81' xj650 aftermarket speedo wiring.

I stand corrected. thanks Moe - sorry for any miss-information.

 

hey all I think its best to kick this thread back up than start a new one....I plugged everything in. Got it turn over, was feeling good, started cutting cords from the old dash to wire into the new gauges, test one, Neautral light, found lights on old dash cut them wired them in worked for a second then stopped. Wouldnt do anything at all. So do these bikes require a complete circuit to work at all? Can I make my own harnesses? Is there someone that sells harnesses that slim down the factory and allow for easy wiring of accesories?

 

You probably broke the kill cct. Look at the wiring diagram and follow the cct that goes through the kill switch.

Good guy from speedmoto is on here and will make you a bas-ass harness and fix any electrical thing you have and haven't thought of.

http://www.speedmotoco.com/

 

Do you know his username? Or what he's charged in the past for the basic harness

 

Someone is working without having a service manual....

 

Pretty much. Got Haynes manual and all the wiring schematics I can print online but it's old im growing tired if it. f***ing hate wiring. Idk If I ever asked my question or if it's gotten bypasses. Does this electrical system require a complete circuit or can I just wire up starting components?

 

All electrical systems require complete circuits; otherwise the electricity won't flow. Are you asking about the safety circuits and how to bypass them?

 

I guess so yea....for instance. I can trace all the wires that make the bike start...can I plug JUST those in and have it start or do all the plugs on the harness need to be either grounded out or used?

 

Oh. You want this: Minimum wiring diagram

 

hell yes! THAnk you! Ive seriously seen at least 5 different "XJ" minimal wiring and none of them are as easily understood as that one. I know what im doing tomorrow

 

so I think the plan is to strt from the rectifier and regulator, follow those wires out until I a plug and then snip, then custom in the rest of the wiring per that diagram. Sounds like itll work right?

 

I recently installed the same speedo and tach and followed your instructions. Fantastic by the way.....but my high beam indicator light is always on. What do think I did wrong? 81 XJ550RH SECA

 

This thread was addressing the XJ650 with the Dime city speedometer only. Since you mentioned speedo and tach perhaps you have a different version. If you could provide links or wiring diagrams to the aftermarket gauges that you purchased that would be helpful.

 

I used the same Dime City diagram on page 1 of this thread. The tach only had an instrument back light that I tied into the back light wires on the speedo.

 

Well, not sure that means you have the same gauge, but if so then yellow (bike harness) to blue (aftermarket gauge) should work. Is the high beam switching on and off?

 

Ok thanks. I will give it a try...thanks

 

I installed the dime city speedo and tach last year on my 83 xj650, using the wiring diagram on page 1 of this thread. 2 things aren't working: 1 - speedo backlight - I wired the black to black and orange to blue (left the green and white disconnected) just like the diagram shows, but it doesnt work.
2 - The bike has to be in neutral to start. No idea why, or if this is even related, or if something came loose when I was fighting with the birds nest.

Any ideas?

 

1. Back light power is provided by the head light relay, so the back lights won't illuminate until the bike is started.

2. Changing to the Dime City components should not affect the safety circuit, so it would be normal that the bike would only start in neutral, or if in gear with the clutch pulled in and the side stand up.

 

The back light for the tach comes on as soon as I turn the key. Speedo back light does not turn on ever, even when the bike is on.

I can start the bike if it's in neutral, but not when it's in gear, with the clutch pulled. I used to be able to start it in gear (with clutch pulled) prior to switching the speedo and tach. I'm thinking something else got disconnected while I was doing the wiring.

 

What wire did you use for the tach? In the stock configuration the tach and speedometer back lights should tie to the same wire, which is a switched output of the head light relay. Is your head light illuminating when the bike starts?

Could be, there is a 3 pin connector in the head light bucket that should be connected. Follow the wires from the clutch perch to the connector (usually green) in the head light bucket to find the 3 pin connector. It should be a B/Y and L/Y wire and make sure it is connected. You can install a jumper on the main harness side as a troubleshooting aid shorting the two wires or do a continuity test on the clutch switch.

There are also different versions of the speedometer, so if none of the above solves the problem a link or verification that you are using the same one linked on page one may help.