1980 GS 450L, + Battery Lead

[fifthcolum]

This is going to sound so retarded. Where does the positive battery lead connect to the bike from the battery?

I have a 1980 GS450 and I pulled the battery out a couple weeks ago to test a multimeter. It works and the battery had a full charge a few weeks ago (around 13.2V). Now when I tried to put the battery back in, I forgot where the positive lead wire attaches to the bike, and the shop manual doesn't say (I guess they're assuming you know something so simple). At first I had it screwed into an empty screw on the parts holder plate, but when I did that I got sparks when attaching the ground lead to the battery. I called a friend who said the positive lead probably shouldn't be touching the frame at all. There is an empty screw located diagonal to the screw where the negative lead wire attaches to the starter relay, but I don't remember working that hard to unplug the battery and I don't have the nut and washer to screw it on so I don't think that's right. What the hell am I doing wrong??!! Someone please throw me a bone .

Thanks,

Noah

[BassCliff]

Mr. fifthcolum,

The (+) terminal usually connects to the red wire. :-D

If your bike is like mine, the positive battery terminal makes two connections. One is to the starter relay, the other goes through the fuse box to an ouput of the r/r and the ignition switch.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Steve]

There is an empty screw located diagonal to the screw where the negative lead wire attaches to the starter relay, ...

Actually, that is not a negative lead on the relay. :shock:

The wire from the battery does connect to that screw diagonal to what you think is the negative screw. However, that is actually the wire that will carry electricity to the starter when the button is pushed, therefore, it is another positive wire.


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[fifthcolum]

The wire from the battery does connect to that screw diagonal to what you think is the negative screw. However, that is actually the wire that will carry electricity to the starter when the button is pushed, therefore, it is another positive wire.

So does this mean that both battery cables from the battery, positive and negative, should be connected to the same screw on the relay starter, the one that I think is negative screw? I keep getting sparks when I try and jump the battery, I really hope I haven't fried anything . . .

[chef1366]

The negative battery cable should attach to the engine crankcase. The large positive cable goes directly to the starter solenoid. The smaller goes to the R/R.
Does your bike have the double negative wire?

[Steve]

So does this mean that both battery cables from the battery, positive and negative, should be connected to the same screw on the relay starter, the one that I think is negative screw? I keep getting sparks when I try and jump the battery, I really hope I haven't fried anything . . .

NO, you don't want to put both sides of the battery to the same screw! :shock:
That tends to result in a shower of sparks, right before the battery blows up from very quick overheating.
(Been there, done that, no t-shirt, but I have the scarred retinas to prove it. )

As Chef mentioned, the negative lead from the battery will connect to the frame and/or the engine case. The positive lead from the battery goes to one of the large screws on the starter relay. The lead from the other large screw on the starter relay goes to the starter, which is under that shiny cover that is behind cylinders 1&2.

There will be another lead that powers the bike. It might be connected to the positive lead of the battery, along with the starter wire, or it might be at the other end of that wire, at the starter relay (either end of the same wire).

This will keep sparks outside the engine to a minimum. It is best to keep all sparks in the immediate vicinity of the business end of the spark plugs.


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[fifthcolum]

Number 7 is attached to the bike somehow and looks like it could be attached to the crankcase. It does not appear to be a double negative -- it is just one cable without the extra little piece in the microfiche.

Number 10 is just a little wire that I think gets screwed to the plate frame on the same screw as anther little wire that disappears towards the rear tire.

I replaced number 8, because I thought it was too short because I couldn't pull the battery out from the side without disconnecting it. The new cable I got to replace the original number 8 is just one piece of cable without the extra thing that looks like is has electrical tape on it in the microfiche.

Where should number 8 attach to the bike?
Where do the rest of the cables attach to the battery?
Talk to me like I'm stupid, because I can't figure this out for the life of me.

The battery showed 11 and change volts when I tested it with the multimeter an hour or so ago.

I've tried attaching the cables to the battery and the frame in a zillion different combinations with the same result: nothing -- no lights, no ignition and sparks when I try to jump the battery from my car. Sometimes there is a funny trickling sound which doesn't sound good when I have all the cables attached and the battery is warm to the touch. At one point yesterday when I was trying to figure this out, the neutral indicator light and the oil light came on without the keys in the ignition which was really sort of scary.

