"New" '81 GS550 - not turning over

[D-Mac]

Hi all,

I'm an electrical noob so bear with me.....Any suggestions for me about this issue?

I just pickled up an 81 GS550 today ($99 special). I put a fresh battery in her, put her in neutral, all the lights came on, but nothing else happened when I tried to start her (it's electric start only).

If I jump across the main solenoid with a screwdriver (shorting it after removing the rubber caps) I can get the starter to turn over along with the usual sparkly light show. So that means the starter is working, right? I figure that narrows it down to the handlebar starter switch or the starter relay itself perhaps?

I opened the kill switch/starter on the handlebar and lots of little homemade pieces fell out (it was also full of corrison and the plastic had clearly been pryed on by someone; One of the screws was also stripped so I ended up drilling off the head to open the switch). It seems that a previous owner also decided to use bits of a coke can to repair the switch. I then tried to jump various wires within the kills switch/starter, but no combo I came up with would get the starter to turn over (I admit that I wasn't being very systematic about this). Suggestions?

Pic of underneath the kill switch. To start I want these wires to make contact, right?


Pic of the starter portion (button and spring removed). Which wires do I want touching to start it? I assume if I connect the yellow wire to the orange wire coming to the handlebar, it should activate the starter relay.


I removed the starter relay and I'm going to check it out. Should I hear a "click" of some sort if I connect the yellow relay wire (below) and ground to a battery? Also, if I short between the battery and the yellow wire below, it should turn over the starter if the relay is working, correct?


I'm told the charging system doesn't work either, but first things first....

[tom203]

Start looking for replacement switch- PO has probably made yours useless.The yellow wire to solenoid(actually yellow with green stripe) triggers solenoid- if you apply positive power to it. The solenoid is grounded to frame but this connection often fails and no click!
As a temporary measure, get a momentary switch (radio shack, etc.) to trigger the solenoid by bypassing all the stock switches; but take care to always be in neutral AND on centerstand so it doesn't accidentally jump while you are exploring the $99 special.

[Nessism]

Did you pull in the clutch before thumbing the starter switch? The bike has a lock out feature in case you didn't know.

[D-Mac]

Thanks guys.

I thought the bike would start in neutral (without the clutch pulled in). I think that I must have pulled the clutch in on at least one starting attempt, but can't be certain.

Given that the switch is toast, I'll do as you suggest.

[Redman]

circuit is like this:
- fuse to kill switch
- kill switch to ignition and start button
- starter button to clutch swtich (called interlock on schematic)
- clutch swtich to the solenoid
and solenoid "grounded" thru it case bolted to the battery box, and battery box grounded by blk/wht wire from wiring harness.

No invlovment with the netural switch or the kickstand switch (if there is one). But, yah, have to have clutch pulled in.

.

[850 Combat]

Another test for the solenoid is to jump the switch lead to the positive side of the battery and see if it kicks in (the one that looks yellow and white in your photo). That bypasses the switch pod, ignition switch, and clutch switch.

At least you know now that the engine isn't stuck.