:mrgreen:   I understand now.  I'm kinda slow these days...  I'll check it tomorrow and let you know.  Once again, thanks for helping me out.

OK, so I finally got some more time to work on the bike.  I was just going through the thread again, to see what all I need to check.  One thing keeps flashing in my mind:

It was running fine, and did not die until I was on the freeway, going about 80 MPH for several minutes.  I can understand if I was having issues immediately after I re-assembled the bike, but no.  I got a good 12 miles out of it before it started popping fuses.  It's not like I was throwing it into corners either.  Just cruising, going straight.  

- What could have spontaneously blew up that would have affected the circuit in question?
- Does everything electrical go through that single 20A fuse by the battery?

Just something to think about, as I am still totally lost.  I will report back sometime this afternoon, hopefully with more info.

-Jason

It sounds like you have a double ground somewhere.  But that would have fried long before 12 miles.   Maybe not, though.  From all of the symptoms it sounds like a hot wire is touching the frame or something...definitely a ground out.

Dom - Thanks for the info.  I have seen the Haynes schematic, and I can make a little sense of it, but it doesn't tell me where or how to test these things.  It isn't intermittent, meaning I can replicate the problem 100% of the time.  It will start and run in first, with the side stand up.  I guess the only intermittent thing that happens is: sometimes it will run in this condition while stationary, with the clutch in, but the second I try and take off (let the clutch out and gas it), it will blow the fuse 100% of the time.  I know that the clutch switch is in this loop somewhere, and I have looked for loose wires, and have fooled with all the taped up clumps of wires, with no success.

John B. - I tested the sidestand relay connector, and this is what I found:

Both orange wires together = 001-002 ohms
Either orange wire and the orange/green wire = ~500 ohms

Formulating a new theory...  

It looks like there is a yellow/green wire that connects the clutch switch to the starter relay.  There is also a black/white wire that connects to the starter relay, and lots of other stuff, like the battery ground and rectifier (as others have mentioned).  According to the Haynes diagram, the starter relay and the fuse look like the same physical box, with some sort of internal connection between the two.  I am thinking that the starter relay could be toast, or like other people have mentioned, something wrong with the ground (black/white wire I am assuming).  I just need to figure out how to trace this, and how to test with my volt meter.  Someone mentioned to check for resistance between the battery and rectifier.  What am I looking for exactly?  No resistance?

Interesting development -

So I started the bike up, let it run for a minute, put it in gear, and let the clutch out a bit.  Pop!  There goes the fuse.  So, the big event here is letting out the clutch.  The yellow/green and black/white wires from the clutch switch end up at the starter relay.

I put in another fuse, and started the bike.  I removed the black/white wire from the starter relay, and let out the clutch.  Pop!  Damn.  I really don't know what I am doing.

Ok.  Now the ignition is OFF.  I plug the black/white wire back in, and start to plug in another fuse.  POP!  Wait a minute...  Ignition is OFF.  So, either the problem IS the starter relay, and I just made it worse, or I totally fried something else by removing the black/white wire from the starter relay while the bike was running.     HELP!!

How are you pulling the black/white wire out of the plug/socket? If you have removed the wire AND the connector lug, reinstalling it next to the red wire in the same plug will blow the fuse.

The black/white wire should be next to the green/yellow wire.

I am looking over the schematics and have a whole GS and a donor I am looking over. We can figure this out - eventually. Hang in there!

Here are a couple of items that you can refer to, both for your sake and ours:

The sidestand relay (lifted off of its mounting tab and swung down away from the frame):



Also, a page from the Haynes manual that goes through testing both the sidestand switch and the sidestand relay.

Dunno, do these help any?   :dunno:

Quote from: mrblinklet the clutch out a bit.  Pop!  There goes the fuse

Yesterday, I was going to write that maybe the clutch switch was shorting-out, but then I looked at the wiring diagram and decided that it wasn't possible   .

Basically: the battery supplies power to the starter button.  When the starter button is pushed, then it gives power to the clutch switch.  When the clutch is pulled, then the power goes all the way to the starter relay coil, which closes and the starter turns.  

