86 VS700 keeps tripping breaker

[hondavidson]

My 86 VS700 keeps tripping a breaker or something. Everytime I hook the battery to it, it will turn over for a few seconds and them the power dies and all the lights go out. I let it set for a bit and it will turn over again and then trip again. What do I need to check first and so on? Manual doesn't say alot anything about this electrical issue.

[Motorcycle Forum]

[Easy Rider]

My 86 VS700 keeps tripping a breaker or something.

"OR SOMETHING" ????

It's kind of important that you find out exactly what is happening.

AND.....why did you feel that it was necessary to start a SECOND thread about something that was already being discussed ???

[hondavidson]

Sorry. Just looked back on my other post and realized I had that question in it. I did find out that it was not tripping the breaker though. It was just a loose connection on the negative battery cable. But I don't think I am getting any fire. I pulled a plug and turned the engine over but did not get any spark from the plug and won't even attempt to fire with starting fluid. Don't know where to start looking.

[Easy Rider]

Don't know where to start looking.

If it fires with starting fluid, then you are getting SOME spark.

You should start by fully charging the battery.......and then maybe having it tested.

[hondavidson]

I have a fully charged battery. It won't attempt to fire with starting fluid. I don't get any spark with the plug out and grounded either. I have used a volt meter to test the circuits and switches and have found out that the engine off/on switch is good and key switch is good. Now just trying to run down the wiring and check other electrical components.

[DrBob]

Could be a loose wire, a corroded terminal connection, a broken wire, or something more serious, like the signal generator or CGI box. You'll need an engine side cover gasket to test the signal generator, and the only way to test the CGI box is to swap it out with a known good one. So you should start tracing wiresm looking for shorts and loose connections, or anyplace the wire is bent, broken, or was spliced by a previous owner. After that you might want to seriously consider towing it to a shop, as they have the tools and experience to find the problem, and the hour or two you pay them for diagnostic work will be a lot cheaper than buying parts that you did not need. Hell, a new CGI box retails for more than the book value of the bike, so $50 to have a shop look it over before you sink any money into the bike might not be a bad idea.

[hondavidson]

I'm thinking you may be right. That way I will know if it's worth even putting more time and money into it. Gonna try running down the wires and testing what I can and then I will probably do that. Thanks.

[DrBob]

Intruders are good looking and reliable bikes, but they are a dime a dozen, as Suzuki made basically the same bike for almost 25 years. It started as a 700 in 1986, grew to a 750 after a couple years, then continued as an 800 from 1991 until late 2009, and there are still new ones sitting in the showrooms at some dealerships. The 700s are worth much less than the 800s, both because they are older and smaller, and because other than sheetmetal most of the bike's parts do not interchange with the newer ones people want to keep on the road, so they have little scrap value. A pretty nice, running one can be had for $500, so sinking money into a troublesome one is not a good idea. I've had 4 of them, all good bikes, but when something major breaks or they become unreliable you throw them away and get another one. But if a shop takes a look and gets it running for $100 or so, it would be a fun, good looking little bike to run around on.