I'm gonna hold my head underwater until I stop breathing now . . .

[fifthcolum]

NO, you don't want to put both sides of the battery to the same screw! :shock:
That tends to result in a shower of sparks, right before the battery blows up from very quick overheating.
(Been there, done that, no t-shirt, but I have the scarred retinas to prove it. )

As Chef mentioned, the negative lead from the battery will connect to the frame and/or the engine case. The positive lead from the battery goes to one of the large screws on the starter relay. The lead from the other large screw on the starter relay goes to the starter, which is under that shiny cover that is behind cylinders 1&2.

There will be another lead that powers the bike. It might be connected to the positive lead of the battery, along with the starter wire, or it might be at the other end of that wire, at the starter relay (either end of the same wire).

This will keep sparks outside the engine to a minimum. It is best to keep all sparks in the immediate vicinity of the business end of the spark plugs.


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I give up. . . I'll get back to everyone with pictures tomorrow in the daylight . . .

[Steve]

Where should number 8 attach to the bike?
Where do the rest of the cables attach to the battery?
Talk to me like I'm stupid, because I can't figure this out for the life of me.
. . .

One end of #8 will attach to the battery. The other end will attach to the starter relay. As I mentioned before, there will be another wire that attaches at one end or the other (could even be like the one in the picture). That second wire is "the extra thing that looks like is has electrical tape on it in the microfiche". It will lead to the fuse panel to power the main fuse.

"Where do the rest of the cables attach to the battery?"
There should only be two or three cables attached to the battery. As mentioned before, there is one that connects the negative terminal to the frame or engine block. On the positive terminal will be the cable (#8 in the diagram) that goes to the starter relay. There may be a second wire (on the positive terminal) that goes to the fuse panel. (That's that extra piece on #8.)

"Talk to me like I'm stupid..." NEVER. [-(
Ignorant, maybe, but not stupid. Hey, we are all ignorant, but in different areas. Einstein was a brilliant man, but would you want him working on your bike? :shock:
It's a good thing that he worked on the Theory of Relativity instead of me. My theory of Relativity is: If you have a relative in the business...it won't matter.

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[fifthcolum]

Two Questions:
1. Where does this, the positive battery wire, attach to the bike in this picture.

2. Is this wire missing the 2nd little small wire? Is this my entire problem?

I ordered a new OEM positive battery wire which will be here on Tuesday, is there anything to do until then besides kick myself?

Thanks everyone for their help,

Noah

[duaneage]

The heavy wire in your hand goes to the starter solenoid, that brass colored cylinder with the yellow / green wire on it. There needs to be a protection boot on the end so it does not touch the frame. I made my own primary wire from #8 wire, ring terminals, and heatshrink.

[Steve]

Two Questions:
1. Where does this, the positive battery wire, attach to the bike in this picture.

2. Is this wire missing the 2nd little small wire? Is this my entire problem?

Two answers:
1. What is the other end of that wire attached to? It appears to be connected to the starter solenoid (relay), which is that brass-colored cylinder with the yellow / green wire on it. (It's directly below the silver thing with the fins on it.) If that is true, then the end that is in your hand goes to the positive terminal on the battery.

2. The 2nd little small wire does not have to be part of this wire (like it is in the diagram above), it can be a separate wire. Find your fuse panel. It is not on this side of the bike. Somewhere around the fuse panel should be a wire that is a bit larger than the others, probably red. It should have a terminal on the end about the size of the one that's in your hand, it needs to go to the positive terminal on the battery, too. However, as mentioned before, it is possible that the 2nd little small wire might be connected at the solenoid end of the wire, rather than the battery end. Check for that possibility. It is hard to see where the cables connect to the solenoid in your picture, but you should be able to look around the edges and see if there are any other wires connected. If not, you might have to remove the solenoid from its mount to be able to move it around and see. BE CAREFUL, make sure the battery is disconnected before you move the solenoid. You don't want an early fireworks show, July is still 6 months away.


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