'80 GS1100E battery cable to solenoid question

[don_gibb6512]

The reality of the connection and the wiring diagram are in disagreement. I'm putting back together an '80 GS1100E and the wiring diagram (along with my '80 GS1000G and a previous '83 GS1100GLD) have the cable running from the battery to the solenoid and then another wire from that connection to the fuse box. This '80 GS1100E has a spliced wire (appears to be OEM) that's connected at the battery and then one connects to the solenoid and the other one runs directly to the fuse box, bypassing the solenoid. There is no direct connection from the fuse box to the solenoid. This is in strict contradiction to the wiring diagram and before I apply power to this beast, I would be very appreciative if anyone with an '80 GS1100E would please look and tell me if this is the way it's supposed to be.

Thanks much.

[Boondocks]

I don't think the circuit that you have described is in contradiction with the wiring diagram. The effect is exactly the same, with the main difference that on your bike the wire to the fuse box branches sooner than the wiring diagram, which branches at the solenoid connection. Since the solenoid and fuse box wire are always hot and are connected together, whether they are connected in series at the solenoid or branch closer to the positive battery terminal is of no consequence. The electrical circuit will behave exactly the same.

Running a wire from the solenoid to the fuse box doesn't protect the solenoid or anything else on the way to the fuse box. Both the solenoid and the fuse box wire are always unfused. It's the wiring on the other side of the main fuse in the fuse box that is fused and protected.

[don_gibb6512]

Thanks !!

Thanks for the explanation. Completely makes sense. Worries of the unknown set aside. :-D

I noticed in your sig that you have a digitial voltmeter. Which one do you have? I had this 5 function digital voltmeter http://www.casporttouring.com/store/...de=Electronics

until it started reading out incorrect voltage. It was nice while it worked but it didn't last 2 years. I've got the old Radio Shack led meter but I'm the kind of person that needs to see numbers, not lights.

Don

[Longimanus]

I don't think the circuit that you have described is in contradiction with the wiring diagram. The effect is exactly the same, with the main difference that on your bike the wire to the fuse box branches sooner than the wiring diagram, which branches at the solenoid connection. Since the solenoid and fuse box wire are always hot and are connected together, whether they are connected in series at the solenoid or branch closer to the positive battery terminal is of no consequence. The electrical circuit will behave exactly the same.

Running a wire from the solenoid to the fuse box doesn't protect the solenoid or anything else on the way to the fuse box. Both the solenoid and the fuse box wire are always unfused. It's the wiring on the other side of the main fuse in the fuse box that is fused and protected.

The wiring on the other side of the MAIN fuse is fused but is still also always hot; all the way up to the ignition switch, correct ? The only item directly connected to that hot cable after the main fuze is the R/R. If so, any reason why the R/R would need to be constantly hot wired ?

[don_gibb6512]

one more question regarding wiring

I've installed the Electrex reg/rec and stator on this 1100E. Is it safe to run the hot wire from the reg/rec to the original connection or should it be run straight back to the battery, with in-line fuse attached ?

Thanks.

[earlfor]

Its best to run the red 12v + output wire from the R/R directly to the + battery terminal. Stator output can be in the 20/25 amp range. I have never installed an inline fuse on the + DC output side of the R/R.

Earl

I've installed the Electrex reg/rec and stator on this 1100E. Is it safe to run the hot wire from the reg/rec to the original connection or should it be run straight back to the battery, with in-line fuse attached ?

Thanks.

[don_gibb6512]

is there no need for a fuse between the RR and the battery?

I was under the impression that this was a good idea. Is it not really necessary then? I didn't know the amp output of the RR but in my '83 1100GLD, I ran this RR with a 20amp in-line fuse to the battery and never blew it.

Thanks.

[argonsagas]

I was under the impression that this was a good idea. Is it not really necessary then? I didn't know the amp output of the RR but in my '83 1100GLD, I ran this RR with a 20amp in-line fuse to the battery and never blew it.

Thanks.

I see no value in having that wire fused. It could be interpreted as saving your battery if the R.R fails, but the bike would usually shut down at that point anyway, and, very often, the stator is burned when the R/R fails.

When mine did that, I pushed the bike to the side of the road, disconnected the R.R, which left the battery on its own, started it and drove on.

[Boondocks]

Thanks for the explanation. Completely makes sense. Worries of the unknown set aside. :-D

I noticed in your sig that you have a digitial voltmeter. Which one do you have? I had this 5 function digital voltmeter http://www.casporttouring.com/store/...de=Electronics

until it started reading out incorrect voltage. It was nice while it worked but it didn't last 2 years. I've got the old Radio Shack led meter but I'm the kind of person that needs to see numbers, not lights.

Don

I have that same one from California Sports Touring. The voltage reading on mine seems accurate, but I've noticed that the clock jumps an hour ahead every once in a while. The temperature gauge is accurate if the bike is moving and plenty of air is moving over it, or parked with a cold engine out of the sun. If parked in the sun with the hot engine air moving upwards, the temperature gauge soars to Death Valley numbers.

I'm mostly satisfied with mine. For about $20, I look at it as an inexpensive toy with practical uses, and don't expect perfection or extra long life. I bought it for the voltage readout, and the other features are useful but not critical. If mine lasts only two years, I'll probably buy another one if they are still available.

[Boondocks]

The wiring on the other side of the MAIN fuse is fused but is still also always hot; all the way up to the ignition switch, correct ?

Yes

The only item directly connected to that hot cable after the main fuze is the R/R. If so, any reason why the R/R would need to be constantly hot wired ?

I take your question to mean that the R/R could be wired to the return side of the ignition switch, so that it had a hot connection only when the ignition switch was on. Since the bike can use the R/R only while running, this might seem to be an option.

My take is that the ignition switch is already a weak link in the wiring scheme, with everything but heavy loads from the starter and R/R running through it. Increasing the amp load running through the ignition switch due to a R/R connection would decrease the reliability of the switch and offer no significant benefit in return.

[Boondocks]

I've installed the Electrex reg/rec and stator on this 1100E. Is it safe to run the hot wire from the reg/rec to the original connection or should it be run straight back to the battery, with in-line fuse attached ?

Thanks.

Using the original connection is fine as long as the connections are kept clean and free of corrosion. Running the hot lead directly to the battery is also OK.

As to the seeming controversy about whether an in-line fuse to the battery is necessary when a direct connection is made, it's a judgment call. Those who don't think that fuses are necessary are free to make any unprotected wiring scheme that they wish and take the consequences, if any. A bike can be run without any fuses, and will work just as well until something goes wrong with the wiring.

A fuse is just cheap protection that may not be needed, but prevents bigger issues if it happens to blow due to a short. The OEM R/R connection runs through the 15A main fuse, so if the R/R or its hot lead were to short out, the main fuse would blow. If I were going to change from the OEM connection to a direct battery connection, I would use a 15 or 20A in-line fuse. The fuse may never blow, but it does no harm and matches the OEM level of circuit protection. To the argument that it isn't needed, neither is a helmet until it is needed, at which point it is a lifesaver (or maybe a death sentence if not used).

The downside of using a fused direct R/R connection to the battery is that if the fuse blows, unless you monitor a volt meter it will not be immediately apparent that there is a problem and that the battery isn't charging. For that reason, I think that the safest and most conservative practice is to stay with the OEM wiring connection, making sure that that it is clean and corrosion free and stays that way. Soldering the connections to the stator and R/R and clean, tight grounding usually solves the problem of corroding OEM spade connectors and melting wires.