Are the handlebar switches gronded to handlebar??

i have installed a clubman handlebar because of pain in back and arm hand. I hoping that this will ease the pain. my other bike has more sporty riding position and on that bike the pain is not too bad. I have not ridden to much with it because now i started smelling burnt electrical wiring . have not had time to check more after last ride.
one thing i have done is to use some aluminium tape around the handlebar where the switches is placed because the handlebar was just to small diameter.It was just a couple of windings with the alufoiltape. So question is..  are the handlebar switches grounded to handlebar?? maybe that is why it smelledl burnt electrical.??
i will of course take the tank of and try to check what is going on before next ride.



 

Only the horn contact in the left switch should be grounded - running a ground wire is probably a better option than the tape !!

So today i had a look at the bike trying to find out what is making a smell of burnt electrical wiring.First i just put on the ignition for about 2-3 minutes.Did not want to overheat or damage the coils
the bike has boyer bransden special coils made for a boyer ignition modulebox so i dont know if coils like this will overheat from having the ignition on.I am a idiot when it comes to elecktrical stuff.
It did not smell after the test without engine running. The started it and it started smelling fast. i then removed the gastank .I checked the wirings and smelled to see if i could find the source.
i then let it run with the gastank off but it did not help. i could not find any melted wires or the orign of the smell.I did this several times.I also had a look all over the engine and exhaustpipes to see 
if i could find some meltes plastick but no luck with that. The smell can also come from the headlight .i did not open it today.
tok off the left hand switch the side with the horn. i looked ok inside. i removed the alutape on one side where the switch contact the handlebar hoping that would help earthing / grounding the switch.
It did no difference the bike still smell burnt electrical . the coils was cool to the touch.All this started after i replaced the handlebar i was a little brutal trying to get the clubman on fast so thinking
a may have stretched the wiring to much?  

 

I'd take a look inside the right handlebar switch; that's where the powerlines goes in + out, (Brown in, yellow/red out)...I'm just surprised that the main fuse doesn't blow if there's a short circuit somewhere? Is it only when light on?..or at any circumstances?..Check this all!
 

First my eyes are not what they once were. but in the pic you posted to me is appears that the green lead may have a few strands of the cable loose. Otherwise that control system looks rather clean. I might suggest you check each and every connection within the system. Make sure all of the male/female connections are clean and tight.

MFP-Joe wrote:

I'd take a look inside the right handlebar switch; that's where the powerlines goes in + out, (Brown in, yellow/red out)...I'm just surprised that the main fuse doesn't blow if there's a short circuit somewhere? Is it only when light on?..or at any circumstances?..Check this all!

 

Thanks for advice Joe. I guess i will have to open the right side switch too the switch is only a few months old but i did stretch and wrestle the switches maybe to much because i was in a hurry to get the clubman handlebars on. I think it was when taking the old handlebars off i got a little too stressed.
 

gd4now wrote:

First my eyes are not what they once were. but in the pic you posted to me is appears that the green lead may have a few strands of the cable loose. Otherwise that control system looks rather clean. I might suggest you check each and every connection within the system. Make sure all of the male/female connections are clean and tight.
 

i think you may be right i had a closer look on the pics now.Why did i not check that better today!!!! well i will try to open and check again.

I would suggest you focus on tracking down the smell before you worry about the horn too much, it's a little strange as to the best of my knowledge the only difference between the "ignition being on" and the "engine running" is that the charging system is active ?

I could imagine that Wookie is on the right track:
If the smell is only noticeable when the engine is running, I'd check the charging voltage. So, if you have a voltmeter, simply connect it to the battery terminals. If you measure a lot more than 13.8 - 14.2 volts with the engine running, it could be your regulator or rectifier... (completely independent of the coincidence of your new handlebars!)
 

Wookie58 wrote:

I would suggest you focus on tracking down the smell before you worry about the horn too much, it's a little strange as to the best of my knowledge the only difference between the "ignition being on" and the "engine running" is that the charging system is active ?
 

I tried to feel if the wiring to the alternator rectifier was hot but nothing over normal. I have a multimeter but not good at using it. I know that the charging is normal i think it was 14.5 last i checked.I have not checked anything with the multimeter today.  I know one bad contact and that is under the right hand sidecover it is brown
and going to a small heatsink thing. the solder there is bad and not very good contact. Not sure if i can solder that myself. I can take a pick next time 

If it's brown it's a main ignition live so needs resolving

Yesterday i did a new attemt finding out why the bike smell electrical burning wire. I feel a little dumb now, but not 100% sure if i found the source .
First did the test with ignition on no smell. Then i opened the left handlebar switch to take a closer look at the green wire solder point i used a thin plier and it is not loose but some strains is not god connected. Then fired it up and started to smell fast. turned it off again and since it also smelled around the headlight i turned the ignition on again without starting.I then heard a humming sound and i taught first it was from the special boyer coils  .I opened the headlight since the smell also could come from inside it.Then i heard that the humming/buzzing sound was the LED headlightbulb !.It was hot and i first taught it was the culprit.
I had a look at the brown wire under right sidecover again i think it is connected to a hazard relay?  Will have to get that soldered some way.
I then decided i want to go for a ride anyway and that a fuse will blow if it gets worse.or i can just stop and put the fire out I brought i little fire extiguiser   in my backpack.

Went on my ride to a store ordering another of the clubman handlebar it is cheap only 22 usd. I need to chop off a little on the ends and use the chopped off pieces
to make the handlebar on the bike a little longer so  i can fit the madmax emgo fairing.Long story..
On the trip it smelled bad when stopped at red light. Also smelled after i parked up by the forest i planned to go for a short walk and eat a donut and a chicken .

Well now the strange and embarresing .Tihis morning i had to go out and put a raincover on the bike because it was going to rain heavy.
When down there i dicover a brownish clear varnish on the cyl 1 bend also some on cyl 2. see pic.  The stange thing is i have looked several times on the exhaust
to make sure there was no plastic that was melting on the bends. Maybe the plastic was clear the first times i had a look at the bends and finally it has now got a brown color? It is also a little thick.

I am not 100% sure but 98% sure it is from this. I could not fire the bike up because of very early and neighbours. Next time i taking it for a ride i will
take off the plugcap on cyl 1 and fire it up that will make sure that is the bugger. Quite embarresing but a little funny to .