Switch wiring question

[skyhawk04kilo]

I noticed the wiring diagram in the back of my Clymer manual doesn't match the wiring on my bike exactly. A lot of the colors are off, but what's got me confused is the starter button. The wiring diagram says it should have a blue/white wire and a black wire. The switch I have only has the blue/white wire (this is an aftermarket reproduction from Mikes, but I looked at my beat-up original and noticed there is no black wire on the original either). Is the starter button grounded through the switch housing and into the handlebars?

This is a '78 Special with mostly stock wiring.

 

[jayel]

Is the starter button grounded through the switch housing and into the handlebars?

yes the black wires are grounds and is common to any point of the frame, engine, handle bar, ect. so even if it shows a wire it may not actually be there... you will need a ground wire from one of the handlebar risers to wiring loom black or frame

 

[gggGary]

On years with no black on the throttle side, the clutch side has one. On earlier bikes there is (was) a ground wire under one of the handlebar mount bolts under the triple tree.

 

[jayel]

On years with no black on the throttle side, the clutch side has one. On earlier bikes there is (was) a ground wire under one of the handlebar mount bolts under the triple tree.

77 shows a wire, 78/79/80/81 doesn't, 82/83 does.... and then you have painted handlebars show up every so often

78/79 E & F Standards do SE & SF don't damn Haynes

 

[retiredgentleman]

On my 78 Special, a ground wire (black) comes in from the headlight bucket common ground wires, and connects to the turn signals switch. That same ground, grounds the handlebars which provides ground for the starter button.

 

[skyhawk04kilo]

I've got some lovely black painted handlebars. I'm going to run a wire from one of the switch housing bolts to a common ground in the headlight bowl.

Thanks for all the quick replies!

 

[hmusket]

I painted the handlebar on an xs1100 I had 6 years ago, put them back on the bike, starter button didn't work any more. Would start across the solenoid, could push it (pant,pant,pant) pop the gear and start it. But not the starter button. Took the right switch off, checked continuity, everything AOK. I day later I woke up at 6 in the morning, "Damn, how stupid of me." Grabbed a little piece of sand paper, sanded the handlebar where the switches make contact. Amazing, the starter button worked.

 

[XSLeo]

Wiring diagram show how thing are electrically. The way things are on the machine are very different.
The start button in the diagram, the ground wire just represents the ground path.
On the bike the ground path is through the handles bars, early models used the bar risers and a wire around to the upper tree, later models ran an actual wire from the left side switch housing down into the harness ground in the headlight bucket.
Leo