Woot!! You guys are the best. So glad I found this forum (And at that, it's next to impossible NOT to -- comes up on almost any Google Search including the terms XS 650 Special). Took Rusty's bucket down completely and removed it. Bill did a thorough cleaning and painted the inside as a rust preventative. Turn signal rewired, rats' nest tamed, but had way too many black wires. Took her back down to just the obvious only-fits-one-way connection blocks, cleaned alt plug-connector style wires so they could show their true colors -- black, brown, and green were indeed all looking black. Migraine averted, headlight reinstalled and everything that should work does.Multiple wire connectors obviously, just check that the wire color corresponds on the male and female connector.
Mostly the colors connect to each other. The left/right indicator wires can be confused. on my bike the wire coming out of the indicator shaft in the headlight bucket is black. Right side connects to the Dg, (Dark green) female wire/connector. Left side connects to the Ch, (Chocolate), female wire/connector.
Dark green and Chocolate wires can be mistaken for black if the wires in the headlight bucket are dirty.
Ya'll have been real lifesavers. Really wish I'd had access to something like this form when I had my original '82 (Course it'd a been a billboard...). Loved that bike. Sold her on payments to a kid who worked for me, and the moron hooked her up to a battery charger with the polarity reversed. Brought her back, dropped off the keys. Which is how I learned about replacing "lost" titles. Took that damn bike down to the frame with a scavenged wiring harness from a long-gone bike junk yard. Never could get her to charge, even after replacing everything but the stator, which checked out perfect. Only way I remember rotter VS stator -- I keep the rotter puller on my desk at the office. (Don't tell me if I've still got that wrong...)You're a jewel among clowns Shelby! 99 out of 100 newbies' here will bombard the garage with question threads 'cause sumpin's broke an' they ain't gotta clue.
You on the other hand, know what "search" means... and more importantly, how to use the damn button. Then you pop up and say thanks for the (in this case) 8 year old answer to your (new) question. Well done newbie!