[ST] Stupid Question #2

["Marc Danziger" <marc@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

A brief synopsis:

The horn switch failed, requiring replacement of the lefthand switch cluster on Vixen.
"As long as I have to take the bodywork off..." I decided to replace the headlight bulbs and horn, and try and troubleshoot my heated (but not heating) grips.

Somehow, as an anodyne to having too much work, I decided to do this "relatively simple" work myself and go relax in the garage...

Let's remember this bad decision for future consumption, shall we??

This was two weeks ago, and I haven't had the time to get the bike back together since then.

Got the bodywork off, took off the pannier rails (no 3-bag trips in the near future), left the rear signal lights on the little ears, since that makes mounting the rails quicker.

Took the gas tank off, adjusted the preload (on the wonderful Penske shock) back to single-rider levels, ran a power line for the horn relay along the right side of the bike.

Put the gas tank back on, reinstalled the rear bodywork.

Replaced the headlight bulbs, struggled with one wire bail which came out of its screw. Got it back under the screw, and powerbulbs work wonderfully.

Installed the horn relay, one of the two Fiamme horns on the old horn mount (where would people put _both_ horns??), nada. Relay fires, power to everything, horn works if I bring power directly to it. Run "breadboarded" wires (no solder on spade connectors, etc.) every which way trying to figure out the circuitry.

Look at the wiring with Tenacious G and Zac-the-five-year-old chess monkey yelling for my attention, and after half an hour give up.

Ride the partially denuded bike up the street to a local shop, breadboarded wire intact. Ask mechanic to sort wiring in breadboard if that's all the time he has, I'll solder up when I take it home.

Pick up bike three hours later. Horn doesn't work because fuse is blown because breadboarded wire touched fork tube (blemish is too high to effect seals). He says circuit works. he's v. frustrated because the cheap-ass spade connectors from Pep Boys won't stay on (that's why I solder them) and the wiring keeps falling apart. I'm v. frustrated because there are like six connectors, and if they keep falling off, maybe he oughta just replace them?

I ask him to just electrical tape all the connections, I'll ride home and fix them up. The lefthand headlight bulb then falls out as he does this.

Look all over the shop floor, can't find the wire bail. Calmly put bulb into latex glove, put in pocket of 'Stich, ride home.

Close garage door for three days until I calm down.

Email ST list, and Steve K bails me out with a missing bail (so to speak).

That brings us to the present. Now I'm sitting down with the heated (but not heating) grips, and trying to troubleshoot those.

I have three wires going to the switch...a blue one, tan, and brown. The factory switch appears to be a simple on/off/on rocker. The blue wire is at +12 volts...so it should go in the middle, no??

BUT THE DAMN GRIPS WON'T HEAT UP. There is no circuit diagram for the heated grips in the factory manual.

I'm having a bad day. And I can't even blame it on the bike...pilot error all the way.

I WILL NOT START PROJECTS I DO NOT HAVE TIME TO FINISH
(repeat 50 times)

...as soon as I get this one done...


MarcD






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