My adventure begins

[Wiscokid]

Ok, it's been a while and I have been working a little and seem to be buying a lot. I started with installing a tire changer and bought a pair of Shinko's. I had struggled with getting these old tires off and read about mojo blocks so I ordered those. Meanwhile I took off the Muffler and Headers which revealed holes in both. So I had a friend weld up the headers and I painted the replacement muffler as planned. I'm planning on restoring the sulfur yellow to stock. After working on it and reading posts here I realized I needed more parts than just headers to be correct to the year and the cost of these items are outrageous on eBay so I sold some of what I didn't need. Then being proactive, I decided to place a wanted add on Craigslist for a parts bike. To my surprise I have had a number of responses.

The one I popped on was another Sulfer Yellow one owner who had recently passed away. His son sent me this pic and said his father put it in the garage after his uncle was riding one day and found some gravel and went into the ditch (he managed to ride it home). Up to then he had put 40,000 miles on it, 10 years ago, and intended on fixing the broken Handlebars and controls but was discouraged with all the mechanicals so he just kept purchasing parts to repair but never did it. I ended up buying it for $500 which included an original nice seat plus a hang two, two complete sets of exhausts three boxes of parts and KG Luggage Set. The engine turns freely but I'm taking a little gamble, now thinking instead of being a parts bike I can get them both on the road again. I know crazy right? That's what my family is saying. I plan on riding the first one this month yet and the second bike for a winter project as it needs to be repainted as you can see by the photo.

Anyway with 3 wings and boxes of parts purchased in two months, I've got my work cut out for me and hopefully can put away the check book at least for now. I remember hearing somewhere, maybe a government contractor, "why not build two if your going to do one?" My manufacturing mind set comes to the front. So here we go... belts, brakes, exhaust, carbs and tires x 2 !

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[robin1731]

[Steevensi]

Good luck!

[rcmatt007]

and I am still jealous.... TWO yellow OEM

[Track T 2411]

MBS strikes again, lol!

[Wiscokid]

Yesterday was a milestone for my project as I test drove my 76 GL1000 for the first time since I purchased it in July. I am more than impressed with the quiet sound and quick acceleration and comfort. The engine sounds great and all the help I received from the tech forums and the content of this site has been great. A shout out to my friend Albert who has the bike of the month, with the carb cleaning it did the job. The last time the bike ran was 10 years ago and have spent some time getting to this point but it's been well worth it. I look forward to some great rides ahead.

I have a laundry list of things to do in effort to bring her back to original naked look but I have an issue that needs to be resolved first. I was hoping to get some help here. I remember talking to the PO and he said that a problem the bike had is it would kill intermittently. Now that I've drove to town and filled up the tank I'm having the same issue only when it's parked idling. The display lights flash and the engine shuts off and I watch it just flicker. After turning the key off for a while and restart it it is fine again but there is definitely something electrical that I need to figure out. I bought it with a fearing and bags so the headlight bucket is just a mess of wires. It has two keys one for the ingition and one for the tank so it appears the ignition was changed out.

I'm not an electrical guy and don't even own a meter so I'm hoping this could be an easy fix. If anyone reading this could point me in the right direction it would be great. It has a new battery and the connections are good.

Thanks!

[Easter]

MBS (multiple bike syndrome) is contagious but it seems Sulphur Yellow MBS is downright addictive! Nice start.

[Wiscokid]

MBS (multiple bike syndrome) is contagious but it seems Sulphur Yellow MBS is downright addictive! Nice start.

Ha! I really have good intentions but see people look at me a little sideways now. Your right it really is a thing though.

[77Gowing]

Good luck on your project.

[Track T 2411]

A couple of things you might check in regards to the 'dying' issue...
1. The main fuse, often referred to as the 'dog bone' fuse, is located on the starter solenoid, and is known to cause intermittent power failures when it's going bad. There is a simple upgrade to fix this issue which can be found in ShopTalk.
2. The ignition switch, and/or its connectors. The plastic 'base' of the ignition switch can become loose from the switch itself.
3. If you have an electronic ignition, check the electrical connections, and especially the ground.
4. Check the main grounds for the wiring harness and battery cable.

[rcmatt007]

it is absolutely amazing how many connections look connected and corrosion and grime impede their job. Always a good idea to clean them all

[Wiscokid]

A couple of things you might check in regards to the 'dying' issue...
1. The main fuse, often referred to as the 'dog bone' fuse, is located on the starter solenoid, and is known to cause intermittent power failures when it's going bad. There is a simple upgrade to fix this issue which can be found in ShopTalk.
2. The ignition switch, and/or its connectors. The plastic 'base' of the ignition switch can become loose from the switch itself.
3. If you have an electronic ignition, check the electrical connections, and especially the ground.
4. Check the main grounds for the wiring harness and battery cable.

I might have gotten lucky and found the source thanks to your help. After riding this afternoon it stalled a couple times again so I read about this dog bone fuse and thought to first locate it. When I found it of course I've got to touch it... and sparks! It appears like the fuse was replaced with another type with these metal tabs and one must be shorting out on the wires going to the starter relay. The attached pic has an arrow to the spot.

I will ride it tomorrow after I tape it up and see if that was the culprit or not. Thanks Track!

[desertrefugee]

Rewire that puppy completely. The blue ring terminal is ready to break in two. Maybe half of the strands are still connected. All of the connections are now suspect in my mind.

[robin1731]

The pic is of a relay/circuit breaker. When they get too hot they act like a fuse. But after some time to cool down they operate normally again. The wires/connections do need some attention. And that could be the problem. But if not then something is causing the relay to "open". So that then needs to be addressed.

.

[twowings]

That's a Cole Hersee relay holder with a friction held circuit breaker. We use them by the dozen. All the connections there are shoddy looking.