Didnt take long... KLR600 electrical problem!

[Eddie Hitler]

Today I flushed the coolent through and sorted the oil, and various odd jobs. On the list was charging the battery, so same old, take side panel off take battery out - EEEK, god it was heavy and it fell out and stopped halfway to the floor. Everything was fine apart from a small white cable?

I looked, couldnt find where the hell it was attatched too. Seems to want to run off the positive terminal, as the lights all zinged on (calmly) whilst touching it. I know I shouldnt have done it but meh gives me some idea.

So yeh, any ideas where it is supposed to go? :S.

I can grab some pictures if its any help, dont know if its obvious or not!

Thanks Ed

[Eddie Hitler]

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v246/remoking/IMAG0061.jpg

The white wire in the centre is the problem. Dont know where it goes.

Ed

[finpos]

Here's an educated guess (from "kawasakis in general of about that age") but you might want to check the wiring diagram first -

That's the permanent live wire that runs to the ignition switch. So, yes it came off the +ve terminal, especially if nothing on the bike works with it disconnected, even the parking lights. Hopefully if you follow the wire a bit you'll find the main fuse and if you look at the ignition switch you should see the other end of it there.

f.

[Eddie Hitler]

cheers finpos, i found this diagram but still not 100%, dont want to whack it straight on the + terminal incase i fry something.

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v246/remoking/ELEC.png

cheers ed

[finpos]

Looks like exactly the one (once I'd figured out it's upside down and "M" is actually "W"). White wire has fuse, rectifier output and I expect vanishes off the bottom of the page to the ignition switch - it's shown connected directly to battery +ve.

f.

[Eddie Hitler]

Sorted! Although 1 more question (sorry to be a pain) if the white cable goes on the + terminal, wheres the red covered one in the picture supposed to go? It was orginally screwed onto the battery. Case of putting the white cable underneath it?

[finpos]

Ah, good question. The answer is both need to be connected to the +ve terminal. Before it broke, the white wire will either have had it's own ring connector crimped on the end or will have been included in the crimp that's still there on the big fat wire.

Either way, this is rather a critical connection - all the electrical power on the bike that is not the starter motor goes through it. Or, put another way, you don't want a shoddy connection, so I wouldn't "just put it under there"

Your choices are:
Get a new ring terminal crimped on by someone who knows how to do it (I'm guessing you don't and don't have the tools )
Or:
Strip about 3-4 cm of insulation off the white wire. Fold the stripped part of the wire in half. Stick a screwdriver up into the fold, then grip the wire under the screwdriver between your fingers. You should now be able to spin the screwdriver around like a propeller. If you've done that right you'll be able to pull out the screwdriver and you'll have a tight loop of wire formed which you can bolt onto the battery terminal along with the fat wiire. P.S. use a screwdriver as wide as the terminal bolt! And not one with a flare on the end!

f.

[finpos]

... Actually, if you want to save yourself a lot of bother in the future, follow the big thick wire which will go about 5 inches and end up under the red cover on the starter solenoid which you can see in your picture to the left of the battery box. Connect the White wire into the terminal under that cover instead then it won't snap off every time you have to manhandle the battery.

f.

[Eddie Hitler]

sorted thankyou mate

ed