XS650 black cable from starter motor under engine

**surfer** · 15th April 2008, 12:03

Hello there,

Can you help me please? Having put my bike back togther I have a cable without a connection at one end. It is the really thick black cable which at one end connects to the starter under the engine. Where does the other end connect to? I have a horrible feeling it is to the solenoid which is now burried deep inside the electrics box, on the more positive side it may be an earth (somehow I doubt it though). If it is to the solenoid can anyone give me a picture or a good description of which bit of the solenoid.

Cheers

**Pussy** · 15th April 2008, 15:10

Hey, Surfer... it is the starter motor power, from the solenoid. You should be able to find the +cable from the battery going to the solenoid, the starter motor cable attaches to the other bigger lug on the solenoid. Have a gander at one of the sites I sent you links to a few months ago, I'm sure you'll find something helpful there.
How did the engine rebuild go?

**surfer** · 15th April 2008, 17:30

Originally Posted by Pussy

Hey, Surfer... it is the starter motor power, from the solenoid. You should be able to find the +cable from the battery going to the solenoid, the starter motor cable attaches to the other bigger lug on the solenoid. Have a gander at one of the sites I sent you links to a few months ago, I'm sure you'll find something helpful there.
How did the engine rebuild go?

Cheers Pussy, I'll check out the pictures. I owe you beers.

I gussed as much. I was hoping it was not the power cable as I will have to dig out the electrics from the electrics box and then make a new hole to thread it through to the solenoid. Bugger, I can't believe I missed connecting it (took the engine out and did a lot of the electrics without the engine in place).

The engine rebuild went really well. I managed the top end strip down and rebuild by myself and got a mate to help with the bottom end. He stripped it down and rebuilt the bottom end with a new (second hand) crank in less than a day without a manual. I managed to keep the cam chain in one piece without the need to break it.

I haven't kicked it over yet as I'm painting the tank. Still got the chain to put on as well.

The electrics seem to work ok, lights etc and I get a spark when I kick it over. Had a problem with the indicators not working and traced it to a broken connection in the handlebar switch block. It was the power cable which had come off. I soldered it back on but it was a mission as it didn't want to take. Any suggestions on this one to make it stronger?

Cheers

**cheviot** · 15th April 2008, 20:07

If you go to a hardware store and get a small bottle of spirits of salts you can use this to clean the wires before you solder them. Be VERY CAREFUL with the salts and don't breath the fumes or spill it as it will damage almost everything it touches.