Mystery Plug

[Bassman]

So, in trying to diagnose my starting problem, I came across this plug in the harness towards the rear of the motorcycle, and I cannot figure out what it goes to. I have the wiring diagram, but still no luck in finding it. It is two red/white wires (which connect to the off/run/off switch and the solenoid respectively) a black/yellow and a light blue.



It is a four blade plug and this is the female side of it.

Any ideas?

Thanks

[crazy steve]

That should be the plug for the right side hand controls...

[Bassman]

I have a three prong plug that goes to the right side of the handlebars with a red/white a blue/white and a red/white.

This plug is situated towards the rear of the bike and is a square plug which doesn't match the plug that comes from the right handlebar controls.

[haywardguy929]

Do you have a trunk? Might go to the lights for that if it's in the back.

[crazy steve]

The red/white wire is ignition, and that color isn't used for anything else as stock. The black/white was used for the emergency stop switch. The 'blue' (it looks gray in the pic) was generally taillight power. Are you sure you have an unmolested harness? There shouldn't be any 'extra' red/white wires 'towards' the rear of the bike; look here for more info...

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35337

[Bassman]

I don't have a trunk on this bike, but I did get the harness off of ebay. It said it was the original and was pulled off of an "81, but who really knows. So, no, I am not certain that the harness has not been messed with.

I do know that the two red/white wires have to connect at some point because they go between the off/run/off switch and the starter solenoid.

[fredintoon]

I don't have a trunk on this bike, but I did get the harness off of ebay. It said it was the original and was pulled off of an "81, but who really knows. So, no, I am not certain that the harness has not been messed with. - - -

Hi Andrew,
the harness you bought may not have been "messed with" but it may not be the right one either.
My Clymers has two wiring diagrams for the '80/'81 bikes; one is for the Standards and the other is for the Specials.
If the harness you bought came off an '81 Special a minor change between the two may be enough to screw things up.

[motoman]

I'll throw a guess out there to...............if that harness came off an 81Standard(Venturer), rearward on the bike there was a plug-in when new that was yellow tagged specificly as a trailer plug-in. Interestingly enough though, the yellow owners manual states warrenty may be voided if used to pull a trailer. JAT.....

[crazy steve]

...I do know that the two red/white wires have to connect at some point because they go between the off/run/off switch and the starter solenoid.

Then that has to be the plug for the handlebar controls. If the plug style doesn't match, it's a '78-79 harness as that was one of the changes made between those and the '80-81 bikes; that appears to be the early style plug.

There's six distinctly different harnesses for the '78-81 XS11s. While most of the bits will match up, not all of them do...

[XS1100 Newbie]

If he has traced the wires back to the stop switch like it sounds, and he has a three wire plug hooked up there, then i think it is time to put the beer down. If the plug goes to the stop switch, then how is there a three wire plug there already, and maybe the plug connects somewhere by the solenoid. I didn't think that there was any differences on the right side controls.

[Bassman]

Ok I have more pictures and I promise I haven't had that many beers

This is what the plug looks like that goes to my right side handlebar plug. It is red/white, blue/white, red/white and one of the red/whites comes from the fusebox. The blue/white connects to the starter button and back to the starter solenoid.



The top plug here is my mystery plug with the two red/whites (one connects to the solenoid and one to the plug in the first picture), a black/yellow and a gray. The bottom one is a two-blade plug that connects to the solenoid.



This last picture show the locations of the two plugs, mystery plug on the left and right side handlebar on the right.



I realize that the harness may have been messed with, but it came laid out and taped in a pattern that works (for the most part) and most of the wires line up where they need to be.

[XS1100 Newbie]

You may end up doing some modifications of your own on that one. I do see what you were saying though.

[Yard Dogg]

It may be an XJ harness. That is the same plug I had which fed the starting circuit relay. 2 R/W's, 1 Sky blue, and 1 B/Y. It is for sure in the same location as it would be on an XJ.

[Yard Dogg]

Your XS may have had a starting circuit relay at one time. So it may still be for the XS. If it is an XJ harness, you may have 2 unused R/W wires going to the ignition switch itself. I believe my ign. switch had a 6 prong plug. If not, then it is probably an XS harness. But that pigtail is definitely for a starting circuit cutoff. The Sky Blue comes from the kick stand switch, and the kickstand relay and there would be a diode along the Sb wire also.

[Yard Dogg]

I meant to say starting circuit cutoff the first 2 times also.