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    Dead, something electrical....

    So, this morning I went out and fired it up. Let it warm up a few minutes, then shut it off. When I was ready to head to work, I tried to start it. The dashlights came on when I turned the key, then it clicked when I hit the button. This happens sometimes, so I took off the seat and tightened the battery connections. Still nothing, no lights, no click, no nothing…….

    Lately the low beams haven’t been working, so I just use the highbeams ‘til I fix it.

    Push started it and it started – sort of. It was like it was running on one cylinder and the lights on the dash were flickering. When I turned off the highbeams, it died. Pushed it again and sputtered around the block back to my driveway, with the occasional pow through the exhaust of unignited fuel.

    Don’t know what it is, but I expect it has something to do with the connection in the headlight. I’ll check the fuses when I get home, look in the headlight for anything obvious…..

    Any ideas? I’m not great at maintenance and this beast (’82 GS1100E) always does what it’s told and runs great (normally), but there are folks here that know this stuff in their sleep, so………
    "When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist." Bishop Helder Camara

    "Beware of the man with only one gun. He probably knows how to use it."

    http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...dStatesMap.jpg

    82 GS1100E....black w/WC fairing and plenty o corrosion and low levels of attention

    #2
    Bert, what is the battery voltage reading?
    (I'm going home now, back in a few)
    De-stinking Penelope http://thegsresources.com/_forum/sho...d.php?t=179245

    http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...35#post1625535

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by rustybronco View Post
      Bert, what is the battery voltage reading?
      (I'm going home now, back in a few)
      This I do not know.
      "When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist." Bishop Helder Camara

      "Beware of the man with only one gun. He probably knows how to use it."

      http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...dStatesMap.jpg

      82 GS1100E....black w/WC fairing and plenty o corrosion and low levels of attention

      Comment


        #4
        how were the fuses?

        do you have a battery charger, or another vehicle and some jumper cables?
        if you have just the jumper cables, connect them to a non running vehicle let your bike "charge" from the vehicle for a while then try to start your bike. what happens then?

        If you don't have jumper cables, 12 gauge romex makes a poor mans set of jumper cables, just keep the polarity correct!
        De-stinking Penelope http://thegsresources.com/_forum/sho...d.php?t=179245

        http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...35#post1625535

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by Bert Patterson View Post
          This I do not know.
          That's probably it - the battery died
          1978 GS 1000 (since new)
          1979 GS 1000 (The Fridge, superbike replica project)
          1978 GS 1000 (parts)
          1981 GS 850 (anyone want a project?)
          1981 GPZ 550 (backroad screamer)
          1970 450 Mk IIID (THUMP!)
          2007 DRz 400S
          1999 ATK 490ES
          1994 DR 350SES

          Comment


            #6
            Anybody you can borrow a volt meter from? Or run out and pick up a cheap one...you can get a functional meter for $15-20...

            But the battery would be the first suspect...assuming its more than a couple of years old...
            Bob T. ~~ Play the GSR weekly photo game: Pic of Week Game
            '83 GS1100E ~ '24 Triumph Speed 400 ~ '01 TRIUMPH TT600 ~ '67 HONDA CUB

            Comment


              #7
              charging system... my bet.
              or a bad ground.
              Last edited by rustybronco; 04-07-2009, 07:50 PM.
              De-stinking Penelope http://thegsresources.com/_forum/sho...d.php?t=179245

              http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...35#post1625535

              Comment


                #8
                I haven't checked anything yet. I've been lotsa dad. I'll go out in the morning. The battery is a year old. It was very strong when I started it first thing in the morning, then after shutting it off for twenty minutes, I turned the key and hit the button and it all died. When I push started it, it barely ran on one lung (though not at all like a great '20s one lunger launch......really sh!tty).
                "When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist." Bishop Helder Camara

                "Beware of the man with only one gun. He probably knows how to use it."

                http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...dStatesMap.jpg

                82 GS1100E....black w/WC fairing and plenty o corrosion and low levels of attention

                Comment


                  #9
                  Mine's done this before, loose main fuse or otherwise loose wiring causing the battery to not supply power. I ended up taking my side panels off so I could jiggle the fuse if it wanked out on me during test rides.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Thank you, thank you............I will ammuse my daughter in the morning while I poke around. I really don't like to go a full day without a bike...it's probably why I always used to have at least two, but I don't right now.
                    "When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist." Bishop Helder Camara

                    "Beware of the man with only one gun. He probably knows how to use it."

                    http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...dStatesMap.jpg

                    82 GS1100E....black w/WC fairing and plenty o corrosion and low levels of attention

                    Comment


                      #11
                      I suck, but this bike never ceases to amaze me. Checked the battery, checked fuses, checked other stuff............it was the point on the negative terminal where the cable meets the little ring-thing. It had electrical tape around it, but had pulled apart. Took it apart, reattached it, crimped it, perfect.......
                      "When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist." Bishop Helder Camara

                      "Beware of the man with only one gun. He probably knows how to use it."

                      http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...dStatesMap.jpg

                      82 GS1100E....black w/WC fairing and plenty o corrosion and low levels of attention

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by Bert Patterson View Post
                        I suck, but this bike never ceases to amaze me. Checked the battery, checked fuses, checked other stuff............it was the point on the negative terminal where the cable meets the little ring-thing. It had electrical tape around it, but had pulled apart. Took it apart, reattached it, crimped it, perfect.......
                        This is a good illustration of how a lot of us here (and I include myself) tend to overanalyze problems, particularly electrical ones on our bikes.

                        Loose wires/corroded connectors should always be the first thing checked, as they're far and away the most common issues on a 25-30 year old bike. There may be other issues that pop up eventually, but no matter how well your stator is charging or your regulator is regulating or your battery is cranking, it's all for naught if the electrons can't get to where they're supposed to go.

                        Don't take this wrong Bert, but as a relative "dummy", you "didn't know any better" and fixed your problem quickly.
                        sigpic

                        SUZUKI:
                        1978 GS1000E; 1980 GS1000G; 1982 GS650E; 1982 GS1100G; 1982 GS1100E; 1985 GS700ES
                        HONDA: 1981 CB900F Super Sport
                        KAWASAKI: 1981 KZ550A-2; 1984 ZX750A-2 (aka GPZ750); 1984 KZ700A-1
                        YAMAHA: 1983 XJ750RK Seca

                        Free speech is the foundation of an open society. Each time a society bans a word or phrase it deems “offensive”, it chips away at that very foundation upon which it was built.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Way to go Bert!

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Sounds familiar. Bathsheba refused to even click yesterday. While removing the solenoid yesterday, I noticed the coil wire I had inadvertantly unplugged the night before. Bada bing, bada bang. Problem solved .

                            Don't you wish they were all that easy ?

                            Originally posted by Bert Patterson View Post
                            I suck, but this bike never ceases to amaze me. Checked the battery, checked fuses, checked other stuff............it was the point on the negative terminal where the cable meets the little ring-thing. It had electrical tape around it, but had pulled apart. Took it apart, reattached it, crimped it, perfect.......

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Good job Bert. As Brett already pointed out we tend to expect the worst when it comes to electrical gremlins on these bikes. It usually ends up being something simple.

                              Comment

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