Bought Ver 3.0 a few months ago. Need to bug Rick about removing that "Version 3 Returning Soon!" tag from the website... It's available. Call him. --Bill
Haynes or Clymer make a motorcycle electrical manual that is very good. It covers way way more then the airhead style systems, but it gives a good base of info. To that I would add get a good low priced digital multi meter, for MC work I don't like the auto ranging ones. A 12v test lamp and a continuity tester. On tip i am planing on doing the next time I am wiring something is to do it first on a bread board at 1:1 Draing the circuit first then laying out the devices and wires. As for wiring, use high quality copper multi strand cable with sheath that is heat and chemicle resistant. Don't use the crimp connections from the local hardware store. Get the real deal, there are plenty of places both on line and brick and mortar that sell high quality crimping tools, terminals and all the other related bits. You will notice that there are few soldered joints on most motorcycles, most use high quality crimped, well sealed connections. Follow that lead.
Remember that the thick red wires entering and leaving the starter relay are the main power wires from the battery to everything apart from the starter. These wires corrode very easily especially if they are covered in crud from a Leakey master cylinder. Check clean and if needed remove wire until you back to clean copper and remake. This connection is a source of 90% of airhead electrical probs
Being in the same situation, ie, no wiring harness, I am attempting to add the minimum amount of wiring to get the engine running (no lights, horn, warning lights except the charge light) I am having difficulty deciphering the starter relay numbering. On a regular accessory type relay #85 goes to ground. On the airhead wiring diagrams #85 goes to the starter switch and I can find no terminal going to ground. Can anyone give me any help.
Not sure what you're asking exactly, but the starter is mechanically grounded due to the bolts that mount it to the engine, which is gnded to the frame, where the battery is gnded. If you have an ohmeter, you can check that, and I suspect the solenoid is mechanically gnded via mechanical mounts to the starter as well, so the schematic won't show aseparate gnd terminal. Guess you could say it'd implied. Your ohmeter will answer questions like that, and if you get confused at all, draw a little diagram showing the solenoid coil and switching contacts. roy
You using a Haynes manual for the schematic? Starter relay; Ohm pin 30 to gnd and see what you get. roy
Looking again, and assuming your bike is still wired according to schematic, pin 85 gnds the coil side thru the starter sw/ and the clutch and/or neutral sw/. Pin 86 gets 12v thru the ignition sw as pwr to the coil. Is your bike still wired like factory, or are you starting from a basket case? roy
Starting from basket case. No wiring at all. 85 comes from starter button. 86 from D+ on diode board thru the charging light. and from ignition switch thru the kill switch. 85 is the questionable one. john
This might help (I posted this not long ago on another thread): The fire hose and garden hose analogies are a bit confusing to me. It is not that difficult to think of it in basic physics terms: You have a wire that has free electrons inside of it, when these electrons are put into motion you now have current (amps). The force that acts on the electrons and puts them into motion is the potential energy (voltage). Higher voltage implies there is more force energy available to get more free electrons (current) flowing. Keep in mind voltage is only potential energy, so if you were to have say a corroded connection you could still measure a significant voltage there however the ability to pass current through the connection would be limited due to the added resistance of the corrosion. Bigger wire diameter means there are more free electrons to participate in the current flow and thus less heat is dissipated in the wire (starter motors draw lots of current, thus the wires are large diameter). Smaller wire diameter means less free electrons to participate in the current flow and thus more heat dissipation (a horn draws a small amount of current, thus small diameter wire needed). Now you have 2 types of switches that control the on/off flow of current (amps), mechanical operated and electrical operated (relays). Mechanical switches you make/break the wire connection (interrupt current flow) with your hand, relays make/break the wire connection (interrupt current flow) by control of an electrical signal.
it eventually has to go to gnd, the original schematic showed the clutch and/or neutral sw/ being in series with the starter sw/, but it still ends up going to gnd when you press the sw/. PM me a snail mail address and I'll cc some pgs out of an electrical book that was put out by the chicago airhead club. Think it has a more complete description of the starter circuit than I can probably do over the net. I got your input that you're in Gilbert, you can see I'm in AJ. If you need a real airhead recommendation, the local guy I know who's helpful and very competent is Dave Alquist at Quality Cycles. Good luck. Keep asking til you're satisfied. roy