Wiring on 1980 gs550 et (uk)

[roeme]

Man, take it a bit slower and make sure you've got all information processed before getting the wrenches out!

1. By omitting the sense wire, you have let the R/R to overvoltage your electrical system. The flasher stopping at high revs surely have been caused by something else, possibly a short developing under high vibrations. Or intermittent contact. We cannot know at this point.

2. The fuses, rightfully, blew at some point, either due to overvoltage, or overcurrent - aforementioned short would be one of the possibilities.

3. By replacing with higher rated, and bridging fuses, you let the overvoltage/current condition continue, hurting the electricals even more.

I have no schematic at hand for the 550ET, but if it's anything like my 550E(C), it's absolutely possible that you have fried at least one coil. This wouldn't be surprising, given the age and the stress described above.

[ukjules]

Update and thanks for input ! read on as have taken what you guys have said on board and acted on it ! I do take note !!!
Slowing down is not possible as it is summer and the bike must work !! its riding weather. Your help allows this !

What you all describe has and did happen exactly - due to the sense wire not connected.
The fuses did blow and checking this morning as to why one coil's worth of plugs didn't work showed
that one coil was faulty / fried ! (The wiring was all ok)(The primary circuit showed 40ohm not the usual 3-5ohms)
I have replaced that coil with one from my spares for Kwak gpz750 and it now works on all four cylinders.
I don't think the coils on this bike are even standard but they have worked faultlessly for 5 years
and my spare is identical.

I have attached the sense wire near the rear brake switch (as informed) on the live wire .... going into the
switch. (this only comes on when the ignition is switched on)
Remember i am hopeless at electrics and have no idea which wire would be best to put it on.
(I am presuming you put it on the power wire going to switch not the return wire)

I today only learned how to tap into another wire with one of those blue connectors you can get from halfords,
(A mystery now revealed to me)

All fuses now stock bar main and ignition still at 30a (they should be 15a and 10a respectively)
I will charge battery up and put in stock fuses and then test the bike again but as it is
it worked fine on a 5 mile run.

Indicators still work and it must have been a bad connection made by the
sense wire being tapped into the indicator relay wire. (As you say not the fact that the sense
wire was there only)

All the electrics connectors / wires are now cleaned up with the use of proper Japanese type crimp connectors
when i have had to make changes.

Since owning the bike for many years i have never looked at the fuse box issue (because i am useless at electrics) a roadside engineer
bodged as the same thing happened many years ago. i think he bypassed one part of the fuse box.
Anyway I now have a stock fuse box and starter motor all working fine just for info.

i hope now the fuses dont blow again - i so hope i have this right now



1980 gs550 e wiring.jpg

[roeme]

Well given the circumstances you got off light, I'll say!

Electrical stuff on these bikes is really not that complicated. With some patience, and the internet (or your local library), you'll learn the basics very quickly. You don't really need more than that on the bikes of our vintage.

[ukjules]

Would a normal stock regulator not have this issue of needing a sense wire
attached to a switched wire ? (I understand that is the case)

does the regulator itself then sort out not overcharging causing the issues i have had ?

[roeme]

Oh, and also buy new bulbs. The current ones have now a drastically reduced life expectancy and may burn out very soon, if they haven't already. You don't want to have your front bulb to burn out during night. You may not need to change them right away, but at least carry them on the bike (you can put them inside the rear plastic thingy, with some paper towels for cushioning), along with a screwdriver.

[ukjules]

Ok - Ill inform how my test ride goes with the correct fuses in.
I so so hope this has fixed this issue. Logic would suggest it should.

[roeme]

Would a normal stock regulator not have this issue of needing a sense wire
attached to a switched wire ? (I understand that is the case)

does the regulator itself then sort out not overcharging causing the issues i have had ?

Yes, a stock regulator doesn't have a sense wire. And yes, in colloquial terms, the Regulator would sort it out by itself.

However, some clarification is required here:

a) The unit you put on is a combined rectifier and regulator. That's why most people refer to it as a "R/R", or "reg rect", or similar.
b) What has happened to you isn't really overcharging, but overvoltage.

In colloquial terms, overcharging means that one has tried to put too much energy into a battery. To put energy into the battery, you need to have a certain voltage (depends on the battery, within a specified range)
for a certain time connected to it.

