What a moron, I amaze myself sometimes

[oldpara]

I put a new stator in my 80 550, bike runs, voltages seem ok but I want to check and clean connections again....
Get everything checked/cleaned and I'm reconnecting the wires to the stater relay when I have an apparent idiot moment and put a ground wire from the harness on the terminal going to the starter.

OK, done, great! Fire it up and an incredible smoke plume, like the kind you see after a 500lb ariel bomb detonates. Nice mushroom.
Key off immediately and survey the damage.
Two wires were fried, stripped of insulation so I peel back the tape on the harness, isolate the wires and see that it is the black/white wire from the tail section with a crimp connecting three or four (now I'm not sure) other black/white wires going forward in the harness.
From the crimp back everything looked good/fresh, I replaced the wires that were fried, hooked everything up again properly I belive.

I do now have one ground wire not connected cause I'm not sure what or if it does anything.
Bike fired up everything functions except my left directional.
Light comes on but doesn't blink. I can hear the relay click on but that's it. The bulb is good.
The right directional works fine. Relay clicks on and off.
I touched the wayward ground wire to ground while trying the directional but it had no effect.
I'm thinking I should replace the relay.
Is the relay something off the shelf at AutoZone?

Thanks

[JEEPRUSTY]

If the relay is working fine for one side then the problem is likely in the wiring.
Do the lights ont he bad side both illuminate?

[oldpara]

Yes, the directional lights work. The left light comes on.
The left one just doesn't blink.

[refeicul]

i remember something like that happening to me over the winter it turned out to be a bad ground in the bulb socket..

try running a lead from the - terminal to the light and see if it changes, same for the rear. it dosent have to be routed or anything just to test it

now if one side blinks and the other dosent i think the relay is good but im no electrical genius i just keep poking around till it works. i think you can find a suitable replacement at an auto parts store

[oldpara]

yea, I'm no electrician either.
I checked the plug going into the relay, with the key on i'm getting the same voltage to the plug for the left and right using the directional switch, so there I am.
I wonder if there is a way to check the relay itself with a V/O meter ?

[refeicul]

ya thats why i suggested checking the voltage at the socket if both the left front and left rear are both on id say a bad relay. if the front is on and not the back a bad connection.

[oldpara]

Am I missing something ? Is there a seperate relay for the front directionals ?
I've been checking the relay under the left side cover. Battery side.