electrical problems - '91 gs500

namegoeswhere? · 06-16-2011, 06:44 PM

long story short i've got this 1991 suzuki gs500 that has been nothing but problems. after chasing gremlins for months, finally i think it has me at a loss.

short background:
-floats height in spec
-valve clearances in spec
-carbs have been stripped and cleaned four times
-new battery

two weeks ago we installed the new battery and the bike would crank and sound like it really wanted to start, and the spark plugs had a bright spark. but now there's a major snafu: there's no power getting to the bike anymore.

literally NOTHING has been touched since the new battery went in, and the battery is still fully charged (reading 12.7 across the terminals.) but somewhere, something is going wrong. the fuses (that i can find) are all fine, as are all of the connections.

i was hoping to get her running by father's day so my dad and i can get our licences together, but doesn't look like that's happening.

Cruisinferburgers · 06-16-2011, 08:51 PM

I went to gstwins.com and searched fusible link. DLW says that there is a fuse holder in the bike where everybody checks the spare only and not the fuse that is live.

kyles_fxe · 06-17-2011, 10:57 PM

i know you have "checked your electrical connections" but i would say check them again pull off the ground where it bolts to the frame clean it good

then go to your positive wire the main one off the battery follow it to where it bolts check for voltage clean that connection then follow it to the next and check for voltage there and so on

namegoeswhere? · 06-18-2011, 12:16 PM

damn, sounds like checking which bulb on the christmas tree is out. but worse haha.

thanks for the help, gentlemen.

kyles_fxe · 06-18-2011, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by namegoeswhere?

damn, sounds like checking which bulb on the christmas tree is out. but worse haha.

thanks for the help, gentlemen.

yes i guess it is but with a much better payoff after you get it going... well im guessing better i have never tryed to ride a christmas tree

namegoeswhere? · 06-19-2011, 08:12 PM

my dad and i checked every plug and connection between the battery and alternator, and that at least solved the immediate power issue. we've checked for shorts, and double checked the ignition coils. but that lead us to the igniter assembly. the p.o. must have really really abused this poor bike, it had been dropped so hard that it sheered off the cover! and must have royally messed the signal generator up.

so now we're going to get a new signal rotor and hope that at least gets the thing started. then we can chase down the next gremlin.

kyles_fxe · 06-19-2011, 11:43 PM

well good luck

06-16-2011, 06:44 PM	#1
namegoeswhere? Verified Join Date: May 2011 Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota Posts: 34	electrical problems - '91 gs500 long story short i've got this 1991 suzuki gs500 that has been nothing but problems. after chasing gremlins for months, finally i think it has me at a loss. short background: -floats height in spec -valve clearances in spec -carbs have been stripped and cleaned four times -new battery two weeks ago we installed the new battery and the bike would crank and sound like it really wanted to start, and the spark plugs had a bright spark. but now there's a major snafu: there's no power getting to the bike anymore. literally NOTHING has been touched since the new battery went in, and the battery is still fully charged (reading 12.7 across the terminals.) but somewhere, something is going wrong. the fuses (that i can find) are all fine, as are all of the connections. i was hoping to get her running by father's day so my dad and i can get our licences together, but doesn't look like that's happening.

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06-16-2011, 08:51 PM	#2
Cruisinferburgers Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Kentucky Posts: 290	I went to gstwins.com and searched fusible link. DLW says that there is a fuse holder in the bike where everybody checks the spare only and not the fuse that is live.

06-17-2011, 10:57 PM	#3
kyles_fxe Senior Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: kansas Posts: 215	i know you have "checked your electrical connections" but i would say check them again pull off the ground where it bolts to the frame clean it good then go to your positive wire the main one off the battery follow it to where it bolts check for voltage clean that connection then follow it to the next and check for voltage there and so on

06-18-2011, 12:16 PM	#4
namegoeswhere? Verified Join Date: May 2011 Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota Posts: 34	damn, sounds like checking which bulb on the christmas tree is out. but worse haha. thanks for the help, gentlemen.

06-19-2011, 08:12 PM	#6
namegoeswhere? Verified Join Date: May 2011 Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota Posts: 34	my dad and i checked every plug and connection between the battery and alternator, and that at least solved the immediate power issue. we've checked for shorts, and double checked the ignition coils. but that lead us to the igniter assembly. the p.o. must have really really abused this poor bike, it had been dropped so hard that it sheered off the cover! and must have royally messed the signal generator up. so now we're going to get a new signal rotor and hope that at least gets the thing started. then we can chase down the next gremlin.

06-19-2011, 11:43 PM	#7
kyles_fxe Senior Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: kansas Posts: 215	well good luck