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Wiring on 1980 gs550 et (uk)

ukjules

ukjules

Forum Sage
I am baffled with the wiring on my bike and need some help
knowing where the wires go.
Can i add i am red green color blind so it makes it even more difficult.
I have manuals and wiring diagrams !

Pic 1:
Regulator:
I assume the 3 yellow wires from stator attach to the 3 yellow from the regulator.
Thats what happens on my kwak 750
(On my Haynes manual it doesn't even show 3 yellow from alternator or regulator)

There are 3 other wires in picture and i have absolutely no idea where they go to ?

top ? white and red - think that went to earth too ?
middle - green (with circle connector) - i had this to earth ?
bottom ? black - attachs to a 2 into one box that attaches to indicator rely




IMG_0352.jpg
 
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and pic 2:

On the RHS of the bike near the fuse box i have three wires again that i have no idea
where they go to ?

top - red
middle - white and red
bottom - white and green

ill try and get a better picture if needed.

(Note: the bike will start, and lights circuit works. without these three wires connected to anything.)
I dont know yet about the battery charging as need all the wires correct before i run it)

IMG_0350.jpg
 
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Jules I an colour blind same as you. What you have there is a honda 6 wire unit. Look for diagram in search bar.
 
Thanks so much for telling me this - i thought i was going mad !
I have had the bike years and only now am getting down to sorting it out.

You mean I have some type of Honda regulator which uses 6 wires ?
Do you mean search on google for a diagram?

Can i make it work with my bike do you think while i wait for a proper one ?
(I am sure the three yellows go to the stator yellows (doesnt matter which to which) but the other wires i simply don't know.)
 
Ok ill check
found this : http://www.thegsresources.com/_foru...e-instantly&highlight=duanage+honda+regulator

Do need to know what the other 3 wires are for and think this explains.

Do you know anything about the other wires from loom on the right hand side of the bike ?
these are not attached directly to the regulator they come out of the loom
the connectors on there now are probably not right too !
i simply cant see where they can go ?

top - red
middle - white and red
bottom - white and green

IMG_0350.jpg
 
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It is starting to make sense - thanks for input guys !!!

will check out tomorrow and report for follow up.
thanks
 
Update:

I have connected and redone a lot of the wiring in that area and now bike back on the road
and working fine

The regulator passes tests to be sure its charging.

Question:
The one problem i have is that the sense wire (the black one) is now unconnected.
I am presently leaving it like that.

This is due to it used to be connected just before the indicator flasher relay.
It like that had always caused the flasher to stop at higher revs ? as if the sense wire was interrupting it somehow ?
- evidently i have only just realized this was the case !!!
Anyway now removed the indicators work perfectly !!! at all revs.

What do you think will happen if I leave the sense wire disconnected / blanked off ?
(I am doing this more as I dont know which wire to tap it into too)
 
With the sense wire not connected you risk overvolt and a dry battery. I have mine connected to stop lamp switch.
 
Update - and i agree with you that one risks overvolt ........ my fuses blew 7 miles out on test run.
I am convinced that this is due to me running having taken off the sense wire to the indicator relay wire.

Went for a test ride and all fine until suddenly bike ground to a halt.
(remember sense wire was and is not connected - allowing my indicators to work)
Fuses blown main and ignition. As i carry some i put new in and they blew immediately again.
In the end i managed to put some in (there are 4) and bridge the ignition fuse so bike would start.
I have too large fuses in to get home. This is what is now that seems to allow bike to run
main - 30a (originally 10a when blew)
hd lamps - 10a
signal - 10a
ignition - 25a (originally 10a when blew) (but i bridged with wire to get home)

HOWEVER:
The bike now only runs on 2 cylinders 2,3. 1 and 4 have no spark.
What on earth can have blown ? Surely this issue cant blow any other wiring ?
plugs , ht leads, coils,
(I am yet to take the tank off and check coils, wiring etc)

Q2)
How and where did you connect to the stop lamp switch ?
Do you just tap into a power wire ?
 
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Assuming this is what went wrong...
If you don't have the sense wire connected, the regulator is unable to tell when its output voltage is sufficient and simply keeps putting out too much. The end result, if you're lucky, is a boiled battery. If you're unlucky you can cook the igniter and any other electronics you happen to have on the bike, including phone chargers, etc. Luckily, most phone chargers will balk at being fed 17 or 18Volts, but cheap ones might fry and fry your phone, too.
 
Phone charger not connected and not issue here !

I am convinced this regulator without this sense wire cause
this issue as you say blowing main and ignition fuses.

I will inspect today but can't believe a coil is bust ?
I now have to find out how this can make it run on
2 cylinders - one coil ! Cyl 2/3 only spark .

Additionally where and how to connect the sense wire ?
Has anyone done this on a gs550 ?

Iv put bigger fuses in main and ignition ? Are they correct ?
What do others use ?


Recap:
Try and attach sense wire to a light live wire

Run bike as now is with the large fuses

Find out why a coil is not working , what could this
regulator fry before the coil ?
 
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.
 
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
 
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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.
 
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 ?
 
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.
 
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