starter wiring

[tobyd]

I'm having some problems diagnosing the starter wiring on a bike thats been a little messed with.

At some point someones had done at least the following

• Cut the sidestand switch leaving the blue plug disconnected.
• Wired the blue+white line from the starter switch directly to the starter solenoids trigger post.

This had the effect that the starter could be fired even with the ignition off - I don't know if this points at any other tampering but seemed a bit dubious. I'm guessing this bypassed the entire safety system - I don't know enough about that to guess at what else had to be done to make this work (if anything).

Anyway, I've reattached the blue+white (starter) wire into its right place in the block to the main relay and on the relay-trigger attached the blue+white wire up by the multiplug for the back lights. Replaced some multiplugs that were rotten (kept the original connection sequences) and replaced the side stand switch.

Except now it won't spin on the starter at all...

I have a working neutral light, the side stand switch seems ok continuity-wise, the clutch switch seems intermittent but I have bridged that for the time being. What I get when I press the starter button is the oil lamp coming on. With the kill switch on the oil lamp is constantly on and glows slightly brighter when I thumb the starter button. Indicators, lights (brake, parking, dipped, main, pass) all work fine. Horn also works.

The starter solenoid trigger has intermittent 12v on it, dropping to 0v when I press the starter button. The solenoid doesn't fire. or click. The starter will spin if I bridge the Relay(Solenoid?) terminals. I bought an ebay replacement relay but the moment I connect the ground up the starter spins until I disconnect the power. The trigger has no effect (I suspect the replacement relay is kaput and its going back as defective).

Any ideas what I should be looking for:

• On the trigger wire (blue+white, going into the starter relay) voltage wise at rest and with the starter button on.
• What the oil lamp coming on means (I read someone else that its telling me a starter condition isn't met, not sure this is true?)
• Whether its normal that there is a second blue and white line that connects to a black and white line at the multiplug going to the main relay
• What the stock wiring for the pre '95 carb heater looks like - i have 2 unaccounted for black cables which i assumed loop through the carb temperature sender and oil heater thing

Note, the carb heater is not attached, the later engine I have doesn't have the same valve cover connection and rather than disturb the gasket I'm just leaving it off.

Cheers for any pointers, I hate trying to work out electrics that have been cut up previously