Fitz, 550RJ wiring question...

Ever since I bought the bike, there has been a red wire (sheathed in black) wrapped around the left handlebar. It's never been attached to anything, and I never really worried TOO much about it (all my electronics seemed to work without it, after all), but when I cleaned my instrument cluster this weekend, curiosity got the better of me - I followed the wire into the headlamp box and found that it was attached to a lime-green connector.

What the heck is supposed to be on the other end of that?

 

I have the same thing going on with my bike (81 550 RH) - the same black sheathed wire wrapped around the handlebar like you described that doesn't connect to anything.

I checked the wiring specs for my bike ('81 550RH) and it's apparently supposed to have a clutch lever sensor switch. I saw where the switch is supposed to fit in the clutch lever housing, but mine's missing.

Apparently our PO's must have decided to disable the clutch lever safety switches so they could start the bikes without having to have the lever pulled in.

 

Oh, that's what it should do :idea: Mine is connected to the lever, but must be be disconnected somewhere else because I don't have to pull lever to start...

 

Well, that's good to know, at least. I had my headlamp off this weekend, so I just pulled it all into the housing and coiled it up. If it's not anything major, I might as well just pull it and tape off the connector.

Silly thing is, I always start with the clutch in, anyway - hard lesson learned while driving an '81 Mercury Lynx. :lol:

 

Interesting. That slim, bright green connector IS for the clutch switch, according to the book it doesn't have a red wire, but anything's possible. I didn't pull a headlight to confirm, I just looked it up.

The clutch switch is only needed if you're trying to start the bike IN GEAR or with the sidestand down. Like the sidestand switch, most got disconnected as a result of malfunctioning causing starting problems.

If there's no wire connected to the clutch lever "perch" then that's it for sure.

 

Nope, no connection to the lever, although I can also see where it's supposed to go.

I can start the bike fine in-gear without it, as long as I keep the clutch in.

Anyway, like I said, if that's all it does I'll probably just pull the wire out at the connector and tape it up. There's enough of a rat's nest inside that housing already.

 

With that switch gone, you can also start the bike in gear WITHOUT pulling the clutch in. With the switch gone, the bike doesn't know the difference. Be careful.

 

Noted. Again, years of driving stick have kind of driven all the manual clutch lessons home, so I haven't had the bike shoot out from under me...yet.