Stinky boot

[Chuey]

I determined that the carburetor does not leak at all. My boot stayed dry the whole ride....I was checking it.
The engine is super responsive and peppy. It does smell rich when I am stopped. Is it possible that that carb is richer than it is supposed to be?

Chuey

[Chuey]

On the most recent trip I took on this bike, and it was a couple years ago - have ridden it only a few times since, I pulled off the neutral switch wires in an attempt to cure a stumbling problem. (It turned out to be a ground screw up at the coils had come loose which made the engine stop completely.)
Today, I resolved to get under there and reinstall the wires so my neutral switch would function properly again. I put new connectors on the wires and managed to fit them onto the male spade terminals. Result: Neutral light remains on even when in gear.
Both wires are brown so I conclude that the switch completes a circuit by providing ground when the switch is engaged.
The light goes off if I disconnect one wire but stays on whether the bike is in gear or not when both wires are connected. Is there a way I can test the switch without removing it? Or is there a test I can do with the wires? The switch has very little running time on it.
I don't think this matters but just in case it does, I had twisted the wires together when I had them disconnected.

Thanks for any help.

Chuey

[Zombie Master]

Have you tested the switch for activation with a test light?

[Zombie Master]

And my girlfriend cry
"You got stink-foot!
Stink-foot, darlin'
Your stink-foot puts a hurt on my nose!
Stink-foot! Stink-foot! I ain't lyin'
Can you rinse it off, d'you suppose?"

FZ

[Chuey]

I have to admit that I'm stymied as to how to do a test with a test light since both wires are ground wires.

Chuey

[Zombie Master]

I have to admit that I'm stymied as to how to do a test with a test light since both wires are ground wires.

Chuey

Well you could run a continuity check, activating the the transmission in and out of neutral. I keep a set of alligator clip meter cables for checks like that.

[Chuey]

Got some of those. I'll see what I can learn. With electricity, I fumble a lot. But eventually I usually can tell what is going on if it is not too specific.
Tomorrow morning I have to go up to Orange County so I'll stop by Irv Seaver's and buy a spare if they have one in stock.

Chuey

[Wobbly]

Both wires are brown so I conclude that the switch completes a circuit by providing ground when the switch is engaged. The light goes off if I disconnect one wire but stays on whether the bike is in gear or not when both wires are connected. Is there a way I can test the switch without removing it?

Look again. The schematic for your bike shows 2 wires, Brown and Brown/Black. Brown is indeed the DC return (what you call "ground"). Brown/Black is the wire from the indicator lamp. Touching Brown/Black to the engine should make the lamp illuminate.

You can test your new switch with an Ohm meter, one lead on each switch contact. But the meter's circuit is very similar to the bike's neutral lamp circuit and so I doubt very much that the reading will vary greatly from what the lamp is already telling you.

[Chuey]

Hi all,

Got both issues fixed. Encountered another problem. The bike was not charging. I removed the instrument cluster and checked the "gen" bulb. The bulb was working.

Next week, I will be riding the bike 800 miles. Diagnosing and fixing problems like these takes me a long time. I've got a lot of non motorcycle related things to get ready for my trip. (Gretchen will be driving our double cab on the same route a day earlier than me so I have to get that loaded and ready, as well.)

So, I took the bike to a local independent airhead guru. The charging issue turned out to be the armature on the end of the crank......I had a good one. The neutral light was a wiring issue, I didn't understand what he said it was.

The stinky boot came from an open port in the right carb. Under the carb is a small pipe that sticks down and is used for synching the carbs. Both carbs had a piece of tubing with a screw inserted in it to seal it. The screw had fallen out of the right side. There are now some proper vinyl caps on those ports instead of hose with a screw in it.

Feeling pretty good about the way that came out. Thanks for the help.

Chuey

[richard t]

Hi all,

Got both issues fixed. Encountered another problem. The bike was not charging. I removed the instrument cluster and checked the "gen" bulb. The bulb was working.

Next week, I will be riding the bike 800 miles. Diagnosing and fixing problems like these takes me a long time. I've got a lot of non motorcycle related things to get ready for my trip. (Gretchen will be driving our double cab on the same route a day earlier than me so I have to get that loaded and ready, as well.)

So, I took the bike to a local independent airhead guru. The charging issue turned out to be the armature on the end of the crank......I had a good one. The neutral light was a wiring issue, I didn't understand what he said it was.

The stinky boot came from an open port in the right carb. Under the carb is a small pipe that sticks down and is used for synching the carbs. Both carbs had a piece of tubing with a screw inserted in it to seal it. The screw had fallen out of the right side. There are now some proper vinyl caps on those ports instead of hose with a screw in it.

Feeling pretty good about the way that came out. Thanks for the help.

Chuey

have a good trip