Understanding the electronic components of my latest project.

[Zoze]

I picked up someone’s abandoned project bike. A 1980 xs650 with electric start ignition. Was running when i got it. But A quick look at the harness shows a mangled mess of custom wires and sloppy component deletions. With the direction I’m going on this project I’ve decided an electronics overhaul was first on the list.

ive never really fucked around with bike electronics, other than some minor relocations and repairs. But I’ve decided to completely redo this from scratch. starting with an 8pin tc bros simplified harness and adding from there, basic tail and headlamps, speedo, keeping the electric start but removing the tach, excess warning lights, unneeded safety relays etc...

Im sure I’ll have some questions about picking the correct wiring diagram but for now, I’m trying to I’d some of the parts/components I have as I try to understand how all this works. This is my first XS and like I said the first time I’ve ever dove this deep into the electric components.

So here’s some things on my bike I’d like explained or identified. (After spending hours looking at various harness diagrams I’ve grown less confident in what I’m starting with,)

this thing with metal humps. What does it do? And what’s it referred to in wiring diagrams?

little black box near the coil, what’s it called?

What does this do and is it needed if I’m just running headlights and tail? (I’ll be keeping a battery if that matters)

Is this the stock alternator/charging system? Still trying to determine what mods have already been made.

This last pic, this is the rectifier/regulator combo yes?

 

[650Skull]

First off, Welcome to the world of XS650's, Zoze.

Don't take this the wrong way. You are showing and asking us what these things are and what they do........Photos of the end of couplings are just couplings...........take photos of the wiring going into the couplings, and take them from a little more distance away. As long as the wires are easily distinguished, and give them a clean if they are rel dirty.

Does pay to identify your bike. Yes you say its a 80 but unless the vin # is properly identified you could have a model either side of what you have been told it is. This is because models spanned 2 years from Aug to July. A lot of people will identify with the date of manufacture as being the model, this can get more confusing when a bike has been re-registered and the production date has been used.

Get a manual..........these help when your waiting for an answer, they can be used to learn about your bike and whats what. also real handy to use when working on the bike to diagnose and/or use for

From top.
1;
Double humped gold looking thing...........Safety relay. This cuts out the starter motor when the engine kicks in............. No your not fast enough to take your finger off the button when it starts without the starter motor staying engaged for a fraction of a second when the engine starts........

2;
if that small 6 pin coupling has 5 wires then it is the Flasher cancelling unit......this automatically cuts off the indicators after a turn........these tend to fail and work when they feel like it. ...........can be removed without any affect to anything else.

3;
Says what it is............this is a safety feature that automatically switches the headlight from, high beam to low beam, or vise versa, if one of the high or low beam filaments blow...........it can be removed and 2 wires jumped to complete the headlight circuit.
Do an advanced search(top right under the inbox), for.........Bypassing the reserve lighting unit........http://www.xs650.com/search/81495073/?q=bypassing+the+Reserve+lighting+unit&o=relevance&c[node]=2
Will find answers in this link

Personally if it is working i like the idea that the headlight stays on if one filament blows......Will work quicker than me, if night riding. If day riding the light stays on and that may save your life if a car, (occupants), can see you because the light is still on

4;
This is your Charging system, and the pick up for the ignition system.
The stater is the main housing, this has the brushes, (4 screws and wires at 9 o'clock) and the rotor is the thing inside that has the 2 copper rings on it. The rotor needs to be tested as they are often suspect and the main component that generates the voltage for the battery charging.............The oblong black thing at 2 o'clock is the ignition pick up. This controls the electrical input for the factory Electronic ignition, (TCI), and this goes to a black box mounted under the battery box.......

5;
Factory, Solid State regulator/rectifier. These rarely fail, if it does there is a cheap alternative. Ask before replacing if it is defective.

 

[Zoze]

Thanks for the detailed response. I'll check my vin in the am and confirm the model year. Your explanation of the components are most appreciated (sorry the photos were shit, they were just taken for my own reference and all I had on my camera roll when I made he post)

.

 

[5twins]

To extend the answer about #1, that's actually 2 relays there. One is for the starter as Skull mentioned and the other is the auto-on headlight relay. This turns your headlight on once the motor starts. I imagine you'd want to do away with that and just install an on/off switch for it.