Looking for some electrical advice

[Genma]

So, the Army granted me emergency leave to come home during the pandemic to help out my family. I decided to ride my 2003 R1150RTP from Colorado to Tennessee.

 

No issues with the bike for the majority of the journey, but when I hit a gas station near kingsman?, Kansas, I got back on the bike and the starter stayed engaged and the bike stayed on (all lights on the dash illuminated, starter running), when I removed the key. I quickly pulled the seat and pulled out the yellow starter relay. Since I was stuck in the middle of nowhere with no cell signal, I tried turning on the key, replacing the relay and pulling it when the bike started. not the best option, but the bike started an ran fine. as soon as I pulled out, I started seeing smoke from the right handlebar and the right side of the dash. 

 

I quickly pulled all of the relays, used the gas station landline to rent a uhaul and put the bike in the back and finished the trip.

 

I have to return to colorado in a few weeks and am trying to figure out whether I can repair the bike in time, or if I need to just buy another bike or a beater car to get back to Fort Carson.

 

Current state:

There is one burned wire in the bundle coming from the right controls. It goes to a white plug on the lower right near the front of the gas tank and contains two wires from the right handlebar, and two going off to the left handle bar... I think it's probably the heated grips, but need to check the wiring diagram.

With every wire from the right handlebar unplugged there is no smoke from the bar or the dash when the key is turned on but after a few seconds, I see smoke coming from under the relay/fuse box.

 

I was hoping I could get away with replacing the right side controls, but now I am thinking I need to replace the entire wiring harness. I have found several on ebay including one that also includes both side handlebar controls/switches.

 

I believe in order to replace it, I will need to remove the fuel tank and pivot up the entire rear subframe.

 

Does anyone have any experience changing out the harness?

How about any tips or tricks?

Anything else I should do while I'm in there? (clutch and transmission were both replaced about 1000 miles ago.)

 

If it were you, would you try and get it done in a few weeks or put the bike in the shed and deal with it when there is more time?

 

Thanks,

 

Mark

[dirtrider]

19 minutes ago, Genma said:

So, the Army granted me emergency leave to come home during the pandemic to help out my family. I decided to ride my 2003 R1150RTP from Colorado to Tennessee.

 

No issues with the bike for the majority of the journey, but when I hit a gas station near kingsman?, Kansas, I got back on the bike and the starter stayed engaged and the bike stayed on (all lights on the dash illuminated, starter running), when I removed the key. I quickly pulled the seat and pulled out the yellow starter relay. Since I was stuck in the middle of nowhere with no cell signal, I tried turning on the key, replacing the relay and pulling it when the bike started. not the best option, but the bike started an ran fine. as soon as I pulled out, I started seeing smoke from the right handlebar and the right side of the dash. 

 

I quickly pulled all of the relays, used the gas station landline to rent a uhaul and put the bike in the back and finished the trip.

 

I have to return to colorado in a few weeks and am trying to figure out whether I can repair the bike in time, or if I need to just buy another bike or a beater car to get back to Fort Carson.

 

Current state:

There is one burned wire in the bundle coming from the right controls. It goes to a white plug on the lower right near the front of the gas tank and contains two wires from the right handlebar, and two going off to the left handle bar... I think it's probably the heated grips, but need to check the wiring diagram.

With every wire from the right handlebar unplugged there is no smoke from the bar or the dash when the key is turned on but after a few seconds, I see smoke coming from under the relay/fuse box.

 

I was hoping I could get away with replacing the right side controls, but now I am thinking I need to replace the entire wiring harness. I have found several on ebay including one that also includes both side handlebar controls/switches.

 

I believe in order to replace it, I will need to remove the fuel tank and pivot up the entire rear subframe.

 

Does anyone have any experience changing out the harness?

How about any tips or tricks?

Anything else I should do while I'm in there? (clutch and transmission were both replaced about 1000 miles ago.)

 

If it were you, would you try and get it done in a few weeks or put the bike in the shed and deal with it when there is more time?

 

Thanks,

 

Mark

 

Morning Mark 

 

This is a difficult thing to make suggestions on without A LOT more info.

 

It does sound like a main harness replacement (or an existing harness removal & extensive repair).

 

Before you do any harness replacement or repair your first step should be to try to find the root cause of your wiring failure.  It might be as simple as the heated grip wiring, or grips themselves shorting out, or possibly  mice ate some of the insulation off of the harness wiring causing a short, or ????????? 

 

With the transmission being out a while back it could even a pinched wire or a wire mis-routed across a hot engine part.

 

If you don't identify the root of your wiring short then it just might come back to haunt you again after a new wire harness install or extensive harness repair. 

 

Based on the little that we know about the problem at the moment this sure doesn't sound like something that your should hurry to repair then try to ride the motorcycle cross country.

 

You need the time & patience to fully troubleshoot the problem then take the necessary steps to prevent it returning.