Shorted Black/White stripe wire

[StinkiestBink]

I just picked up a 1981 GS 650 G. While putting a new battery in it, a black wire with a white stripe hit the positive terminal and had a serious meltdown, (Lots of smoke). Now nothing works, (did before). I believe that it is connected as a ground to all electronics?? I have no idea where to start. Anyone?

Thank you,
Jarrett

[earlfor]

Black/white wires are normally device ground wires. The only black/white wire in the vicinity of the battery I can think of would be a lighting circuit ground or an ignitor ground.
Check your fuse box for burnt fuses and replace the section of wire that burned and reconnect it to ground.

Earl

I just picked up a 1981 GS 650 G. While putting a new battery in it, a black wire with a white stripe hit the positive terminal and had a serious meltdown, (Lots of smoke). Now nothing works, (did before). I believe that it is connected as a ground to all electronics?? I have no idea where to start. Anyone?

Thank you,
Jarrett

[StinkiestBink]

Fuses are ok and I am not sure how to test the ignitor unit. the black and white wire actually goes all the way up the wire harness. When I test for gound between the Wire and the frame, there is connectivity.

Thank you

[Redman]

Black with White wire is a ground wire, meaning hthere should be continuouity with it and the bike frame because the other end of the Blk/Wht wire should be connected to the frame (and battery negitive also connected to frame.)

You say the blk/wht wire hit the positive terminal of battery. Yes, that would be perrty much like taking a wire directly from positive terminal to the negitive terminal of the battery, would then expect it to draw lots of amps thru that wire and try to heat the wire like a toaster element and melt off the insulation. I dont think you need to look at fuses or worry about other devices being damaged, all that current went thru the ground wire to the ground (frame). What you do need to be concerned about is that the graound wire heated up enough to burn off insulation and may have melted insulation off some adjacent wire in the wire harneess. So follow that ground wire back theru harnes untill you find where it is connected to the frame, may have other wores damaged along the way.

Also were was that blk/wht wire suppose to be connected to? I am assuming it was the connector on end of wire that hit the battery terminal, so it wasnt connected to where it was suppose to be.

[StinkiestBink]

I followed it back quite a ways, and only found it to be melted near the end that hit the battery. I managed to get it running though. After i went through all of the wiring and cleaned up a few loose ends, it fired up. One of the fuses was not seating correctly either. Maybe that was my problem all along? ...although it seems quite coincidental. I don't know what the wire is supposed to be connected to. I just bought the bike and there were wires hanging everywhere. I ended up grounding it to the frame. Now it just runs rough, so i am cleaning the carbs. idles erratically too.

thanks for all the help!