Can anyone explain this?

HOTEL71

XS650 Enthusiast
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Bike in question is a 1981 XS650-->

in a my previous post entitled
"Gremlins got to my Bike, Need assistance please..Thank you!

I explained how I turned key to on, and hit start button, and got nothing!
no motor turn, no motor sound, nothing!!
but if I take screw driver across the starter solenoid the bike
would start right up
WELL......

I purchased a new start button assembly , and a new solenoid,
installed both, turned key and NOTHING, still the same issue
so obviously its NOT FIXED!!

it then dawned on us,
this started AFTER we installed rubber dampeners(gaskets) on the speedo and Tach from Babbits online
just for shits and giggles, we removed the rubber dampeners, (gaskets) re-installed the speedo and tach
and turned the key Guess what? Start button now works!!


anyhoo I just re-installed the dampeners,(gaskets) re-installed the tach and speedo
then installed a hidden "momentary switch" coming off the solenoid.
Bike starts fine!

so is this the old
"lost ground in the handlebars" thingy I have been reading about for yrs on here?
 
Quite possibly.

I usually run a redundant ground wire off the control screw to a ground on the frame.

The little ground the control body makes and having to go through the usually rubber isolated bars never gave me a good feeling.
 
There always is (was) a factory ground wire from the bars to the bucket where it connects to a main harness ground.
On the later bikes that ground is in the LH control, so
Q #1
Does the horn work?
Q #2
Are your bars painted?
 
There always is (was) a factory ground wire from the bars to the bucket where it connects to a main harness ground.
On the later bikes that ground is in the LH control, so
Q #1
Does the horn work?
Q #2
Are your bars painted?
Q#1--horn works
Q#2--no, stock chrome bars

Like i mentioned it was weird, i removed the brand new rubber gaskets we just installed on the tach and speedo
and whaaaalaaaa start button is now working again
 
So horn working shows you have ground at the handlebars.
Did you open the headlight bucket and check connections?
Turn signals working?
I ask this one cuz it's easy to mix up dark green, brown and black wires in the headlight bucket.
And yeah not coming up with how those rubber gauge mounts change things unless a loose connection in the bucket disturbed while doing it.
 
So horn working shows you have ground at the handlebars.
Did you open the headlight bucket and check connections?
Turn signals working?
I ask this one cuz it's easy to mix up dark green, brown and black wires in the headlight bucket.
And yeah not coming up with how those rubber gauge mounts change things unless a loose connection in the bucket disturbed while doing it.
TEMP fix...wired up momentary button at the solenoid..Turn key, hit button..
bike fires up and runs perfect!!
Thank you everyone for your help!!
 
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