2000 Buell X1 Electrical Mystery

[Cooter]

Denny, you are bouncing around 10 different things at once, no wonder you're confused! An electrical circuit is exactly that. A circuit. The starting point is the battery, so you'll need to start there and slowly, methodically go through the 'circuit' until you get back to the battery. You will definitely find the problem.

When the manual says you should "get voltage" it means battery voltage, 12+VDC. A test light may be easier for you and will test this circuit just fine. A change from .1 to .3 isn't anything other that a cheap digital meter.

When the manual asked if the relay clicks, it means the starter relay. The ignition relay is not the circuit you are testing.

Try a couple quick shortcuts before we actually do this the right way...

1) At the switch housing where you tested the Black/red wire... do you have 12V on the other wire that goes to the yellow button? I forget the color, but this beer is delicious.

2) At the relay where you're testing the #86 terminal, do you have 12V at the #30 terminal (the sideways one)?

3) At the solenoid, you'll have 12V at the big wire that goes to the battery, the other big wire goes to the starter, so it will only have 12V while cranking. There should be 2 small wires there too. One will be ground, the other should show 12V while the yellow button is pressed (It won't right now, but if you jump 12v to it, the bike will crank over).

4) Look at the relays. If they have the same number on them (regardless of color) they are interchangeable. Swap the start one with another (not the ignition one that clicks) and see what happens.

That's all the short cuts I got for ya. Personally I think the yellow button isn't getting power to it. The red kill switch in the same housing turns on the ignition and also arms that yellow button. Check it out while it's apart.

[Theycallmecrash]

Sone good Info here, but if it starts to become too time consuming let me know, I own a small moto repair shop called Moto Enthusiasts up in Vista. I specialize in Buells own 9 myself an EBR and a Honda Grom.
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[Denny]

OK guys big progress today trying to get this thing going. I jumped the starter relay 30-87 and it did indeed crank. Which tells me my ignition switch (key hole) is fine, I think.

After that I thought about everything I've learned from this is, and it has to be that damn yellow button. I took the housing apart once more, I was checking for continuity between the white and red and the black and red wire, seemed logical (the two that are attached to the copper piece that the yellow ignition button contacts when pushed.) I had a prong in one hand touching a terminal, the other prong in my mouth touching the other terminal and the other hand on the switch. Apparently that's how my Buell likes it, because much to my surprise it started cranking. I had it apart the other day pushing the button and no cranking, but once I used my mouth thats all it took.

SO, IT'S THE SWITCH. good call

I kept playing with it, took it all apart nothing looks to corroded, so why wasn't it working? The ignition button works fine when I have the housing apart, but when I get everything snapped up it doesn't work AGAIN. Take it apart, it works. Put it back on, nothing. I eventually found that the black wire I believe is being pushed down onto the white when it's on the handlebar. I tried wiggling them out of each others way and putting it back on, now it's intermittent at best.

Any ideas? If I need a new part I wouldn't even know what to buy at this point, the entire housing? I'm happy at least I know what it is. Although bad news is the entire time I was testing this button, the bike never actually started, hoping it is just bad gas. And the battery died in the process so here I am taking a break.