Headlight relay vs alternator

[rwtrail]

My headlight does not work, I was involved in a accident and replaced the headlight. It would not come on, I jumped the red and blue wires running to the headlight relay. It worked then but seemed to run the battery down. I won't to know if the alternator could be just not charging or is the relay bad. I have a 1980 XS 11 Special. I attempted to change the relay and now I don't get a light at all.

[Mike Hart]

Hi there rwtrail...

Hope you weren't broken yourself, getting rear-ended sucks.

Hard to say without getting in there with a voltmeter. It could also be the regulator/rectifier, the RLU, or a harness plug that came loose on impact, or some wires got pinched somewhere?

Since you've changed the relay, I'd make sure the relay is good by measuring the voltage on the output side - it should go from 0 volts with bike off to 12v + when running.

Another possible culprit is the battery itself - impact may have internally shorted (or opened) some plates in the battery.

I'd test (and fully charge) the battery first, then go from there.

Good luck, let us know what you discover.

[kkrazyt85]

My 2 cents

I would check all ground connections and fuses...I don't claim to know anything about XS11's but on other bikes I have owned and crashed wires come loose from impacts....connectors pop open and I have had fuses come out or break...Don't know if this helps and you probably checked all this..but I sometimes forget to check the simple stuff first...