1981 GS450E cannot figure out electrical...HELP

[Guest]

Hu guys,

I just got a 1981 GS450E and cannot figure out the electrical. It sat for 15 years in the sun in California, I got the motor turning over and am now trying to figure out if the electrical wiring is intact. I cannot get any electric to flow thru the system. I am using my car battery and jumping to the battery wires and getting no response from the system, no lights or horns. I cant find any fuses either. I have a few questions:

1. Is there a fuse in the system?
2. What is missing in the picture provided? My bike is in the pic on the left, red arrow pointing to a black wire(marked in red) that doesnt lead to anything, I believe it is a fuse that leads to the starter solenoid but not sure, does anyone know. The pic on the left is the same bike with that wire (marked in red) intact that I found on the internet. It also has a black fuse(marked in blue) that I do not have at all. Does anyone know what fuse that is and where mine should be connected to?
3. Does using a car battery work? It sparked when connected to the power and grounding to the frame for a few tries then all of a sudden stopped. Could I have broken something.
4. Here is a link to the pic in case pic below doesnt work. http://imgur.com/y2ky79i

GS 450 Fuse.jpg

[Steve]

Welcome, congrats on the 'new' bike, hope you didn't have the car running when you jumped the bike.

If you did, you might have killed something.

The picture on the right shows the single fuse (outlined in red). Not sure why yours would have one, trace the wire that you can see, find out where it goes. Go to our 'library', grab a copy of your service manual, and have some 'fun' with your bike.

.

[tom203]

Sometimes the online wiring digrams get messed up, so click on this link. The extra fuse on internet bike could have been for cellphone charger. Note Steve's warning about NOT having car running when you connect to bike's

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=2370B62DDF9F0C6B&id=2370B62DDF9F0C6B%211031&parId=2370B62DDF9F0C6B%211030&o=OneUp

[Gorminrider]

There was one fuse on your bike (15amp) when shipped from factory. This is where it goes....it is the glass fuse in the plastic case in the example you show at imgur.

note the "bullet-type" connectors on either side of it. It's kind of an odd way to go about things but as original, the battery was "stupid" to remove with two wires coming off the battery post and this somewhat helps disconnecting it or replacing the entire fuse unit.

Yes, you can run a motorcyle from a "stand-alone" car-battery in good shape. It's a big help- if the bike is troublesome to start or charging system is poor it saves over-discharging the puny motorcyle battery.

[johnsoma]

Thanks for the replies guys! I just ordered a new ignitiona nd have looked at all the wiring diagrams and think I am close to figuring out how it should have been lol. Are any of you willing to do a facetime or google hangout with me to help troubleshoot? I can show you over video what I am looking at and you can help me get it wired up right. It would be a great help!
If so I should get my ignition sometime next week and any time works for me.

[Gorminrider]

hmm. Just sayin' but you might best keep posting here-you get the widest audience... or, if your "new ignition" is special, a new thread can be a help to the next person that comes around with it.

[Oldman99]

I have the same year and size Gs. I could take alot of pics from my bike and post them to photobucket or something.

[gs rider]

yep the stock fuse is missing, stock is plastic tube type(glass fuse inside ) as in other pic. In other pic looks like they added an extra fuse, the black one. You can use that style to replace the orig stock glass type- 15 amp as i recall. Recently upgraded my sons 81 450 electronics. greg

[gs rider]

yep, stock fuse (plastic tube with glass fuse inside is missing) the other fuse in pic (black one) is an extra. You can use that style to replace original stock one- 15 amps as i recall. Recently upgraded my sons 81 450 electronics with help from this forum.

[johnsoma]

Thanks. How does the fuse route? What does each end connect to?

[Gorminrider]

Thanks. How does the fuse route? What does each end connect to?

You'd better get a wiring diagram but simply put, as Original, it goes to the key switch via the red wire-it deliverrs all power to the bike except the starter motor....there should be a red wire hanging out of the harness that the old glass fuse is (bullet-type) connected to. It's mildly important to use the original connection, because the charging current is also connected to it via another red wire you will see going into the harness from the Regulator/Rectifier.