Wiring Short, Best Approach?

[kaivalagi]

Hi All,

Just typical that my SM-T is outside of warranty by 6 months with almost 17K miles on the clock and I now have electrical issues.

It has a wiring fault, I think somewhere in the loom around the headstock there is a short....when I return to center from right lock on the steering the ignition cuts out.

I'm gonna try and strip the bike body work away this weekend and see if I can find the damn thing causing the problems and fix it.

I am guessing it's going to mean cutting the loom outer open and inspecting all the internals for wear...I just hope I can get to what I need to without disassembling too much

I've disconnected the positive terminal of the battery for now, just in case.

I want to be prepared, I have self-amalgamating tape, should I consider getting anything else for a repair? Anyone got any tips or tricks for me?

Cheers

Check ignition wires first, if it's not blowing fuses then I usually look for a dodgy earth first, if it is then look for a live. look to see where the loom rubs as you move the bars. inspect all connector blocks for corrosion and nows a good time to fill them with a good water proof grease.. Good luck.

Unless you pinch the covering on the wire bundle, or it's been wearing against something long enough to wear completely through, chances are the wires inside are good.
Most likely is a loose/dirty/corroded connector. Try running the bike, than wiggling each connector around by hand. Ignition wires are from the kill switch and the ignition switch, so I'd look there first.

[Sid Squid]

Just to clarify: what you're describing is not a "short", it's a broken wire or damaged connector.
Specifically a "short circuit" means just that, that the current is taking an alternative shorter path, rather than passing through say, the bulb for example, that it should. Typically this is caused by damaged insulation, rather than broken wiring, meaning the conductors are still continuous and carrying current, just to places they're not intended to, these commonly lesser resistant paths will cause the current to rise higher than the circuit is intended for, often blowing a fuse.

[kaivalagi]

Thanks and yep I've not dived in just yet, I can walk to work if I have to and have a second bike too for when the weather is okay, so I plan on taking my time.....I just don't want to take it into a garage to be charged a small fortune in labour...

I plan on looking at the connectors / ignition areas first and to do some more wiggling to see if I can pinpoint anything before I dive deeper, I 'd hope at under 3 years of age it wont be worn insulation on a wire in the loom...

Originally Posted by Sid Squid

Just to clarify: what you're describing is not a "short", it's a broken wire or damaged connector.

Let's hope so, right now I have no idea what it is
Could be a loose connector (I hope), a broken/faulty wire, a short to earth on the frame or another wire, or something else? Would saying it's a "fault" be better?

[Sid Squid]

The symptoms you describe point very firmly towards either a broken wire, or loose connector in the headstock area.
The specifics of these sort of problems are narrowed by what is affected, for example; whole bike dies - wire/connectors to/from ignition switch at fault, these are the only areas that carry everything, so if everything goes off the problem has communicated to you it's probable location.
If there were "a short to earth" the symptoms are unlikely to be those you have found, and almost certainly fuse/s would have popped. Similarly this is not the ubiquitous "bad earth" that we hear so much about.

[kaivalagi]

Thanks for the clarification, useful stuff

Well after a good look it's likely either the connector inside the ignition switch (the plastic piece under the key barrel) or the last bit of wire leading to it.

If I hold the wire steady against the frame and then wiggle the piece closest the barrel it cuts out:


Now the question is can this thing be dismantled and fixed or am I going to need need a new one with the wire already attached...looking at the parts finder this wire looks to be directly connected to the main loom and not through a connector...

I think whatever the case I now need to take the tank off (engine bars get in the way of that too) to better see what approach to take....

Any ideas/suggestions?

[Sid Squid]

There must be a connector somewhere, the ignition switch is most unlikely to be part of the wiring loom. The connector is probably inside the frame somewhere, behind the headstock. The wiring to the switch itself will be soldered onto the switch contacts, if you dismantle the switch housing check the joints - it's not unknown for them to be corroded and damaged, failing that unwrap the wiring and examine it carefully, try stretching the individual wires gently, with a broken wire the insulation will stretch, good wires won't, also broken wires will fold quite sharply at the break point, good wires will describe a larger radius.

[NTECUK]

Might be worth contacting ktm for a good will claim?

[kaivalagi]

Downhill from now on out...A bit of soldering, attaching an extra length of nice RC flexible cable and some heatshrink after that and it'll be as good as new