Need help deciphering wire harness

[DCrippa]

So I think I'm pretty close to getting this thing figured out - its not pretty but using various wiring diagrams I've been able to match cables ... I think I'm using a newer harness 81-82 for an older bike 77-79 not sure as some of the colors are only indicated in the newer wiring diagram. I'm also using a gauge from a newer model I think. But here's the thing I can't figure out where this yellow red & green / red goes to - it only shows up in the '82 wiring diagram definitions but not in the diagram itself.

Also where are all the orange wires from the fuse box supposed to go?

I realize these pictures arent very helpful and this situation may be hard to assist without seeing first hand but any help would be appreciated.



The aged white connector in the center has the orange wire and the y/r & g/r that I can't determine what it supposed to go to.

Also not sure what these white and black ones go to


Still gotta clean everything up and wire up the battery

Not sure about hooking up this fuse box - where do the orange wires go? i probably should get a newer blade type



I've acquired another wire harness from another member but it's not as robust as the one I'm working with - doesn't seem to have as many connections.

[Steve]

Thanks for providing your bike in your sig, that was my only clue what bike we are talking about.

Where do the orange wires go? Keep in mind that there were some major changes in the wiring on most GSes, starting in '79 or '80. Before that, many (most?) of them had a single fuse, or maybe two fuses. Starting with the larger bikes in the earlier years ('78? '79?), they started equipping the bikes with fuse boxes that had more fuses for the individual circuits. If you get a wiring diagram for your newer harness, you will see that the all-orange wire is the one that comes from the ignition switch to feed the fuse box. The other three orange wires with their assorted-colored stripes would feed the lights, signals and ignition circuits. You would have to look at the wiring diagram to see which one was which. There is a diagram that is at the top of BassCliff's page that has a diagram for an 850 in color. Most of that also applies to your bike, so it should give you some really good clues on what you need to change. One of the best things you could do is to get the fuse box for the new harness so you don't have to butcher the new harness to fit it to your bike. It would be better to sepatrate the circuits on the bike and have them powered by their own fuses.

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[DCrippa]

Gotcha I'll look into a blade type box. Seen some pics in other posts that looked like it was a good mod to do.

So the orange wire from the ignition is like a bus that these other orange wires from the fuse box all connect to like 4 - 1 connection?

So what's funny about this is that the bike is pieced together from many different similar bikes of different years. That has made it hard to make sense of it all. At first I thought to go all minimalist and keep it simple with just a tach speedo and light but since I scored some gauges I figured it'd be cool to have full functionality of all the bells an whistles it came with - I wish I could find a gas gauge sensor as the tank is missing that...so I may have to scrap that function. I was amused to see that it has a gear indicator not that I'd need it but the novelty of having it working would be cool.

[Steve]

So the orange wire from the ignition is like a bus that these other orange wires from the fuse box all connect to like 4 - 1 connection?

Did you even look at the wiring diagram I mentioned?

I'll make it easy for you. Click HERE.

You will see that the ignition switch is near the lower-left corner, the fuse box is near the lower-right corner. Follow the orange wire from the switch to the fuse box, you will see how it connects. You will also be able to see how the MAIN fuse is wired differently in the fuse box, it's not connected to the same bus that the others are.

While the color diagram is nice, there is nothing like a sharp black-and-white diagram that spells out the colors of the wires, so see if there is a manual that you can download there, like THIS ONE that should help you.

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[DCrippa]

Thanks Steve I have seen that diagram before. I hadn't had time to study it prior to replying my appologies I clearly need to spend more time with it. I do have a clymer manual that has various diagrams for the different years - and that's what has gotten me to where I'm at... thing is I have one connection left towards the front that I don't see where it goes it has the yellow/red and green/red but thr wiring diagrams I have dont have that color combo anywhere in them - I'll take a closer look at the two you've shared with me. Thanks again, can't wait to get this thing together.

[Redman]

DC,

Good that you do have some schematics.

You mentioned Clymer color schematics. One thing to be aware of is that some editions of some models had some errors. Has been postings about this with more dteails of what models, ectera. The errors are related to the ignition swtich, it does show the right wires going to the ignition switch, but what functions they go to inside the switch is in error (if I remember correctly).

I like the color schematics for trying to understand how something works. But when actaully working on the bike, I seem to like the b/w better.

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[DCrippa]

Haven't had much time to work on it - so thigs are going slow... I've been able to track down where most of the connections go except for this one:

Any idea what it is for? I think it may be for one of the '80's models as my wiring schematic shows these colors in the legend for the 80's 550 but not in the actual wiring diagram.

It's a yellow and red and what seems to be green and pink or maybe was green and red. Both ends are shown in the pic on in the small connector and the other in the larger connector. So I've found it in the second wiring diag below that Steve posted pg 159 - and it shows them (y/r, g/r) going to a non descript box in the diagram along with orange and b/w wires - so what is that block representing? The other end of the Y/R go to some buss for the gauges but I have no clue what it's supposed to connect to.

then all that's left is to figure out the gray and yellow remaining wires and somehow tidy this mess - having a hard time visualizing the way it's supposed to be strapped to the frame it looks super bulky as it is.

[cowboyup3371]

Typically what I've seen with the other connectors on my bike is the green/orange wire will be the power wire and runs to about everything for lights.

Looks like the yellow/red one feeds from the fuse for that connection to the kill switch, coils, and ignitor.

But doublecheck it.

[DCrippa]

I see, and since I don't have an igniter (using points) can I eliminate any of it? Y/R G/R specifically.

[cowboyup3371]

What color wire comes from your points to that connection? Based on what I'm seeing in my Clymer's for the 750 and 750E (has points not ignitor) it changes color in a connector to what looks like possibly the yellow/red.

But again, I'd doublecheck me if I were in your shoes.

[DCrippa]

It's a 550 and the points have a black and white cable going to each coil separately. Seemingly nothing to do with this connection...

[cowboyup3371]

I hate wiring diagrams sometimes. I cannot answer if you can get rid of them; hopefully one of the more knowledgeable folks can. I'm sorry.

[DCrippa]

No worries thanks for your insight anyway it's got me scrutinizing / studying my diagrams as well. I'll keep pluggin away.