideas on why the RLU bypass wont work on my non hardwired machine?
I don't Chris. I think your best bet would be to get a diagram for a pre-RLU bike and wire it up like that. Just take the RLU out completely.
 
All grounds in the headlight do run back to the frame, or at least they should. Nothing gets grounded inside the bucket to the bucket. All black ground wires connect to other black wires that run back to the frame through the main harness.
 
I don't Chris. I think your best bet would be to get a diagram for a pre-RLU bike and wire it up like that. Just take the RLU out completely.
thats outta my league mate...prefer a dull headlight to the non existent one when I pull the plug on the RLU
Anyway I get my big bike back soon, probably monday, its got the headlight from hell!
 
There is a ground wire coming out of the harness in the area around the coils. It is usually connected to the frame on one of the coil mounting studs. You can see it here on the coil's rear mounting stud .....

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There is a ground wire coming out of the harness in the area around the coils. It is usually connected to the frame on one of the coil mounting studs. You can see it here on the coil's rear mounting stud .....

PAzSKOS.jpg

Ahhh yes I see it now!
I was looking at this one that just loopsback to earth itself???
Or maybe earths the condenser?
Dunno but Imm on an earthcleaning mission now.
 
There should be a (black) harness ground it should connect to turn signal stalks via some large solderless lugs. The black headlight wire is also ground and should be plugged into a harness ground. But yes adding to or replacing the harness ground wire won't hurt anything. To give an idea of how old these bikes are; the early bikes 70-71ish did NOT have a harness ground on the fork/headlight, the ground path went through the steering bearings EKE!
Check ground path everywhere, there are lugs to to the engine mounts up at the head under the gas tank. check the battery ground strap they are often rotted inside. As Jim hints try a RLU shunt see if that "fixes" it. Never hurts to R&R switches both the ignition and headlight switches can get funky with age.
 
Well this afternoons little maintenance session was quite productive despite not getting my headlight any brighter.
The only time I can get a real good light beam is if I hold down on the Pass button while riding.

While I had the tank off to clean earths I thought it would be a good time to open up the valve clearances as reccomended on that other site.
So removed all valve covers then the timing cover but while winding the engine over by hand with 17mm spanner I felt the nut securing the rotor come loose
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( hadnt access to a rattle gun when I fitted the rewound rotor)
So borrowed a rattle gun and with red loctite I secured the rotor.
Then set the valves to .012" ex and .006" in .
Had to redo the dodgy valve cover stud but this time locked the stud in with red locite.
Routed the throttle cable as direct as possible, and glued the grips on with contact adhesive..
Set carb mixture screws as per XS2 specs and the fitted the correct spark plugs BP7ES I think from memory .
Result...engine pulls harder throughout rev range due mainly to looser tappet settings giving max compression
 
Rethunk (word for the day)
Rethunk my baffles, after removing entirely the over restrictive baffles in the megaphones the exhaust is just too loud.
A leak at the join on the r/h pipe just exasperates the snap crackle pop on decel overrun as well.
Previous owner as tried jamming fibreglass mat in to sleeve the join and not very successfully either.
Ive bought two 500mm sections of 2 inch exhaust pipe from local muffler shop with intentions of making my own baffles but the prospect of drilling hundereds of holes is ludicrous!
Rethunk...Monday morning I go to a place at Nerang that sells perforated stainless tube!
Buy a metre of it cut in two and wrap with fibreglass mat I already have left over from anothet project and a few tacks with the MIG and Ill have my own free flowing baffles that take out the obnoxious snarkle (another new word)
 
I bet your drill press is happy ya "rethunk" that plan...;)
 
Hey do your Specials have a PASS switch on left switchblock above blinkers switch.
Think its to flash high beam as a warning...my bike having a headlight I can turn off...
The only way I can get a good high beam is to ride with the PASS button pressed in.
 
No PASS switch on my 80 Special. I'd like one though...
 
No PASS switch on my 80 Special. I'd like one though...

Youll have to come to Australia then,
When everythings working properly PASS lights up high beam from either low beam or no beam.
For me it gives a great light as long as I hold the button in...
Ran over a small sapling fallen across my favourite mountain road late last night cos didnt see it in time to stop!
So I just gassed it and rode over it.
Better to hit an obstruction under power than braking I reckon.
Depending on the obstruction I guess,
Sometimes ya gotta call it quick!
Gonna pull headlight later and try to suss if its an earth or switch problem.
It was fine a few nights back.
Not the end of the world .
Daylight now so we gonna ride to Coolangatta Hotel and check out my mates great band , soon to tour Canada again..the Mason Rack Band check em out.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaqTfFKnOmuYiAqqJElzMZQpYIxhgNg8F
Then later ride on down the coast a bit.
Right now having brekky chilli fries at Iron and Resin.
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