Automotive batteries can take some abuse, so there's a chance your battery hasn't taken major damage from the voltage being too high, since apparently you directly rode home.

Still, as with the bulbs, it's life expectancy will be reduced, do don't be surprised if at some point you won't be able to crank anymore. When that happens, if you're in a pinch, you can kick- or bump start her for a ride, but you really ought to replace the battery at that point.

[ukjules]

All points noted.

Look out for normal fuse test results soon......


--------------
Notice you like these gs550's too - They are simply the coolest , best bikes one can own !! are they not.
I think it due to the size and proportion of the bikes - better than the larger ones ?

All these issues happened when i took my old bike on a tour of the south west of the uk, camping.
a truly magnificent trip and the bike made it and did over 500 miles in a week.
This bike is now being readied for another adventure.

The only issue then was that i had to bump it and the indicator stopped at high revs / speed but all else was just fine.
This (bumping) is unrelated and was starter motor related - now fixed with another from the usa of all places.
(I hardly dare say but the above happened simultaneously when i fitted a usb phone charger . .. .... but that is not on now )

When i returned i decided to look at the electrics (as i had ordered a fuse box off ebay) , something i had not done as fearful of it.
(I am not fearful of doing it on my gpz750r1 as that has been nut and bolt mechanically restored)
Rememebr the fuse box had been bodged to work by a roadside mechanic to get me going.
(i simply did not see what was done and when i took it to bits it fell apart !)

Anyway the wiring was awful and i lost my way as tried to put it back together not knowing i had a different reg/rect.
I had never heard of a sense wire.

[ukjules]

Bike now set with stock fuses and just finished a 6 mile test and all ok !

Also sorted the bad connection on the indicators. It was near the plastic connector box and had to redo
the connectors.

One question though as experts seem to be circling about ...
As you will see from the picture below one of the two wires going into the indicator relay seem
to be three wires connected together? (Not me)
Whoever did it soldered the connection and it is good but why ? It all works !!!!! but what is this all about do you think ?
I am leaving it and is now again wrapped in elec tape.

IMG_0358.jpg

[roeme]

(...)
Notice you like these gs550's too - They are simply the coolest , best bikes one can own !! are they not.
I think it due to the size and proportion of the bikes - better than the larger ones ?

I totally agree I'm not yet a seasoned driver, having bought my very first bike, a 550, just last year - but it fits me really really well. Weight, power, size and handling feel just spot on. Some riders with many, many miles more under their belt agree, from what I read around here.

(...)When i returned i decided to look at the electrics (as i had ordered a fuse box off ebay) , something i had not done as fearful of it.
(I am not fearful of doing it on my gpz750r1 as that has been nut and bolt mechanically restored)
Rememebr the fuse box had been bodged to work by a roadside mechanic to get me going.
(i simply did not see what was done and when i took it to bits it fell apart !)

Anyway the wiring was awful and i lost my way as tried to put it back together not knowing i had a different reg/rect.
I had never heard of a sense wire.

Quite the story No need to fear the 550's electrics though, they're dead simple. It's just that sometimes one has to take a step back and think before digging in:
I had a similar experience to yours when I got rid of the "handlebar loop". I had to get out pen, paper, and a multimeter so as to not loose my way (Yeah, for such a simple mod...).
With some spare time, a cold one, and some searches around here, you'll learn about the shortcomings, and improvements on the GS's electricals in no time.

Bike now set with stock fuses and just finished a 6 mile test and all ok !

Also sorted the bad connection on the indicators. It was near the plastic connector box and had to redo
the connectors.

One question though as experts seem to be circling about ...
As you will see from the picture below one of the two wires going into the indicator relay seem
to be three wires connected together? (Not me)
Whoever did it soldered the connection and it is good but why ? It all works !!!!! but what is this all about do you think ?
I am leaving it and is now again wrapped in elec tape.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]46252[/ATTACH]

I'd say thats one wire to the rear indicator, one to the front, and one to your dash.

[ukjules]

Thanks for info.
're 3 wires , are we saying that it is possibly correct all
bar the butchered method that it ended up ?
I'll leave it for now but put a better connector in
if I can find one.