So my bike's been working great for some time however recently the R/R went out on me so I had fun fixing that one. I been riding it quite a bit and things seemed good.Today I go to ride, turn the key, pop it in neutral, turn the engine kill switch to run and as soon as I hit the fun button, I heard a quick click and everything went out. There are no lights what so ever. I checked all the fuses by the handle bars, checked the ignition switch, swapped the ignition switch out with the other F2 I have (nice to have a whole spare bike), and nothing.

Finally after poking around a bit more, I realize there really is a 30A fuse, which is connected to the starter relay, (I knew there had to be 30A somewhere) and replaced it. Everything lights back up when I turned the key. I got all excited thinking yeah the fuse probably just blew, so I put the whole thing back together, then I realize I should probably start the bike to see what it does. As soon as I hit the fun button again, I hear the millisecond click, and instantly all the lights go out again. WTF! This time I also had the engine kill switch off (seems like an oxymoron), by accident. This sorta leads me to believe the starter and/or starter relay are involved.

Next, I look at the service manual and it says bypass the relay to see if the starter tries to start.... Sounds like a great idea to me! Worst ****ing thing I coulda did... Once I bypassed it I heard an even shorter click, which might've just been me tappin the other wire but either way, after I replace the 30A fuse, now I still have nothing except a lifeless bad *** engine, a full tank of gas, a sexy body laying around the garage in pieces, and an empty leather seat.

So the main facts:
Started out with being able to turn the bike electrically on but once hitting the start button, it kills all the lights instantly.
Bike electrically dies the moment the start button is hit regardless of the engine kill switch setting.
Went w/ service manual suggestion of bypassing starter relay, and now no electrical functionality after checking with two brand new 30A fuses and moving around, all the sub-fuses, replacing the 15A (I don't have any 10's but I'm liking to doubt all three of them are bad...)
My bike owes me a beer and back rub for putting up with it's ****.

Any thoughts on even where to start now... ?

P.S. I've come to notice after all these blown fuses, and fixing my friends electrical issue with his bike, that these bikes don't really blow fuses in the sense that you'll see the problem visually through the little viewer because out of 6 fuses including his bike, I haven't seen one pop, they just die. I really bring that up cuz he said he checked his fuses, so we went on an electrical hunt that led right back to me checking the fuse and finding out it was near death, but passing a bit of voltage. So even if it looks good, try a new one anyways just to be sure.

 

OK... So I swapped the starter, and starter relay with the other F2. At first I had nothing, then I start checking some voltage at the ignition and all the sudden I have power.... SO, I tried to start it, and this time I got a much louder click, but again it killed everything immediately. This sucks. I had two complete F2's in my garage, now they're both stripped down beyond naked, which just ain't sexy at all... I think it's safe to say I have a short somewhere in the wiring from the starter button to the starter relay, so I'll be hunting that down now unless there's another idea out there.

I guess at least I didn't throw $200 at those parts to find out I got a foul.

 

I am not sure since I don't have your wireing diagram but; I would take off the starter cable and see if it blows a fuse again. I'm thinking your problem is either a starter moter that is shorted or drawing too much current. Oyherwise it might be the starter relay that makes the contact for the starter motor.
Good Luck
mikey

 

I shook some wires up front, specifically the ones comin off the fun button, and all the sudden I have light again. Not quite an act of God, but I'll take it as a sign. Now I just gotta pray, and maybe with a little faith, sweat, a bit of blood, and some alcohol, I'll find my way...

Why are bikes so tempermental with electrical components? My truck is a titan when it comes to electrical issues, cuz I made a few myself when I first started workin on it years ago but only shorted two pieces in the 8 years I owned it. This thing, and apparently many other bikes, just suck when it comes to integrity and electricity...

 

OK I lied. So shaking the wire set had nothing to do with it. If I replace the fuse, and turn the key the bike still does nothing for roughly 1 minute. Then the lights will come on and I can turn the key on and off, and it's just as responsive as it should be. Not sure what to make of that but whatever.

I checked all the wires that you can see coming out of the wrappings to connectors and all look pretty good. I even moved the harness away from the frame, and there's no melted spots exposing wires, it all just looks normal. I also tested all the other functions like the turn signals, horn, brights, and everything works perfectly fine until I hit the start button.

Is replacing the main fuse and having to wait about 1 minute normal? Or could the possibly indicate my current or an additional problem?

I'll try disconnecting the starter cable too. I was looking at it a bit differently but I get your point. I'll even try swapping out the start button assembly...

 

Sounds to me like you have an excess of homotrons in the system.
Start hunting for the short in your wiring harness.

 

That'd suck if she's goin through a sex change and trying to be gay, cuz then it's to the scrap yard after a bonfire. I got a batch of fuses, so later tonight I'll try disconnecting the starter main wire and swap the starter switch to see if it shorts, otherwise I guess I'll be pulling the whole wire harness out and checkin every inch.

Now the one question I have I'd really like someone to answer, is whether or not it's normal for it to take a minute to get power to the lights when I first replace the 30A main fuse. I'm not sure what'd it would be charging up except maybe the ignition coils but I don't know. Like I said, once it lights up after that minute, then I can flip the key on and off, and it will light up immediately every single time afterwards, until I decide to hit the start button and blow another fuse.

 

Homotrons are gay electrons that like to blow fuses.

 

Well now things are much worse, that's what I get for thinking it couldn't get that way. Now I don't get any lights at all. When I check the voltage before turning the key, I got a nice 12.87. When I turn the key, I get near nothing at a Volt range, but Mv reads and varies quite a bit. If I pull the light fuses, headlight and taillight/turn signal I'm good to go, until of course it I hit the fun button again. Still not sure on disconnecting the starter or fun button assembly because when I disconnected the starter wire I never had the lights come on this time. Getting into the wiring diagram with this entire assembly leads me to all sorts of possibilities. I still have yet to swap the main harness and starter switch assembly with the other F2 but I ran out of fuses so I have to wait again. The starter relay is definitely working because every time I hit the fun button, it pops regardless of the fuse condition, which even then is hard to tell.

As for homoelectrons, well they're multiplying worse than the population of San Francisco. BTW nice TL/Hayabusa

Current status of story: this sucks more than a drunken Tiajuana ***** with lip gloss and a $200 tip @ a 15 min rate.

 

Today's notes:

Lights causing serious draw on power voltage reads in mV high variance (new)

No lights after turning key regardless of wait time (new!)

Regulator Rectifier disconnected blows 30A fuse @ start button push

Remove light fuses / no draw but still blow 30A fuse @ start button push

New ICM / same issue

Disconnect headlight / turn key no draw

Disconnect tail lights w/ front cowl removed i.e. front turn signals disconnected / turn key draw still exists

Replaced diode which connects clutch switch, neutral switch, ICM, starter relay, starter switch, coolant temp gauge, side stand, fuse box, horn, turn signal relay, rear brake light switch, oil pressure light. I think that was the entire circuit.... (this also involves the circuit in which I'm having issues with... That's a lotta crap for one 10th of a mm to screw up)

Kill switch has been "off" during entire testing process