Two Questions on GS1100GK I just picked up...

[Guest]

Hi All!

Just picked up a 1982 GS1100GK that was sold "non-running." The P.O. said he put 2000 miles on it last year but was riding home from work one day when the bike just died - main fuse blown. He said every time he put a new fuse in it immediately blew. he also said he found and replaced a melted wire (I don't yet see signs of which one) and replaced it with no change.

I got the bike home, stuck a new fuse in the box, and the bike eventually turned over and started up. It ran for about three to five minutes, after which time the main blew. Another fuse blew as soon as it was inserted, BUT after leaving the bike to cool down overnight I was able to again install a fuse and run the bike for another three to five minutes before again suffering a blown fuse.

My question is: Has anyone seen this symptom before and, if so, what was the cause? My gut tells me that perhaps an electrical component like the igniter could be overheating and somehow grounding out but that's just a wild guess. Any educated input here would be appreciated before I begin re-wiring the entire bike (not a bad idea anyway).

My second issue has to do with the exhaust cans. The exhaust on this bike seems to be in decent shape, but something inside the left can has let go because once the bike starts to warm up I get a "jingling" noise as though there's a bolt rattling around in there. Any thoughts or suggestions on possible ways to correct it without mangling the pipe? I haven't looked yet to see if these cans slide off the main pipes but as I recall they don't (and they are the OEM, by the way). Thanks in advance for any advice on either issue!

Regards,

[seuadr]

i had a similar proble mwith my fuses when i first got this bike, a hot line in the headlight housing had been pinched. also had the wires that run from the right engine cover with the ignition stuff in it short out under the bike where it was routed ( mebby improperly? ) to the ignitor.

[Clone]

You own a GS, a multimeter is your best friend now. Start checking your electrical system. Start with the voltage when the bike is running at 5000rpm and go from there. if the PO replaced a burned wire, it should be easy to see where there was a splice made since the wire in the loom is different from what you get at at parts store, look for wires without tracers on them as a starting point.

[TheCafeKid]

Steve im guessing with your tenure and experience here that you have a SHAFTIE manual (I do believe they are all encompassed in the Clymer) with a wiring diagram. I would suggest starting from the main fuse connection, and working your way back, cleaning contacts as you go. I recently found out how fast dirty contacts can effect your wiring system, charging system and every thing in between. Im no electrical guy, so those who know better will probably have more/better suggestions than this, but thats where I, being an electrical dummy, would start.

[Planecrazy]

I DO, in fact, have the necessary manuals and basic experience with electrics so am not worried about doing all the tracing. I just figured if somebody had seen this happen and traced it back to a particular component I'd start there...

Thanks for the initial advice! I don't think it'll take too long before I find the culprit.

Regards,

[TheCafeKid]

On my cafe, I had problems with the actual fuse holder itself making a bad connection. Now, on that particular bike, it ONLY had a main fuse, so if it had a problem, you knew it. Also used the glass type fuses, which I ditched and replaced with a blade type and holder.

[bwringer]

Good find, Steve!

The GK should have the blade fuses, so that's good, perhaps with a bit of cleaning.

I don't recall any "standard" point of electrical failure, so I'm sure you'll dig up a pinched or shorted wire eventually. The sudden failure points to this too. Dirty contacts or bad grounding sort of sneak up more slowly.

I'd imagine the bike is running OK until something vibrates enough to contact something else.

I did see a Honda once with a bad coil -- it would run for a little while, and the coil would get blazing hot and finally stop working.

[bwringer]

Oh, and on the jingly exhaust, I've had good luck (another old Honda) with locating the source of the noise, then drilling a small hole and inserting a long sheet metal screw. This will help secure the loose bits inside.

You can go in from underneath or a hidden area so it's not even visible. This doesn't create an additional restriction unless the baffles inside are so badly deteriorated that they crush or fall apart.

I've also seen a GS with a loose heat shield -- a hose clamp took care of that.

[Planecrazy]

Thanks, Brian, for the sheet metal screw idea - I like that one! The bike is fairly quiet on both sides so I suspect the baffles are still in reasonable condition. I still have to post pics (which I'll try to take tomorrow).

Dinnertime!

Regards,

[rustybronco]

I got the bike home, stuck a new fuse in the box, and the bike eventually turned over and started up. It ran for about three to five minutes, after which time the main blew. Another fuse blew as soon as it was inserted, BUT after leaving the bike to cool down overnight I was able to again install a fuse and run the bike for another three to five minutes before again suffering a blown fuse.

My question is: Has anyone seen this symptom before and, if so, what was the cause? My gut tells me that perhaps an electrical component

I'm going with a bad R/R. disconnect it, charge the battery and try it.

and where are the pictures?

[Steve]

One more tip to toss into the troubleshooting bucket:

First, make sure the fuses are all the correct rating. Since it is only the main fuse, and not one of the lesser-rated fuses downstream from it that is blowing, I would concentrate my search on the rather small portion of the wiring harness between the fuses. If you follow the diagram, current goes from the main fuse to the ignition switch, then back to the other fuses in the box. I think the only other thing tied in there is the r/r, so disconnect it from the circuit and try running it for a while. You might want to pull the headlight fuse to minimize the draw on the battery or connect a charger or jumper cables to the battery. If it does not blow, take a good look at the r/r and its wiring. If it does blow, at least you don't have to look at the entire harness.

.

[Planecrazy]

Good ideas on the R/R ... I'll give it a whirl! I DO have the correct fuses in each slot so there's that.

Pics ARE coming - just been a crazy week so far.

Regards,

[chiphead]

FWIT, I had the exact same electrical issue on my G. Turned out the stator was toast and as soon as it got warm, the main fuse would pop.

On the exhaust, make sure it's the can rattling and not the header pipe. They run a double wall header pipe and I've seen the inside of those rattle.

[TheCafeKid]

FWIT, I had the exact same electrical issue on my G. Turned out the stator was toast and as soon as it got warm, the main fuse would pop.

On the exhaust, make sure it's the can rattling and not the header pipe. They run a double wall header pipe and I've seen the inside of those rattle.

When my stator finally started to go, it burned thru one leg of the wiring, and was cooking the oil in the stator cover. I kept seeing steam coming up thru the starter cover, but i had just washed the bike, so I was thinking maybe i got some water down there and it was just burning off when the motor got hot. Well, a day later after her bath, I was on my way to work, got stuck in traffic on a really hot day, and shut her off so she wouldnt overheat sitting there. She wouldnt start back up. So, she got all new charging components, and the old charging wiring got removed and replaced, as the wires and connections there were shot too...

[argonsagas]

I'm going with a bad R/R. disconnect it, charge the battery and try it.

and where are the pictures?

I have not read the balance of the posts, but the R/R is my first choice, and the suggestion for disconnection is exactly right.