electrical problem. please help

[propayne7]

The bike is a '81 GS550T. When I got the bike, everything was working great except the carbs needed cleaning and synching. however after taking the carbs off i must have messed up a wire or something because now when i turn the key, all that comes on is the neutral light and oil light and it will tell me what gear the bike is in. i get no blinkers, no head light, no brake lights, no start or anything.

i have checked all the fuses and started chasing some wires but have no clue as to what to look for. any ideas?

[Raven457]

Sounds like you've got a wire pinched or shorted.

I'm chasing something similar on my '80 GS850GL - headlamp worked fine when I test drove it, but now after getting her home the head and rear lamps are dead, the brake light works (but only from the foot pedal), and the turn signals only work if I disconnect the turn signal control unit. Color me confused, for sure.

[blo]

ditto on what Raven said

Find the schematic and find out which wire these lights have in common (prob. ground)
Locate that wire!

best of luck
-blo

[BassCliff]

Greetings and Salutations!!

Hi Mr. propayne7,

My usual recommendation is to check and clean every electrical connection and ground on the entire wiring harness, from headlight bucket to tail light, including the fusebox and ignition switch. You've got almost 30 years of corrosion in those connections. I know, it's a pain, but you'll be glad you did. There's lots more GS lovin' on my website. Here's my "welcome thang"...

Here is your very own magical, mystical, mythical, mind-expanding "mega-welcome". Please take notice of the "Top 10 Common Issues", the Carb Rebuild Series, and the Stator Papers. Now let me roll out the welcome mat for you...

Please click here for your mega-welcome, chock full of tips, suggestions, links to vendors, and other information. Then feel free to visit my little BikeCliff website where I've been collecting the wisdom of this generous community. Don't forget, we like pictures! Not you, your bike!

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Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff