81 XS 1100 wiring

[Teach]

Put my battery back in the bike and turned key, Nothing. Found a red wire, wrapped in a cloth coating, broken off. One end goes to a connector and the other ????? no idea. assuming maybe to the + on the battery of the solinoid. Any one out there know for sure.
ANYONE PLZ I wanna go for a ride

[natemoen]

Where is the wire. There are several red wires. Also what is the connector/look like? Can you take a pic of it?

[DGXSER]

Nathan,

Pretty sure he is referring to the red wire (with the wire nut on it, dang PO) in this picture. Not sure where it goes from there, no handy pic of it and I do not have my manual close by.

[Teach]

thanks for responding. I can't get a pic at the moment I am at work. But it's a heavy red that is covered in a cloth jacket. located under seat and looks like it run back toward tail end of bike. The broken end is only 3 inches long and it feeds into a connector. Looks only long enuf to rach either the hot on the battery or the solinoid. That help any ???

It look like the one i ur pic that runs to the yellow joiner. Thanks

[petejw]

yep, it goes where the thick pos side batt
lead connects to the solenoid.

[DGXSER]

The other end, as shown after the wire nut, goes to the positive terminal of the battery. There is a cable that goes directly from the battery to the solenoid. You could hook it to the connector at the battery or to the solenoid connector where that cable lands. Either way it has direct power from the battery.

[bikerphil]

IIRC, that red wire runs from the solenoid to the main fuse.

[DGXSER]

Im almost certain you are correct Phil, as the main fuse is the only thing that gets power directly from the battery besides the solenoid IIRC.

[fredintoon]

Put my battery back in the bike and turned key, Nothing. Found a red wire, wrapped in a cloth coating, broken off. One end goes to a connector and the other ????? no idea. assuming maybe to the + on the battery of the solinoid. Any one out there know for sure.
ANYONE PLZ I wanna go for a ride

Hi Reg,
AFAIK there's only one red wire with a woven jacket over it on the whole machine.
It's parasited off the big fat wire from the battery that goes to the starter solenoid. It takes power to the main fuse. The main (30A) fuse on an '80 is in it's own little case behind the left side cover. My book only goes to '80 so I dunno where the '81 main fuse is located.
Try finding the unjacketed red wire that takes power to the ignition switch, the main fuse holder should be on it's other end.

[DGXSER]

Fred,

81 main fuse is in the same location as the 80.

[Prothec]

It probably doesn't help, but what the heck. I have my 82 XJ torn apart at the moment, so snapped a quick pic. On the 82 it goes to the positive on the solenoid with the main positive cable, then enters the wiring harness, which I assume it comes back out to the fuse under the seat?

[Teach]

Thanks Guys

Got her up and running. Thanks for the help. Now if i could only fix that slipping clutch LOL Reg

[natemoen]

Check out the other thread about clutch slippage!