Wires melted :(

Okay, so I bought this old bike and after cleaning it up for a few weeks decided to finally give it a start. The starter button doesn't work so I kicked it over and it started up and ran great (a little rich though).

I noticed right when I hooked a new battery up, before even starting anything, smoke looked like it was coming from the rectifier under the battery box but it wasn't much. After a week or so, and about five minutes into starting and letting it idle and rev a little, three wires from the rectifier and one wire connected to the starter relay to battery totally fried. All of the main fuses looked good and none of the wires to the fuses were bad, so it makes me think it is isolated at the rectifier, so I need to replace it, but why would one from the starter relay to the battery fry? it was the only 18ga wire connected to the battery, other than the thicker gage battery cables, so maybe it fried while the thicker wires were just hot? I was able to unhook the battery before anything really bad happened though thankfully.

I tried following the toasted wires up through the harness but it looked like they only burnt near the rec. and starter relay.

Anyone have this happen before?

Post edited by: 77Davo650, at: 2006/06/08 11:54

Post edited by: 77Davo650, at: 2006/06/08 11:54

You can't let the smoke out of the wires!! :laugh:

Your old bike has old electrical connections. Old connections have corrosion, and corrosion is resistance, and resistance is heat....The fun starts now. Pull apart and clean each connection one at a time. Steel wool, sandpaper, contact cleaner, or best best, cut off and solder new ones on.

Change over the fuse box to blade fuses, just cut it off and solder some new water resistant fuse holders in line, cost a couple bucks at Radio Shack or wherever.

This includes battery cables too. Your reg/rec may be dead, but try the connections first, it may be ok. Replace the plastic connection at the reg/rec, it's hard to get in that and clean it.

When you are done, go to our Filebase and download the Electrosport Fault Finding flowchart. Follow the steps listed to see if the system is charging properly.

Post edited by: OKC_Kent, at: 2006/06/08 12:21