But when the starter button is not pushed, there is no power at all at the clutch switch.  So I don't see how even a shorted clutch switch could pop a fuse, except when the starter button is also pushed.

Rema - I didn't think there was anything wrong with the clutch switch, because the switch was working like it was supposed to.  But since the yellow/green wire went all the way to the starter relay, and the black/white wire also went to the relay, and it only happens when i let the clutch out, it seemed logical.

Kerry - I have tested the sidestand switch and relay, and both seem to be OK.  I even bypassed the relay with a jumper to rule it out.

Starwalt - On the starter relay, the black/white wire was right next to the yellow/green wire as you said.  All I did was UNPLUG the black white wire while the bike was running.  Don't ask me why.  I think it was an act of desperation.  I plugged it back into the same socket, then tried to install a new fuse, when the fuse popped.

I guess I posted the wrong manual page.  

Can I interest you in a different one - one that deals with the starter relay?

The starter relay coil resistance should be 3 to 5 ohms.

Oh man, I did something really bad I think...  Remember how I said that the bike was popping fuses when it was TURNED OFF???

I made sure it was OFF.  I removed the key, just to be sure.  I unplugged ALL 4 CONNECTORS from the starter relay, and it's STILL POPPING FUSES while the bike is TURNED OFF.  NO KEY in the ignition.  Son of a Buddha Loves You.  What could I have done?  Anyone wanna buy a GS500, real cheap?  First $500 takes it.

OK time for battery spark test ... you have a huge Mofo short in it ...
Cool.
Srinath.

What's the battery spark test?

Quote from: mrblinkit's STILL POPPING FUSES while the bike is TURNED OFF.  NO KEY in the ignition.

That's great news! .  Because the only parts of the bike which have power even when the key is out, are the starter relay and the Regulator/Rectifier... much less wiring to check!

The easiest one to check is the regulator/rectifier.  On the right side of the bike, under the right side panel, is a 4-wire nylon quick-connector.  It runs to a little metal box with radiator fins about the size of a pack of cigarettes (the R/R).  Disconnect the quick-connect.  Does the popping stop?

Then check the battery lead to the starter relay.  It's the big huge cable running from the battery straight to the starter relay.  Disconnect it at the starter relay (or remove the starter relay).  Does the popping stop?

fyi... I went through all these tests with my bike... it was popping fuses when the bike was turned off... ended up being goat's syndrome

If you disconnect the thick red wire (from the battery) at the starter relay then there should be no power at all to the bike.  (Still, you may as well make sure that's the case.)

se7enty7 may have something here.  I don't know whether you have "Goat's Syndrome", but if the regulator/rectifier has power then so might the alternator - so a short there COULD be your problem.



Try disconnecting the 3-wire connector between the alternator and the R/R perhaps?

Quote from: KerryIf you disconnect the thick red wire (from the battery) at the starter relay then there should be no power at all to the bike.  (Still, you may as well make sure that's the case.)

se7enty7 may have something here.  I don't know whether you have "Goat's Syndrome", but if the regulator/rectifier has power then so might the alternator - so a short there COULD be your problem.



Try disconnecting the 3-wire connector between the alternator and the R/R perhaps?

measure the resistance between the three wires from the stator.... they come out of the left side cover near where the clutch goes in. Unplug the connector, and measure between the three wires...  On all three of my stators (albeit all used, but some were cracked and some looked perfect) a good stator should read at least .7 ohms.  bad stators read 'err' or will error out

While on this thread, here is a blow-apart of the starter relay/connector fuse block.  I hope this helps.



I've got to get a better digital camera!

The connectors on that starter relay look a little bit different than mine.  My bike is an 89, so would that have something to do with it??  In any case, I unplugged all 4 wires from the starter relay last night, and it was still blowing fuses.  I will unplug the rectifier today, and if that's not it, I'll try the alternator.  If the bike has goats, will it still blow fuses with all these things unplugged?