1982 kz 650 main fuse keeps blowing

My main line fuse keeps blowing and I don't know why. I was told to check the stator and look for a bad ground but I don't know how to do either. I apologize for the lack of knowledge but I just don't want to start throwing parts at it.

Most times when the main fuse blows there is a short in one of the wires. Frequent locations of shorts on the 650s are in the right hand control unit, the headlamp shell, or the horn. However, the short could be anywhere in the system. You need to trace all of the wires and find and repair the issue.

The Dreaded Shorting/Intermittent Electrical Problem!


Here is the most basic method I know(Taken from www.kzrider.com by member Patton)

1. Charge your battery and have it load tested if you can. The floating ball hydrometer can be used to check the specific gravity of the charged cells in the battery.

2. Disconnect the Black lead from the (-) Battery terminal... or Red from the (+) Battery terminal, it does not matter which one. Just 1, not both!

3. Connect one of the following test setups in series with the Battery terminal and lead:
3.1 A 12 V light bulb,
3.2 A 12 V test light,
3.3 A 12 V test buzzer or,
3.4 A 12 V horn... you get the idea.

4. With the Ignition Switch OFF, go through your harness and wiggle the wires while looking/listening for the test setup to go on/start buzzing.

5.With the Ignition Switch ON, repeat the test except this time the looking/listening for the test setup to go off/stop buzzing.

6. Be prepared to open the Ignition switch and check/test for solder joint failure and or circuit board micro breaks (don't ask how I know this ).

7. Be prepared to pull the wires out of the Head Light to test for failures at or near the grommet.

8. Be prepared to open the harness at or near the Steering Neck for failures. This is where wires tend to exhibit fatigue due to repetitive movement.

9. Be prepared to open the left and right switch gear to search for rust and or broken parts. CAUTION: watch out for flying springs, ball bearings and stuff. Do indoors on White sheet (again don't ask).

10. Be prepared to follow the heavy gauge wire from the Starter Solenoid (Relay) to the starter for bare wire exposure. Especially near bends and grommets.

11. If you can reproduce the fault symptom your are pretty much home free. Be prepare to find and repair/replace any internal wire breaks, insulation break downs, exposed wires, rubber grommet failures, etc. Often, shrink tubing will solve the problem temporarily until something better can be done.

12. I use a very good electrical contact cleaner/preservative called De-oxit made by Caig Labs in San Diego Ca. Their website is www.deoxit.com It can be purchased at Radio Shack and any other electronic supply store. I use it on all of my motorcycle’s electrical connectors , in my home entertainment center’s stereo patch cords and cordless phones charging cradles.

Hello All,

I'm having the same problem but its due to the brakes. Everytime I connect the front brake wires into the harness the fuse blows. The rear brake switch can be connected but once i apply the rear brakes the main fuse blows again. What are the possible issues? I have tried looking through the forum but it was exhausting after the 30th page of not finding anything....


1981 Kz 550 a1
carbs cleaned and jetted
air pods added
led turn signals

joeworthey@yahoo.com wrote: My main line fuse keeps blowing and I don't know why. I was told to check the stator and look for a bad ground but I don't know how to do either.

If needed, this link is to a downloadable wiring diagram in KZr's FILEBASE:

1982 KZ650 wiring diagram from KZr FILEBASE

Good Fortune!

Nameless,

Your issue sounds like a direct short, probably in the tail harness, most likely in the blue wire on that circuit. I would think about looking at point where your tail harness connects to the main harness, and looking rearward. If I had to venture a guess, you have either a pinced harness in some area or the blue wire is touching in the area where it goes through the fender (bad grommet?) or shorting in the area where it goes under the 'clip' near the taillight. Good luck!

BikeDude2002
(Dan)

Thanks Dan,
I'll give it a shot this weekend.

Old topic I stumbled upon looking for something else but my problem was that I has a slightly taller non-standard battery in mine and when I hit a bump, my fat ass compressed the seat and completed a circuit across the terminals thus blowing the main.

Good luck if this the problem!