Electric wire on the left handle

[dontlikeoc]

As I trouble-shooted my 1981 Special starting only sporadically, i noticed that the the second conduit on the left handle bar - that is not the clutch cable - that has electrical contacts inside, is snapped at the connector.

1) What is this conduit for? The turn signals and neutral light seems to be working. The Yamaha fiche doesnt list it.

2) The mechanic who looked at the electrics said that the starter, solenoid, battery are good. It is the starting push switch iteself that is bad. Does the theory fly among the XS connoseurs? I already used a lot of electrical cleaners from the hole of the right handle housing. The button sometimes doesnt even click. On good times, it starts on the first try. When I managed to start today, it made a "dying" or "hesitating" sound before it finally started. (Almost like a DR650 starter feel).

3) As for the push switch, are all switches for XS's and XJ's interchangeable?

[dbeardslee]

The plastic push buttons are notorious for failing. You can get the improved metal variety at Mikes XS - Part #24-6525. They call it a horn button, but it's the same thing. You said something about the left handlebar - the starter switch is on the right handlebar - horn's on the left, unless things have been moved around. You can always jumper the wires at the handlebar to confirm/eliminate the switch.

[dontlikeoc]

Dbearslee,

Thank you for your reply. Your vote for the push button being a culplit.

As for the left handle bar wire, I really mean "left". Am I correct that the left handle bar should have only the clutch wire and the light switch wire attached to it? The wire I am completely broken but the lights seems to be working properly.

[dbeardslee]

The button's a definite possibility, but like I said, jumper it first and see if the starter engages. If it does, order a button. If it doesn't then something else is wrong.

My left handlebar has a bundle of wires in a sheath going into the switch assembly, and the clutch cable - that's it. Maybe someone had heated grips or some other accessory on it in the past. What color is the wire?

[DGXSER]

that has electrical contacts inside, is snapped at the connector.

1) What is this conduit for? The turn signals and neutral light seems to be working. The Yamaha fiche doesnt list it.

A better description or picture might help here. On the left handle bar you have the clutch and its cable, the clutch handle has a wire going to it as well.
Then you have the switch assembly itself. it has the horn button, the hazard light switch on bottom, the turn signals switch, and the headlight dimmer switch. These switch wires go through one large sheath down through the handlebar and triple trees to two seperate connectors under the gas tank right next to the coils on the outer left hand side of the frame.

2) The mechanic who looked at the electrics said that the starter, solenoid, battery are good. It is the starting push switch iteself that is bad. Does the theory fly among the XS connoseurs? I already used a lot of electrical cleaners from the hole of the right handle housing. The button sometimes doesnt even click. On good times, it starts on the first try. When I managed to start today, it made a "dying" or "hesitating" sound before it finally started. (Almost like a DR650 starter feel).

The starting circuit flows from the battery to the main fuse, then to the key switch, the key switch send power to the tan wire in the fuse box which powers the red white wire to the emergency switch on the right handlebar. This red/white wire then carries the power to the starter solenoid when the emergency switch is in the ON position. From the solenoid, the blue/white wire IIRC carries the ground side of the switch to the starter button in the right handlebar controls. So when you push the starter button, your simply completing the ground for the solenoid. If you simply jumper the blue white wire connection to the battery ground you should activate your solenoid. If that works well, then I would check for continuity between the blue/white wires at the solenoid and the switch and then check the switch itself.

The switch istself comes apart pretty easy and you can clean the contacts on it with some sand paper and re-assemble it. Should work for another 30 years.

3) As for the push switch, are all switches for XS's and XJ's interchangeable?

As DBeardslee stated, the XS650 starter switch sold at Mikes XS is the same thing for the starter or the horn buttons on the XS11.

Hope that long winded answer helps.

[dontlikeoc]

DGXSER,

Thank you for your detailed explanation.

As for the mystery conduit/wire on the left handle bar, at a rip, I see one black wire and one white wire. At the base where the connector is, I see a tiny spring.

[DiverRay]

The '81 Special has a "4 way" flasher on the UNDERSIDE of the left control. That may be what the wires are for. Just a thought, worth every penny it cost you

[DGXSER]

Ray,

All the wires to the hazard flasher switch are in the same "conduit" as the turn signals, the horn, and the headlight dimmer switch. The other two that are in a separate wrap go to the clutch handle.

I have never figured out what they are really doing as the clutch plays no part in the starting circuit and it has nothing to do with neutral light. One day I will dig through the wiring diagram for an answer.

[dontlikeoc]

Thank you for your replies again. I at least got the impression that the wire is nothing fatal. Once the bike is runnning, I will see.

[DiverRay]

They DID start to put in a clutch "safety switch" on bikes about then, could it be that??

[DGXSER]

Mine is either disabled or failed on both bikes if they did implement it. I think they did get in included on the XJ series though. They both have the wires, but both will turn the starter in gear with the clutch released. DAMHIKIJK Oh...and it will move the bike far enough to let the side stand swing up to! That is ALOT of bike to catch from falling!!

[CatatonicBug]

They DID start to put in a clutch "safety switch" on bikes about then, could it be that??

No interlock switch of any kind on the '81 MNS. I assume that it's the same on the SH.

[DGXSER]

It is interesting that both my SH bikes have a switch on the clutch. Looks just like the brake light switch on the front MC. Runs to a 2 wire green connector in the headlight bucket.

However, the wiring diagrams do not show these wires at all. And as I stated, the starting circuit on neither of my bikes is effected by the cutch handle position. I got no idea where the wires go from there.