Electrical issue

Last evening, while riding home, I hit the brights and the headlight and instrument lights suddenly went out. I assumed it was a fuse, but the fuse is fine.

I pulled the headlight, it's fine

There's no power at the headlight plug, but there is power at the fuse block.

The indicator lights... neutral, blinker etc work fine as do the tail light and brake light.

I'm thinking this could be a headlight relay issue, but why would that go bad when I turned on the brights?

Thanks in advance.

 

Kind of hard to say without knowing what year, model, or make your bike is.

On my '82 Seca 750, though, the headlight relay does not provide power to the instrument lights; it only powers the headlight and aux light.

If such a thing were to happen on my bike, I'd suspect the fuse box, if it were original, the ignition switch, or maybe a plug connection to the ignition switch, as these are the only things I can think of that instrument lights have in common with the headlight (again, on my bike).

Switching to high beam would cause a surge of current the might aggravate a bad connection.

 

Are the instrument lights and headlight on the same fuse?

 

Pbergin, had the same thing happen to me. Was out on a day's adventure with my beloved when, as the sun was going down (of course), I started up and the headlight wouldn't light up. Fuse good, connections tight. Rode home post haste and just as we turned the corner to the house, the headlight came on. I changed the fuse holders and the problem went away.

 

Yup, the fuse block is the culprit. I shorted out the terminals, and the light came right on.

Gotta rep[lace it I guess.

 

On what kind of bike?

On my Seca, they are not.

 

It was my '81 650 Maxim and I couldn't tell you if my instruments went out or not (I don't have my book hand to tell, I'll get back to you on that), don't remember. I just remember the feeling of dread as the sun dipped lower and lower as I raced home.