thanks for the help. i'm hung up on the gray white and black from the starter button. the orange and red from the front brake switch and the tail light wires that go to the&nbsp\\;brake light &nbsp\\;switch&nbsp\\;can anyone tell me exactly where they go i tried so many combinations and i am stumped. just can't seem to get it right. need help
thanks

 

I do not have the wiring diagram you are referring to in front of me, but the starter button wire for one:
The black wire comes from the starter relay. This black wire goes to the starter button and carries 12V. The white wire comes off the other side of the starter button and goes to ground.
So, when you press the starter button the 12V sitting there waiting in the black wire goes through the button to ground. This activates the starter relay and this sends 12V to the starter solenoid, which in turn kicks in and sends 12V (with heavy current) from the battery to the starter through the heavy battery cables. That is how that works......pg

 

I am looking at the factory wiring diagram for a 1975 and 1976 Model XL, meaning an electric start bike.
There should be only 2 wires on the starter button unless someone has takes a shortcut.
The black lead originally went from one terminal on the starter button through a socket-plug combination to the small terminal on the starter relay.
A short jumper lead, probably white, originally came from a terminal on the Engine Stop Switch (kill switch) to the other terminal on the starter button.
A white lead left the kill switch and went through the socket-plug to the coil.
The gray lead originally came from the socket-plug to the other terminal on the kill switch.
The starting point for the gray lead is the Ignition Circuit Breaker.

Rehash -
Ignition Circuit Breaker - gray lead - socket plug - gray lead - kill switch terminal 1.
Kill switch terminal 2 - white lead - socket plug - white lead - coil.
Also kill switch terminal 2 - jumper to starter switch terminal 1.
Kill switch terminal 3 - unused.
Starter switch terminal 2 - black lead - socket plug - small terminal on starter relay.

Accessory circuit breaker - orange lead - socket-plug - orange lead - front brake switch terminal 1.
Front brake switch terminal 2 - red lead - socket plug - red lead - rear harness connector - red lead - brake light.
Accessory circuit breaker - orange lead - rear brake switch - red lead - rear harness connector - same red lead as above - brake light.

 

PG - 75 and 76 models aren't wired quite that way.
The starter button doesn't go to ground, but passes the 12 volts from the ignition breaker via the kill switch to the relay, and then to ground.

 

thanks pg, i'll give that a try tonight, what can you tell me about the headlight/taillight circut and where the wires go to the stoplight switches
thanks again

 

 

Thanks Poco........
There I go again talking about an ironhead newer than 1974. I will never get this egg off my face.......pg