Fixed! But I don't know how

[xs650newb]

Hey everyone,

I was helping a friend get his 77 XS650 going. It is all original and looks awesome.

There was some electrical issue whereby the bike got no spark, the horn didn't work, the turn signals didn't work, and you get the idea.


I frist troubleshooted the horn because its the easiest circuit. Turns out that the left hand switch wasn't grounding itself when I pushed the horn button. I sanded down the corrosion on the part of the switch that makes contact with the handlebars and everything the horn started working.

Then, to my surprise, everything started to work! How is that possible? Looked at a wiring diagram and couldn't figure it out.

Thanks,
Adam

 

[nj1639]

Only one fuse to the '77 so probably that ground completes the circuit for all?

 

[xs650newb]

Interesting idea.

Are you sayings its possible that all circuits on the bike ground through the left hand switch. Its possible I guess, bit I'd imagine there are other places to ground.

Best,
Adam

 

[XSLeo]

I think on the horn and turns the sanding fixed the horn and the joggling of the housing fixed the turn switch. Maybe knocked the crud out enough to work or wiggled the wires to a point where they made a better connection.
On the spark there now who can say. Perhaps as you were working on the horn you some how bumped the engine stop switch and it made a better connection.
On grounds the only thing that grounds on the bars is the horn button and the starter button.
Electrical can do a lot of strange things. With the issues you have had I might suggest you start at one end of the bike, work your way to the other, inspecting, cleaning, tightening every connection in the wiring harness. A bit of dielectric grease on the connections will help prevent future problems.
Leo