Wiring Harnesses

[DarkOnyx]

Sounds like a plan to me.
It'll function, no worries there.

Where are you located? maybe someone around you can help with the bike or the sledge hammer.

I live in central Pennsylvania. And it's damn cold outside!!! I'd love to wrench on this thing over the winter months, but it's just too darn cold and I have no garage.

I'd just like to know more about how motorcycles work and this forum has been a lot of help to me. Thanks all. I believe that if a guy wants to call himself a biker, he should know more than just how to ride a bike, he should also know how to fix it.

I think I have the first part covered. The second part however, leaves much to be desired!

[almarconi]

I believe that if a guy wants to call himself a biker, he should know more than just how to ride a bike, he should also know how to fix it

I agree but I'd be willing to bet most bikers don't work on their own bikes.

[DarkOnyx]

I agree but I'd be willing to bet most bikers don't work on their own bikes.

Really? I was under the impression that most bikers did and I was in the rare minority of bikers that were uninformed about the workings of their wheels. That makes me feel a little better.

All the same, I most definitely need to be more knowledgeable, otherwise I'll get mugged for the bill at the garage. I believe that it was Plato who said:

"Those who do not have knowledge are at the mercy of those who do."

[mike-s]

There are 3 kinda of bikers that i know
1) Those like me that will do what they can within their abilities without a worry, and will try and learn as best they can about how to do something if they don't know how and then will take a crack at it even if they aren't sure (within reason), and failing that they'll take it to a shop after not getting it sorted after 5 months of effort.
2) Those that don't know and don't want to know and just "give it to the guy at the shop".
3) Those that do know but can't be bothered and i can quote one of them on this "I only need the one tool to perform any and all services on my bike or car, my credit card"

Sounds like a plan to me.
It'll function, no worries there.

Where are you located? maybe someone around you can help with the bike or the sledge hammer.

I'm like that, i got very very very close to bringing out the 4lb'er recently with all the headaches my bike has given me.

[DarkOnyx]

I'm like that, i got very very very close to bringing out the 4lb'er recently with all the headaches my bike has given me.

I hear you totally on that. It didn't take too many times being stranded alongside the road with my cell phone trying to find a signal for my beloved GS850 to stop being a renegade, high power fun machine into a 600lb nuisance. It stops being cute REAL quick after I had a shorted electrical wire that damn near made my ride catch fire.

I like this bike, but if it doesn't work it's going to get the sledge (just not too near the gas tank lol). The last thing I want to resort to is eyeballing the damn warhammer in the shop and saying to myself, "Oh GS850... we've had some good times in the past, but now... I regret what it is that I must do...."

[Spyder]

Sorry Onyx, I was just rippin'. You don't sound very dedicated in your other thread.
If you can read, and have a few tools.(and know what they're for) The guy here can help you fix ANYTHING wrong with that bike.

Don't give up on her. Fix it right, make sure it's tight, and ride, ride, ride.

[BassCliff]

Cooking with electrons

Hi Mr. DarkOnyx,

I just wanted to remind you that there is a manual, a wiring diagram, and guides on subjects like stators and regulator/rectifiers on my little BikeCliff website. Check the More Info/Tips/Odds and Ends link and look in the Electrical Odds and Ends page for more information, including how to refresh your wiring harness (Thank you Mr. Matchless!). It might be a good idea to go through the Stator Papers if your charging system is acting up. Keep us informed.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Old Colt]

Just a note from a comment of a few days ago,

There was a shorted battery ground wire.

One thing to keep in mind, If a ground is shorted out. It is a better ground.

What you had was a bad ground. With a bad ground the resistance rises and generates allot of heat. Therefore the insulation is damaged due to high resistance and not due to a short.
This high resistance in the battery ground wire will also blind the regulator from the battery making the charging system work very hard to get power to the battery. Guess what happens then. More smoke is let out.
Most of the time these charging systems do not fail without a reason, they get killed because of an issue somewhere else in the system.
Anyone who looses a stator or regulator needs to go through the rest of the system and find the cause of the failure.