Something went right!

[decorn33]

At the end of last season, after struggling mightily with electronic ignition issues, I finally got the bike to run again and took it out for a ride.  Feeling immensely gratified that it was once again dependable, my enthusiasm fizzled when I noticed that my turn signals had stopped working.  I headed home and parked it.  Must be the flasher I thought, just get a new one.  Winter then hit with a vengeance and the replacement got delayed.  It was 60 degrees on Tuesday, so with gusto I ventured out to "fix" the turn signals.  Popped off the tank and pulled the old flasher out, pressed the new one in, turned on the key, and hit the signal switch. Nothing

I hate electrical issues.

Checked the handlebar cluster and everything looked fine inside, but I noticed that the horn wouldn't work either.  Out comes the electrical schematic and I'm staring at it tracing all the wiring from the cluster.  What's that? Fuses? Oh yeah, fuses! I confess after all these years I never had to replace one. So first, where are the little buggers really?  Got out my handy little owners pamphlet and lo and behold, an actual picture of the fuse box on my bike.  Undid the screw retainer and pulled off the cover.  Oh look, a spare fuse...oh wait, that's not a spare, the damn thing fell out!  I squeezed the tabs a little tighter, checked the fuse and put it back in. Success!

Now change the oil, change the brake fluid, check tire pressures...get back on the road!

[nhmaf]

A number of us have swapped out the old-style fuse box holder with newer, automotive style blade fuses, either in an aftermarket fuse panel or just using a couple of inline fuse assemblies available from your neighborhood NAPA/Autozone parts store.

I got tired of my flashers going out on me at various inopportune times (including immediately after getting the bike safety inspected and then trying to merge onto the roadway again).   As you have experienced, the old style fuze holders tend to lose their grip, or become oxidized, resulting in various system's going AWOL.   I replaced the thing with some crimp conenctors, heatshrink tubing and some watertight in line SAE mini-blade fuseholders from NAPA and haven't had a single failure since.

Monte Miller has some pictures & a "how to" article around here somewhere if you need some guidance. - we can try to locate it for you if interested.

[marcmax]

Here is the "fuse panel" I came up with. No problems since it went in.

[decorn33]

That looks like something I could make successfully.  What did you use for the plate? Phenolic? Metal?

[nhmaf]

That plate does keep things tidy, but I left mine on wires (but ziptied to keep neat) that I can actually pull down and inspect/replace the fuses on the side of the road, if needed, without having to remove the tank (or seat).

[decorn33]

Ever have any issues using the 7.5 blade instead of the 8 amp?

[marcmax]

The plate is a scrap of automotive trim plastic from my box of "don't know what to do with but too good to through out". Rounded edges, chamfered holes, zip tied holders in place and added watertight male spade connectors to connect to oem female spade connectors. Total time invested 15-20 minutes, total cost approx $5 ( 2 inline holders @$2.29 ea ), no more weird electrical issues - priceless.

[montmil]

Make a sketch and/or take a couple digi photos to remind yourself as to which wires go the which fuse. Toss that vintage box o' corrosion in the trash.



Pick up two of these weatherproof, mini fuse holders #784667 at NAPA. Do not be tempted to use those fragile glass tube fuse holders. That's just replacing bad with bad.



Wire it up with good connections and don't forget to protect the connectors with some shrink tubing. I used a rubber-padded Adel clamp #DG4 and a single zip tie to secure the two fuses to the chassis. This is a Top View.



This is a Bottom View. I did this little alteration a few years ago and have not had a weird electrical issue since.

[AlfromNH]

My '79 has a small 2-fuse block in a box behind the right side battery cover. Do the later models not use that?

It uses the crappy fuses I remember from old VWs  . I've been looking for a small fuse block to replace it. Something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Circuit-Automotive-Blade-Fuse-Holder/dp/B00BUL46TY/ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1CSCZ8CRWX2GH

[montmil]

Later models had the fuse box shown in my posted snaps. Note the OEM hose clamp that held the corrosion collector to the frame's main backbone tube, just forward of the seat.

[decorn33]

I ventured to Pep Boys last evening and invested in the very same fuse holders and weatherproof connectors that you show in the photos. Thank you for your input. I'm going to put this together tomorrow, then head up to Killington (via 4 wheels) to take advantage of all that snow they got last Wednesday.

[Tony Smith]

A number of us have swapped out the old-style fuse box holder with newer, automotive style blade fuses, either in an aftermarket fuse panel or just using a couple of inline fuse assemblies available from your neighborhood NAPA/Autozone parts store.

Some years back I was looking at my 1984 Yamaha XT by the side of the road. In fact I was looking at it rather desperately as I was miles from home, it was night,  and the lights had gone out. I strongly suspected that it may have had something to do with changing the 50/35 watt headlamp for a 90/60 watt variety, but I couldn't find the fuses by touch, it also occurred to me that in all the years I'd owned the thing I couldn't actually recall ever seeing a fuse.
 
Fortunately the engine still ran so I simply waited until a truck going the same way as me went past and I tucked in behind till I got to a township big enough to have street lights.
 
There the great truth was revealed, the XT did not in fact have any fuses, it had (has) a circuit breaker. I pushed the red button in and lights were restored - I then rode the remaining 90km home on low beam as I'd changed the headlight bulb months before and had no previous problems with it. Needless to say the lamp was replaced with a much lower wattage one the following day.

But it got me thinking. I visited my favorite electrical supply place and
bought a number of small, PCB mount circuit breakers and some Vero board and proceeded to replace the fuses on the R100 with circuit breakers. I cunningly left space so that as I added other things like a CB radio, driving lights, USB charge ports etc each went onto its own circuit breaker.

I've reached the point in my R65 restoration where I am about to do the same thing again. From China the circuit breakers are very cheap, a couple of dollars only - this time I am going to use ones with a blade and socket mounting system so that I can carry a spare easily.