Completely dead

[Guest]

Hi all, Happy memorial day weekend. I have a 1981 GS 1000 G. Clean the car out as the bike it’s been sitting for 10 years. Rode the bike for a full day and it rode great. Decided to take it out yesterday and as I was riding it just died. Turn the key on and nothing happens. I checked all the fuses and they all have power. Can’t figure out why this would happen suddenly. My guess was no power to the ignition switch. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Gorminrider]

If you "have power at all the fuses", then it's Not the ignition switch...power goes through the ignition switch "before" it gets to the fuseblock with multiple fuses.
It might be fuel supply.

 

[Guest]

Something seems very wrong. Nothing, so no indicator lamps but power at fuses? Or nothing meaning not turning over but the indicator lamps are lit?

 

[Guest]

No Lights, no nothing seems like there is no battery in the bike. Actually, there is power to the bottom 2 fuses but not the top 3. The bottom to have power with ignition on or off, the top three fuses have no power with the ignition on or off

 

[Guest]

No power to the fuse suggests the wiring is bad, no power at one side of the fuse suggests blown fuse. I know this sounds horrible, but do you have three blown fuses? If the owners manual I found on line is actually accurate losing the 15A fuse, which might be the top fuse in the block would kill "all electrical systems" on the bike. Did you check both sides of the fuse terminal or pull the fuses to confirm they aren't blown?

I'm sorry if this seems condescending, but I have known someone* who did only check the downstream side of a blown fuse and couldn't figure out what was wrong.

https://gsarchive.bwringer.com/mtsac..._Manual_80.pdf

*someone could have been me

 

[Guest]

the fuses are all good I checked continuity between a right to left side of the fuse holder and it showed that the fuses was good.by the way, it is not condescending and I appreciate your input, all three of the top fuses are good. I think the hell of it I'm going to change all three of the top fuses in the life.

 

[Big T]

Actually, power runs from the battery to the main fuse, then the ignition switch, then back to the other fuses.

I'd replace all of the fuses and see what happens
If it starts, I'd check voltage at the battery while running

 

[Guest]

I’m going to Remove the fuse block and see if the wire that goes from the ignition switch to the fuse box has somehow disconnected. Is it possible to use a jumper wire from the bottom fuse from the battery to the top three fuses to see if everything goes on? OK, changed all the fuses and still nothing.

 

[Guest]

OK, now I checked all orange wire coming into the fuse box and there is no power to that wire with the ignition switch turned on.

 

[Guest]

Wow, I actually figured it out. the problem was there was no power going to the ignition switch. Someone had screwed the power wire to a piece in the fuse box which for some reason stopped putting out power. I connected the red wire going to the switch directly to the power wire coming out of the fuse box and all lit up. Somebody has really effed with the wiring on this thing. First using a voltmeter I check continuity between the red wire coming out near the fuse box and the wire going to to the ignition switch. There was continuity but no power. Somebody had taped off the power wire that comes out of the fuse box and used a different wire that they screwed to the two screws at the bottom of the fuse box. What I don’t understand is how this bike ever ran with that marked up wiring. I want to thank everybody for their help. This is a great form with obviously great people on it. I’m sure I will be tapping your brains down the line. Thanks again