New solenoid wires are different colors but why???

Got a new starter solenoid. The original was yellow/red and a black and the new one is yellow/red and a RED. This is a direct replacement and looks identical except for the color of the one wire. Does the red wire go to the black wire from before? I would imagine so, but just checking to see if anyone else has run itno this in the past.

Any help is appreciated.

Pnedac

The solenoid is a really simple layout, a winding with a movable anchor inside. When you press the start button, current runs through the windings and the anchor moves. The upper end of the anchor has a metal bar attached to it, when the anchor moves the bar contacts the bottom of the lugs and closes the circuit between the battery and the starter motor. When you release the start button again the anchor (and bar) pulls back and the circuit is interrupted.

I believe it will work connected either way, but I would start hooking it up the way you describe: black to red and red/yellow to ground. If it works you're fine, if it doesn't just reverse the wires, you can't fry anything.

Just to add to the confusion :S a coil doesn't have polarity. It will work either way. All it needs to see is a "difference in potential" across the two wires. I've been telling people for years... " Electricity doesn't care what color the wire is! "

Good Fortune!

You guys are fantastic! Thank you kindly for your input and I will do my worst!

For some reason, Kawasaki chose really poor colors for the starter solenoid on many KZ's. They put the black wire as the positive, and the yellow/red wire as the ground. I think this was a result of choosing black as the wire color for the clutch lever interlock switch.

I usually swap the wires around so black is ground and yellow/red is positivie, without any issues.