Fuse keeps blowing, leaving me with no instrument panel lights OR rear lamp.

Rear lights work OK with key in Park position (so probably not the wiring to the rear bulbs?)

Brake lights work OK.

(Could be cheap fuses I guess)

Any ideas please? My ride home is in the dark!

Thanks.

 

Follow the harness around and look for a place where it is pinched or has rubbed through and touching metal. Pay close attention around the forks where it flexes constantly.

 

Its a pain to do but I'd pull the head lamp bulbs to see if it's wiring shorting or a bulb/fuse issue.

 

The wiring harness plugs can be a pain at times, and even pull out partly causing loss of lights. I'd check them both (red one and black one) and a single black/yellow wire (if I remember correctly)

As TBT said, it's likely that you have a pinched wire, if you're blowing fuses. Cheap ones or not they shouldn't be blowing .........unless you're using the wrong ampere value fuses ?
Check any points where the wires could have rubbed, even removing the wiring loom where it is clamped to the frame and replacing the insulation may help. It may also be between an earth wire and a live wire so check all the insulation around the wires.....these are old bikes and sometimes the insulation can and does break down inside what appears to be a clean loom......

 

Thanks folks.
Wiggled the cables about a bit, sprayed WD40 liberally, thankfully fuse has been OK for the past few days.
Having said that, it'll probably blow again tonight.
So I'm carrying a couple of bright bicycle lights for a quick 'tape-to-the-grab-rail' repair...