sometimes work starter somtimes works help please

[1987notchback]

hey guys i need your help. just bought a 1980 xs650 and i am having electrical issues.
when the key is in the on position the tail light works, the headlight does not. the signals work once every 5-10 attempts and some times just stay light up. the horn works but the electrical start does nothing. i tried swapping in spare used parts but it just did the same. what could it be? thanks mike

 

[deadchef]

when the key is in the on position, the tail light will light up and the head light will stay off until the bike is started. as for the turn signals, not sure if you tested them with the bike running or not. if the bike is not running and it's an older battery i have found the same results you had. but they work fine when the bike is running. as for the starter you need to start checking connections and the starter button for good contact.

 

[XSLeo]

Have you browsed through the tech section? Up at the top of the page is an XS650 TECH button. It leads to a list of topics with links to answers for many problems.
Leo