Hello, I just got my first bike a 1980 gs450. The engine runs great and transmission is fine. Only problem is that it did not come with turn signals installed. I have no idea about anything electrical.. BUT I found where I thought they plugged in, plugged them in. When I turn on the signal, I hear a click coming from what looks like the "ignitor/cdi" and the light comes on, but does not flash. I have read that these bikes have crappy electrical problems. If anyone has any experience or knows what I am talking about please help me! I have a repair manual on order, but I need this to get the bike registered in CA. PLEASE HELP!!
1980 gs450 turn signal hook up
- Thread starter sfgs
- Start date
Chimera Moto Works
Been Around the Block
post a couple pictures of the wiring back there and what you hooked up and we'd be able to help a lot better. either the relay doesn't work, so its just staying lit up full time, or its the wrong wiring/isn't grounded. on some older bikes the blinker was the ground, so just plugging the power in it won't blink/work if its not all the way installed. also, if its an aftermarket blinker, it'll need an electronic flasher in place of the factory one so that they'll function properly. otherwise they'll just light up when you hit the blinker switch left or right.
Light. I assume the cord coming from the light is positive, and the cord around the washer is ground.
I plugged the ground wires into the 2x plastic wrapped wires in the center of the picture. The positive wire was plugged into the "green" colored wire you see on the right side. These are the only 4 unused wires I see on the bike. I have no idea where the front turn signals plug into.
Also, my switch is pretty jank. When I turn the switch to "R" it causes the right blinker to light up and stay lit. When I switch it to "L" the left blinker does nothing. If it helps, The front light (High and Low beams) work, all lights on console work and horn works... Horn works almost too good
Chimera Moto Works
Been Around the Block
pictures weren't uploaded properly. upload them via the server or to a free hosting service like flikr so i can see whats up. if the left side isn't lighting up at all, then its a wiring issue or blinker issue, the right side staying lit means the relay is probably bad which is why it isn't clicking. also, i'm not sure if one will click and the other not if both front and rear aren't hooked up. the front blinker wiring is there, just probably tossed into the back of the headlight like the rest of the unused wiring. green is one and solid black is the other probably for the front blinkers. usually same as rear for a gs bike but again i can't see your pictures so i can't tell. upload them correctly, i'll go grab my manual and check it out real quick.
Chimera Moto Works
Been Around the Block
alright heres the information straight from the wiring diagram in my hand:
both the left and right REAR blinkers use a solid black wire for power from the blinker. plug one blinker into the solid green and the other into the solid black coming out of the harness in the rear for power. book shows that they ground out on the blinker bolt/bike frame directly.
front blinkers also use solid black for the power of course, until hooking into the harness. its looking like the Left FRONT blinker uses a solid green wire for power and the Right FRONT blinker uses a solid black wire for power. according to the 1980 diagram, they ground directly to the frame/blinker mount.
if they both have a harness to directly plug the grounds in, do that, but if not, ground them to the frame.
the blinker relay shows to be a two-wire, a black box with a sky blue and an orange wire. if fixing the wiring lights all the blinkers up when switching left to right but they don't blink, replace the blinker relay. also, dumb statement, but i do not remember directly if certain model suzuki bikes wouldn't blink unless they were running or not, so try that also before assuming immediately to replace the relay.
both the left and right REAR blinkers use a solid black wire for power from the blinker. plug one blinker into the solid green and the other into the solid black coming out of the harness in the rear for power. book shows that they ground out on the blinker bolt/bike frame directly.
front blinkers also use solid black for the power of course, until hooking into the harness. its looking like the Left FRONT blinker uses a solid green wire for power and the Right FRONT blinker uses a solid black wire for power. according to the 1980 diagram, they ground directly to the frame/blinker mount.
if they both have a harness to directly plug the grounds in, do that, but if not, ground them to the frame.
the blinker relay shows to be a two-wire, a black box with a sky blue and an orange wire. if fixing the wiring lights all the blinkers up when switching left to right but they don't blink, replace the blinker relay. also, dumb statement, but i do not remember directly if certain model suzuki bikes wouldn't blink unless they were running or not, so try that also before assuming immediately to replace the relay.
Chimera Moto Works
Been Around the Block
slightly modified my above post but hopefully/probably before you read it the first time and tried using that information.
viewed the pictures, it has the same blinkers as our 550. bolt the blinkers to the bike so that they are grounded or they won't work, other than that, you'll be able to figure out if the left and right are switched/backwards during testing, so plug the solid black power wires from the blinkers into a solid green and a solid black from the bike harness in the front and rear. i'm sure the front blinker wiring is stuffed behind the headlight/under/below the gauge cluster.
viewed the pictures, it has the same blinkers as our 550. bolt the blinkers to the bike so that they are grounded or they won't work, other than that, you'll be able to figure out if the left and right are switched/backwards during testing, so plug the solid black power wires from the blinkers into a solid green and a solid black from the bike harness in the front and rear. i'm sure the front blinker wiring is stuffed behind the headlight/under/below the gauge cluster.
Chimera Moto Works
Been Around the Block
view my also modified above post.
check the bulb in the blinker! if the front left blinker lights up when switched is pushed and the left rear doesn't, its either the blinker bulb, or the ground/power connection. the blinkers, both left and right should light up solid, even if the relay is shot and no longer clicks, or should still make the current connection to light them up solid, so i don't know that the relay would be the issue yet. lets get all four to light up when pushing left and right on the controls, then if no blinky, fire it up, if no blinky, relay.
check the bulb in the blinker! if the front left blinker lights up when switched is pushed and the left rear doesn't, its either the blinker bulb, or the ground/power connection. the blinkers, both left and right should light up solid, even if the relay is shot and no longer clicks, or should still make the current connection to light them up solid, so i don't know that the relay would be the issue yet. lets get all four to light up when pushing left and right on the controls, then if no blinky, fire it up, if no blinky, relay.
Chimera Moto Works
Been Around the Block
no prob, we got 5 gs bikes here in the home-shop, so let me know if i can help out. i'm at school until 4pm each day - welding tech school, so you may want to send me a PM once you've replied to the thread as a reminder for me.