Identifying the fuse box

[tas850g]

I have a 1979 GS850 and recently blew a fuse while the bike was just idling. My fuse box has 5 fuses with no cover protecting them from the elements. I don't know which fuse supplies power to the bike. The fuse that blew, from top to bottom, is the 4th one down and it is a 20A. After blowing the fuse i had no electricity to anything. I replaced the blown fuse with another and fixed the lack of electricity.

Does anyone have a fuse cover/schematic of this box? I have a suzuki shop manual but can not seem to identify which fuse controls what. I have a very difficult time reading/understanding wire diagrams.

Thanks for your help.

[rustybronco]

The '79 diagram on bikecliffs web site only lists 4 fuses used. the '80 diagram shows 5 fuses used.
my shop manual is at home so I can't look through it ATM. still neither the '79 or '80 diagram shows a 20 amp fuse used. the bike blew a 20 amp fuse, which appears to be the main fuse on your bike because of the complete loss of all electricals.

too big of a fuse installed and it still blows it?
only two probable reasons for that. a wiring short or a bad R/R IMHO.

[tas850g]

That's where i get a little confused, my suzuki shop manual has a comparison between the '79 GS 850GN and the '80 GT. It compares the "differences" between the two bikes. One of them is the fuse box. the 79 has a four fuse and the 80 has a five fuse box. My fuse box def. looks like the GT model. I have a kick start so i'm pretty sure i have the 79. The PO also upgraded to an electronic ignition too.

I need to look at the suzuki shop manual again.

[rustybronco]

I have a kick start so i'm pretty sure i have the 79. The PO also upgraded to an electronic ignition too.
I need to look at the suzuki shop manual again.

with a kick start it would be a '79 model, unless someone changed something, like put a 79 engine in a '80 gs850.
it's the main fuse and it should be a 15 amp fuse in there. now you get to find out why it blows.

[tas850g]

this bike is interesting. I looked over the suzuki shop manual and this are some of the differences:
79 has VM carbs 80 has CV - mine has VM
79 has round front master cylinder - 80 has square - mine has square
79 has one front rotor without vents - 80 has both rotors with vents - mine has both
79 has 4 fuses - 80 has 5 fuses - mine has 5 fuses
79 left handle control is different from the 80- i have the 79 control
79 has points - 80 electronic - i now have electronic.

Short story long.........i will try 10A and 15A and see what happens.

I seem not to have any charging or electrical issue until the blown fuse. I haven't riden the bike much either.

[focus frenzy]

ok this thread is useless without pics!

is front fender chrome or painted? (chrome = 79)

on the steering stem behind the headlight will be a data plate, on that plate it will state date of manufacture.

engine swaps are common and with Suzuki not using matching numbers you can not identify the year model from the engine.

my buddy has a 1127cc oil cooled 83 GS750E and a water cooled 89 1100 katana (he did the swaps this weekend, I need to get him a girl friend)