Urgent? Kind of

[mo_man19]

Hi everyone,

So new owner of a 78 xs650, just picked it up a few days ago, without wasting your guys' time, I'll skip to the important stuff, it's a very mickey moused "bobber" I like the bike etc, so while riding today bike started stuttering (no white smoke or anything) so I pulled off into a gas station, and turned it off, now when I tried turning it back on my neutral light would not come one, so towed it home.

Now I started checking stuff, grounds (all seem to check out) battery is fine, I'm getting power to my headlight and brake lights, now for a moment while I was moving it and turned the power on the neutral light came on but it would not attempt to turn over, but now I am back at the stage of the neutral light not turning on, so my

1st question: where is the dawn neutral safety switch? Does this year even have one?

 

[Jim]

Left side of the engine, just aft of the cam chain adjuster. The neutral switch just provides a ground for the light when the tranny's in neutral.

...and welcome to the forum!!

 

[mo_man19]

Left side of the engine, just aft of the cam chain adjuster. The neutral switch just provides a ground for the light when the tranny's in neutral.

...and welcome to the forum!!

Thank you, so I'm going to have to find that because the PO re did all the wiring, if I understand correctly, the switch will not prevent the bike from starting? I'm atleast trying to figure out why the light won't come on anymore, atleast to get one step ahead

 

[Jim]

if I understand correctly, the switch will not prevent the bike from starting?

Correct. The safety interlock stuff didn't come along until '81 or so on the XS'

 

[jpdevol]

 

[mo_man19]

Thank you guy for your help, especially the picture, side question, I plan on redoing the electrical, any recommendations on what gauge wire to use?

 

[jpdevol]

I use 16ga copper stranded for most things and solder connectors before crimping (prefer spade, but will use bullet for interfacing OEM stuff as well as block connectors where used). Various simplified schematics in Tech section.

What rectifier, regulator and fuse set-up currently exists?