Hi all,
Firstly, I'm new to both this site and motorcycle repair in general, so please excuse my probable lack of knowledge. I picked up a 1981 XS400 Special II last week, and it looks to have some pretty severe electrical issues - the insulation on the wiring harness is burned, as are the wires going from the ignition coils to the spark plugs. Both coils showed continuity when testing for resistance so I'm assuming they're busted. Several of the original relays were also burned out or missing, and most of the wiring in general looks questionable. My question was this: being that I'll likely have to rebuild most of the system anyway, should I rewire and order parts based on the original wiring or look for something easier? I saw an earlier thread that had a diagram involving an aftermarket Rick's regulator/rectifier which looked considerably simpler than what the bike originally came with.
I understand that I have a lot to learn and I'd appreciate any guidance.
Firstly, I'm new to both this site and motorcycle repair in general, so please excuse my probable lack of knowledge. I picked up a 1981 XS400 Special II last week, and it looks to have some pretty severe electrical issues - the insulation on the wiring harness is burned, as are the wires going from the ignition coils to the spark plugs. Both coils showed continuity when testing for resistance so I'm assuming they're busted. Several of the original relays were also burned out or missing, and most of the wiring in general looks questionable. My question was this: being that I'll likely have to rebuild most of the system anyway, should I rewire and order parts based on the original wiring or look for something easier? I saw an earlier thread that had a diagram involving an aftermarket Rick's regulator/rectifier which looked considerably simpler than what the bike originally came with.
I understand that I have a lot to learn and I'd appreciate any guidance.