Back in the saddle

Wow, apparently it has been a while since I posted. Trying to get back into this as part of a holistic self-improvement program. Got a lot of stuff I want to figure out and learn about and this seems like a fair place to put it. If it is of interest to you, excellent. If not, there are plenty of other shitty blogs and sites on the infinite interwebs for you to check out.

Here is a sampler of (hopefully) upcoming topics:

• Responsive Design
• Home Improvement Projects
• Restoration of the Ol' Suzuki GS450E
• Hop-ups of the New Suzuki DR-Z400S

Enjoy!

- w

Starter switch, cont.

Stopped in to Radio Shack today during lunch and they have a pretty good selection of automative switches that I can choose from for replacing the kill switch and starter switch. I figured that by this point they would have abandoned the home electronics enthusiast completely in deference to the phone sales dept. Everything pretty much around $3. I dismantled the switch assembly and took this picture of the switches and wiring.

Seems pretty straightforward so I think it should be no problem to swap out the switches and solder new ones on. I also remembered that when I removed the starter motor it required taking off the cam chain tensioner and the gasket ripped. Add that to the list of items I'm going to need to track down.

Starter switch

Got a short opportunity to work on the bike this weekend but didn't make much progress. The starter switch is really corroded so it looks like a new one is required. I got a quote for an OEM from inside Suzuki for $45 which is pretty much what I'm seeing on ebay, etc. so I'm thinking Radio Shack may be a better option. I saw a cool mod from some guy who did this as part of a bobber project but lost the link. He had it mounted under the seat so you could barely see it. I also found a nice troubleshooting post for the starter circuit here, that I'll be trying out as soon as baseball season is over. Hopefully not for another month... go Giants!

We have ignition! Sort of.

After a lengthy hiatus, I was back in action this weekend and made some major progress on the bike. Maybe 'findings' is a better word than 'progress'. I got the instrument cluster re-installed (was mis-placed for a bit) and the new battery hooked up. Still nothing when I hit the start button but the headlight works (both high and low!) and the indicators light appear to be functional. According to the grainy pdf I found online of a close-match gs450, the red light in the pictures below could be the 'side stand check light and buzzer'. I wasn't able to get it turn off so it is either something else or maybe there a bad switch somewhere. For the first picture, I had the bike in neutral, the clutch in and the side stand up but nothing happened. I put it in gear for the second picture and tried again and still nothing (but was not expecting anything).

Key is in the 'run' position,
bike shifted into gear.

Key is in the 'run' position,
bike in neutral.

So obviously there is a wiring issue with the starter since the starter relay is brand new and the battery is new as well. As a test, I removed the starter and used jumper cables to connect the battery and tap the contact. It spun up so it seems like the starter is not the issue. Next up is to test the switch wires. I have isolated the starter wiring harness so it should be pretty straightforward to diagnose. Once I got the starter re-installed on the bike, I repeated the battery test and the bike turned over. Overall it sounds pretty bad with a loud clunking sound. Not promising but then again this was never supposed to be a quick flip. Each time I put some effort into it I am learning more and making progress so I have to be happy with small victories.

There are still some other lingering issues as well, like these random, loose wires:

Disconnected from something, but what?

I think these two went to the original gas tank.

That's about it for now. If anyone has suggestions about the mystery wires, let me know.

Progress! sort of.

After a bunch of emails back and forth about the missing starter relay, I finally got fed up (and had a minute) to call them and let them know how frustrated I am. The guy seemed hesitant but eventually conceded that they will ship me another relay while the claim is pending with the USPS. Have to figure another week or so for it to show up so hopefully I can get some work done on the bike next weekend. In the meantime I have discovered that it is leaking a little bit of oil. I guess not surprising given the age and mileage but hopefully that won't end up being a big issue.