I have a major problem that I need some help with. Sunday I was riding and pulled up to a stop sign. I smelt something and looked down at the console where I saw smoke starting to work it's way out of the ignition switch. At that point, all electrical power to the bike died. I pushed the bike out of the highway and into a parking lot where I looked for blown fuses and such with no such luck.

After a little bit of cooling off for the bike and myself, I tried the switch and the bike came back to life. After a 20 mile blast home, while electrical power cutting in and out, I got home to see the switch still smoking and had fused itself in the ignition position. I couldn't get the switch to turn with a lot of force, but managed to cut the bike off.

Now all I can get it accessory power out of both sides of the switch and after looking at the back of the switch, the wiring harness clip and switch had melted together.

I know of a close friend that had this happen, but does anyone know what would cause this? I don't have any extra accessories on my bike except for passing lamps but wouldn't think that after 1 1/2 years that would start causing a problem.

Any suggestions???

 

I wish I coule help you on this one. You already know you you have a short somewhere. If you find a blown fuse it might help in determining what part of the wiring it was supposed to protect. You might find where a wire might have rubbed it self bare causing a short. Good luck, let us know what you find out.

 

If it were me, I would pull the ignition switch panel and start looking there. If I found nothing obvious there, I would check the bundled wiring in the head lamp assembly. It is entirely possible that it took 1 1/2 years for a wire to rub through the insulation and then cause a short.