BLOG: Rewiring '80 kz750G1

So I think I am going to basically rewire the entire bike, step by step, as I go, since I am on a budget.

Until I rebuild the engine and put the new kicker shaft in, I am gonna use the electric start so I figured I would start there with the electrical work.

Day 1, Pulled off the starter motor, relay, and right hand controls, to bench test:

Hooked it all up, and put power to it, hit the (rigged)starter button...Nothing.
Checked if my rigging on the starter was good enough, checked with meter, connection is good, not to bad resistance.

Pulled button off, hooked power to the relay, and connected the wires to make it like the button was pushed...Nothing.

Pulled the relay off, connected the power up to the motor, it spins fine...YAY!

So the starter relay is blown, pop it open, its corroded and jammed up bad...LOL
Call parts store...$60 part...ya right.

Day 2, go to hardware and autoparts store to pick up some things. Came to the conclusion I am going to bypass the starter relay, and just hook up a big momentary switch:

Got some wire, and bullet connectors and some shrink tube at the hardware store, and picked up a beefy momentary switch, and a 8 gauge wire, to replace the crappy power wires on the bike.

Found the (unconventional but)perfect place on the bike to mount the beefy momentary switch as a starter.

Re built the positive and negative wires off the batter, nice strong better terminals, no busted up wires.

Hook the wires up to the switch, and it starts to snow...Gonna make parts run for some other stuff on the bike, and call it a day. Gonna be another week or more til I can do any more work...


Hey I will update more as I work on it. Thanks for reading, advice or criticism is welcome.

Take your bad starter solenoid(what you call a relay) to the nearest riding lawn mower shop or a Sears repair center.They have all sizes there, one might work with a little mounting modification. As you said, $60 from the dealer but it will be under $20 at the mower shop.

Thought about that, but a $5 momentary switch, and bypass the relay, works just fine, since it is just a relay, and doesnt have any part that engages or disengages the starter.