ran great....then died! help

[Anonymous]

Not a GS question but this one needs to run so I can sell it and pay off the GS. Bike is a '77 Honda CB550 F. Cleaned/polished it up yesterday, wired up an electric start button. Rode it around the block a few times to clear it up since it hasn't been run in a few months. Got it running up to par and let my Bro on it to take it around the block. I noticed the tail light go out just as he got to the top of first gear...and thought thats odd. Then he just coasted to the side fo the street. Currenly the bike has no accessories on. Battery is fully charged. When the key is in the on position it doesn't appear to have any power on but I found 12V going across the main fuse. None across the head or tail light though. with the main I would think it should still run. The electric start button(push-pull) still has continuity when in the on position too...so it doesn't seem to be a problem with that. Does anyone have any idea what I should check next...right before this I had just gotten off the phone setting up a time to meet an interested party...on SUNDAY! Please HELP

Trevor

[Anonymous]

Go through the wiring schematic and see what the common hot wire and ground is to all that is not functioning. Are the turn signals still working? Brake lights? Oil pressure and neuitral indicator? If so, then look for something that is not common to those... It's simple troubleshooting. You're going to find a dirty connector somewhere, i'd bet on it.

[Anonymous]

thanks for the input. i will check the connections. what has me confused is absolutely nothing works(no lights-singnals or insturments, no power to the coils, no starter)yet there is power across the main fuse. there is continuity between everything I have checked so far also. I am going to put all new fuses in when I get home from work just in case but they all lookfine. I hate electrical trouble-shooting!

Trevor

[Anonymous]

sounds like a bad ground, my bike was doing the same thing untill i found the bad ground

[Anonymous]

promlem solved

after a few minutes of cleaning connections, I decided to check the ignition switch. sure enough it had seperated. I am a little dissapointed in emgo...paid twenty some dollars for that switch and it didn't even last me a year. put it back togehter and it worked fine. Now here is the kicker...I took it apart again to JB Weld that thing into place and I broke it taking it apart this time. Now I HAVE to buy a new one. why can't I just let stuff be?

thanks for the help,
Trevor