Electrical Short?? What the hell did I do??

[AtomicSpew]

So I had fired up my 2003 Baghira this afternoon and noticed the choke dial was loose. As I was fiddling with it and testing exactly how loose it was, it spun all the way forward and up-side down. As I was straightening it back upright, something triggered my horn to sound, and instantly the bike died. I don't remember if I touched the horn with my hand, or if it shorted inside a connector somewhere and sounded for a quick second, but it was at that moment that the bike died. I no longer had any electrical--no lights, no neutral, no connection at all. Did I blow a fuse? Fry my CDI? Has anybody heard of this happening?

I hate electrical problems!!!!!!!

[phlat65]

probably the choke actuator over-rotating pulled the harness for the left bar switch gear. For sure check the fuses under the seat. take the LH switch assy apart to see what happened.

[Bill Jurgenson]

The junk switches that MZ uses are - well - junk and have been known to short against the handle bar. It is not at all uncommon. You very probably blew the main fuse, which is simple enuf to replace. No other damage will have been done.
It will probably suffice to remove the switch unit and wrap the handle bar with black insolating( forgot the right word in english) tape under the switch. Hat has worked for others with the same problem. It won't fix the broken choke cable of course, but the short circuit will be taken care of if the switch itself has not been fried.
For the choke, most just remove the outer casing entirely and trim the cable to a convenient length to be able to grab just under the frame at the side, then put some sort of screw clamp on it as a grip. something like this:

Can be had probably at any bicycle store.

Of course, you can get a complete choke assembly from Mikuni to mount at the side. you can get this at your friendly Harley dealer. Can't find a photo online just now.

[AtomicSpew]

I love this site. Thank you both for your knowledge--I thought about writing each of you about this, as you are the two I look to most for advice, but I figured a post on this could help others as well.

Warm Regards-
Flip

ps...I've read that KTM products are often interchangeable and I'm wondering if it'd be worth it for me to swap out my switch gear with something from a katoom while I'm in there taking it apart?

[Bill Jurgenson]

I use the a Yamaha switch such as fitted on the SZR, FZRs and late TZRs and others as well. also more recent Ducatis, and also Aprilias. THey are rather common in eBay, at least over here.



here is one from an FZR:
http://cgi.ebay.de/Yamaha-FZR-1000-Lenkerschalter-links_W0QQitemZ280161898502QQihZ018QQcategoryZ76125QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

and another from a different bike:
http://cgi.ebay.de/XRV-750-Africa-Twin-Lenkerschalter-links-RD04_W0QQitemZ140167461512QQihZ004QQcategoryZ76122QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[DAVID THOMPSON]

http://www.sudco.com


link to switchs
http://www.sudco.com/vol33/396.pdf

place in ca that sell all kinds of bike stuff
ar dave