help me get it started again

[CCC-TT]

I was trying to start my bike tonight (owned for less than 48hrs) and accidentally turned the key past the normal ignition point... This apparently blew some fuses because afterwards I would get no response from putting the key in at all and at one point the handlebars locked up like a steering wheel in a car does. btw, the bike is an 80' gs550l

Now to my questions:

-did turning the key that far have anything to do with blowing the fuses and if so, why?

-it blew the main fuse as well as the headlight fuse. the headlight is 10A if I remember correctly but the main fuse had been scratched off where it said. Does anyone know what specific fuse I should buy tomorrow?

-and this may be dumb but do they sell those glass fuses at AutoEtc. stores? I ask because this is my first motorcycle and I'm only used to working on cars.

Thanks for the help

[JEEPRUSTY]

Welcome tot he forums you will get a official welcome soon.
Till then you can noarrow things down by using the advanced search function. Use an appropriate string and search in titles only.

[JEEPRUSTY]

If you turned the key far enough then the steering lock engaged. Normal thing to happen.

Blowing fuses is not normal however.

[tkent02]

Should not have blown any fuses, there are two positions which lock the steering, one is all the way left, this just locks the steering with everything off. All the way right locks the steering and turns on the tail light.

They are all 10 amp fuses except for one 15 amp.

[CCC-TT]

i should mention that right before this happened I was trying to push start it... idk if that would affect anything.

[JEEPRUSTY]

Pushing it shoould have done nothing.
Corrosion can build up and wreak havoc on switchs and connecctors.

I had my ignition switch short out because the modular connecctor in the headlight bucket melted.

We assume fromt his you have no battery ? I am pretty sure these things are sposed to be run with a viable battery.

Got pictures and such?

Please click here for your mega-welcome, chock full of tips, suggestions, links to vendors, and other information. Then feel free to visit my little BikeCliff website where I've been collecting the wisdom of this generous community. Don't forget, we like pictures! Not you, your bike!

Is the welcome Basscliff gives read and learn. Do not despair someone with lectrical chutzpah will come along and help though maybe not tonight. They all out looking at the moon.

[CCC-TT]

got a battery, the carbs need a cleaning which I havent gotten to yet (only had it for 48 hrs). Ive ran some things through the fuel system to clean it and had good results as far as starting but ignorantly wasnt aware of the "air cooled" concept and sat by like a 3yr old while the engine made all kinds of smoke wondering where this mystery smoke was coming from. Hopefully I didnt cause too much damage letting it sit by and smoulder. But back to the fuses...

-out of the 4 fuses, the bottom 3 say 10A while the top one has been scrtched off. The top one has been pulled off and says 20 on the fuse itself but someone earlier said something about 15A... I'm going to go with what was in the bike until it blew (20A) unless someone can correct me. It is the fuse labeled MAIN.

any help is appreciated

Thanks

[tom203]

As mentioned, turning key all the way to right,locks bars and turns on taillight. If fuse blew, suspect wiring at switch or along path to taillight. Fuse should be 15 amp, not 20, so suspect PO owner might have changed it for reason. Follow the link to Basscliff's to scoop a readable wiring diagram.

[bwringer]

Signs point to a wiring issue in the area where the wires run up to the headlight bucket. When you turn the handlebars one way or the other all the way, it flexes the wiring bundle. You'll probably find a chafed wire that's shorting to the frame, or two wires that are shorting to each other. Remove the tank, get a good light on the subject, and start looking around.

The 20A fuse won't really hurt anything (it'll blow just as fast with a dead short), but I believe a 15A fuse is correct.

[CCC-TT]

Awesome. Thanks for all the help guys. Found frayed wires going to the taillight so I'm going to assume that was my issue. Headed to the store to get some fuses and hopefully have her running in an hour or so.

[CCC-TT]

Bad news. i got the new fuses and fixed the wiring to the taillight and still no response when I put the key in and turn it. I'm lost right now as far as where to even start looking.
I noticed the wiring to the fuel gauge had been hacked previously so I fixed that too and while the tank was off I looked around at all the other wiring and everything appeared to be ok.
Where should I look next?

Thanks

[81gs1100]

Bad news. i got the new fuses and fixed the wiring to the taillight and still no response when I put the key in and turn it. I'm lost right now as far as where to even start looking.
I noticed the wiring to the fuel gauge had been hacked previously so I fixed that too and while the tank was off I looked around at all the other wiring and everything appeared to be ok.
Where should I look next?

Thanks

I would check the ground wires. Check the battery ground connection, and then check all over ground connections to the frame. I have ran a few extra ground wires to the frame after first trying to start mine for the first time. If some ground wires don't have a good connection it could heat the others to the point of smoking.

[CCC-TT]

Just got it going. Apparently it was the fuse that sits by itself above the other 4 (not sure what its called). The weird thing is that the fuse wasnt blown, a little corroded but not blown. I replaced just to see what would happen and it worked so I'm happy.

[81gs1100]

Well that should be a sign to check all other connections for that bad stuff. Glad to know you have power back

[tom203]

Just got it going. Apparently it was the fuse that sits by itself above the other 4 (not sure what its called). The weird thing is that the fuse wasnt blown, a little corroded but not blown. I replaced just to see what would happen and it worked so I'm happy.

It's called the "warning fuse"- it warns you to check all the connections or suffer the consequences.