Sudden loss of electrical power, need some initial thoughts.

[kman.45]

On my way to work this morning, my Baggi died suddenly, no power, no lights. I replaced the 15A fuse and had key power back. Started bike back up, by the time I got helmet back on it died again, no doubt fuse blown. I rode it to work yesterday and it was fine. One caveat, maybe coincidence or not, but I just adjusted valves last Saturday so of course disconnected/connected the cooling fans and temp sensor. Without having traced through the wiring diagrams yet, I don't know what all runs through the 15A fuse. I did some washing/cleaning with all the body work off too, so chances of getting water in some connection are possible but slim (no worse than riding in the rain I guess). So, anybody have some initial bright ideas on what to check before I start ripping in to things? No history of any electrical problems of any kind with this bike.

Thanks,
Kyle

[kman.45]

Hmm, well I had time to do a little tracing on the wiring diagram and the 7A fuse goes directly to the thermo switch, fans, and temp warning light. And it looks like the 7A fuse is wired in series with 15A and 20A main fuse. So I guess I better start with the thermo and fan connections huh, since I disconnected/connected those? Maybe the 7A fuse is also out (it was dark this morning when all this happened) and that overloads the 15A fuse? The 15A fuse goes directly to ignition switch, which then just goes out to lights and light switches and the handlebar on/off switch.

[rodge70]

seem to have put my wiring dia in a safe place again ,wired an alarm when i first got bike and seemed to recall that 7amp fuse does the fan side of things as you say,but i think maybe permanent feed so will work after engine stops to help with cooling and should be seperate from other fuse supply,which i think are all permanent feeds and then go to ign sw,then on to coil,lights etc.when diagram turns up will have a look through it,may be worth starting bike bike up,wiggle wire and plug connectors see if you can make it happen,may also blow fuse without key in if fault lies in ign feed supply to sw from 15amp fuse,good luck.

[kman.45]

Well Rodge I was able to do a little of what you suggested and never determined anything. So I poked around for a while tonight, did continuity and voltage checks on a LOT of connections. Things that were supposed to be off were off, things operated normally when pushed/switched, etc. The rear ground straight to starter body looks fine, and was tight. I forgot to locate the front ground and check it, anybody know where it's at? At first I was able to turn on ignition, operate all the lights and such, but as soon as I hit the starter switch is popped the 15A fuse. So after checking a lot of switches like for starter, on/off, fans, horn, blinkers, I disconnected the diode connection to the starter relay. When I switched the on/off and pushed starter button, both diodes clicked like they were operating normally. so I hooked everything up and the bike fired up and ran perfectly. I revved it up and down checking voltage (13-14.4 or so), and left it running the whole time I put body work and seat back on. Got hot enough that the both fans kicked on, which they NEVER do normally. Seemed to be fine. Shut it off and went inside to get my gear. Went back out started it right up, got 100 feet out of the garage and it died, no power, no doubt blown fuse. So I poked around and didn't seem to do anything, but at least it was running normally, then nuttin again. argh.

I forgot to locate the front ground and check it, anybody know where it's at? Not really sure what to check now...

[DAVID THOMPSON]

do a search for relay 19 on site my rt125 has it and its too small and when it goes bad its a pain
think its used on some of the other mz models its the relay that the sidestand switch operates
ar dave
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2085

[rodge70]

when you had it running fine before attempting to drive,did the steering get moved much,may be a problem with wire route when bars turned,my old zzr did that often,had to start bike on left lock some of the time when it refused to start.

[kman.45]

do a search for relay 19 on site my rt125 has it and its too small and when it goes bad its a pain
think its used on some of the other mz models its the relay that the sidestand switch operates
ar dave
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2085

I removed my sidestand cutout a couple years ago, it's just hard-wired now. Otherwise, that would have been a sneeky little part to check.

[kman.45]

when you had it running fine before attempting to drive,did the steering get moved much,may be a problem with wire route when bars turned,my old zzr did that often,had to start bike on left lock some of the time when it refused to start.

I'm still assuming/hoping it's something this simple, obviously taking off the radiators and a few things to do valve check there is always that possibility of pinching a wire or connection. So far just haven't been able to pinpoint anything out of place. Thanks for the ideas so far.

[hb7]

Check the wire harness in fork area.... a wire insulator is cracked near the front diode was my problem. It was blowing the 15A fuse....

[silectric]

My Skorpion started playing up electrically, mis-firing etc. Though it was the coil, or the control box, all the expensive options. Indicators were also playing up so they were suspect.

Even reset the tappets and cleaned the carb - tedious jobs but to no avail, although the tappets need adjusting, all five of them.

Anyhow, went through the wiring diagram from the indicators to switch etc. and found a connection with the cut out micro switch on the side stand. Checked all the wiring down there, the neutral indicator switch was in the circuit as well. Pulled it,tugged it etc. Removed the side stand micro switch.

Result a cure. Tuned out the indicators were indicating a problem, not the cause. And the cause? Never found out but I suspect a minor short or something in the wiring loom near the neutral switch and side stand switch. Whatever I did sorted it and that was over two years ago and no recurrence.

[TS2Fifty]

Ever get this sorted kman? Hope so.

Don't suppose you'd be the same kman from the VW Caddy (Rabbit truck where you are) forum a couple of years back?

[handsomejackuk]

kman, and any others.

i noticed on a couple of posts the mention of fans. i take it that you mean the plural i.e. two.......

i have only one fan on mine is this normal ?

Alun

[Bill Jurgenson]

Skorpions have two fans, but the the Baggi only one if I am not mistaken.

I see the culprit side stand switch was found; I was about to mention this one. It is a continual source of trouble with other big singles as well, in particular the Yamaha SRX.
Like "Sililetric" (don't you guys have names?) did, bridging that switch is an immediate cure to suddenly dying as long as the fuses don't blow. The neutral switch cannot cause any problems by itself.

Skorpions and I imagine the Baggi don't have any diodes in the harness, unlike the Yamaha SZR. Diodes don't click, they don't make any sound at all unless they fizz out. MZs have a simple relais switch to manage the sidestand/neutral nonsense. Bridging the side stand switch puts it effectively out of service, i.e. in continuous on. I have never run into this relais causing problems by itself, but you can remove it entirely, connecting the basic
+12v main it switches and doing away with sidestand/neutral safety nonsense.
The fans are connected directly to the battery + as is the starter solenoid. Everything else goes across the 20 Amp main fuse, the 15Amp fuse is for the lighting.
Obviously, if the main fuse is blowing, there is a short circuit somewhere.
Then, the handlebar switches of the Skorpion (and Baggi?) have a tendency to short circuit against the bar. Wrapping the bar under the switch with tape is a good idea.
Chances are a sort is in the harness itself in that part between frame and headlight, the part that continually get bent back and forth. Skorpion Tours have this problem rather more often between frame and headlight. Sports don't, cause the harness doesn't get flexed. I certianly did with my Tour and eventually made an entirely new and much simpler harness using the SilentHektik electronic fuse box. Can't recommend this thing highly enuf. Sorry his page is only in German. The box has 3 8 Amp "fuses", the blinker relais and and additional relais that can be used for what ever you want except the starter. I use it for +12 to the CDI and coil. You can also have the box without the additional relais for less money. The ignition key of the new harness turns the entire box on and off, that's all. Since the kill switch switches a relais in the box (minus to ground = only a single wire to the front for that), plus to the CDI and coil are direct. In the end, you harness will have +12v to the ignition key and back to box; 2x +12v from fuse to light switch, horn, starterbutton and brake light switch and from that back to tail light/stop light and starter relais; Blinker relais to blinker switch and two back for right and left rear; kill switch.
that's
2x 2.5mm2 ( doesn't need to be that big) red lines for ignition key,
2 x 1mm2 +12v fused
1x 1mm2 to blinker switch
4x 0,75mm2 brake, tail and both rear blinkers
starter button
killswitch
neutral switch.
That is all of 12 wires in that harness that traverses the frame.
All the front lighting etc stuff can actually remain more or less as it is and is not part of the harness to start with.
The 5 wires from the generator/pickup should go directly to the rectifier and CDI. All 5 are alternating current; the 3 white ones to the rectifier, the other two connections of the rectifier are + and - (marked on the part itself) and can and should go directly to the battery. The two from the pickup (+ & -) should go directly to the CDI.
When I decided to make the harness, I put the CDI on the right side of the seat frame and the rectifier on the left, reversing the original order. I never could understand why they are as they are, making the harness unnecessarily long and complicated. Putting the rectifier on the left, you can take the connections from the engine directly to the rectifier itself without touching the harness at all. Putting the CDI on the right puts it close to the coil for both the +12v to the coil (directly from the CDI and from there to the coil) and coil - from the CDI to the coil -.
When you look at the connectors of the CDI, the pins are:

[ 0, pickup -, pickup + ] [ +12v, 0 ]
[ 0, 0 or tach, -12v ] [ -12v, coil -]

The blue labered boxes do not have the destinct tach output, the orange labered box used in the last Skorpions and in the SZR does. Those tachs will not work from the coil -. Most aftermarket tachs like the Scitsu take their signal directly from the coil -.
You can see that none of this has to be in the harness; -12v is bridged and should come directly from the battery or a dedicated -12v connector. Since the base plate of the SH-Box must be grounded, I use this. I take +12v from the SH-Box relais, but it can also be connected to one of the "fuses."
Plus to the fan(s) and thermo switches should go directly from the battery thru an inline fuse holder, this can be wrapped in the harness up to the steering head - or done separately.
When you do "blow an fuse," you simply turn off the iginition, wait 10 sec to reset and turn it back on.
Since the SH-Box itself is turned on and off, taking the key out effectively turns EVERYTHING off except the fan(s).
I put the ignition key switch on the right side of the seat frame (like lots of older bikes and Harleys, too) next to the battery, so there is no unswitched + at all in what is now left of the harness.
I habitually use the same light switch unit as on the SZR so I do not have any problems there.

whatever, there are lots of potentially bad places in the original harness. The components are not usually at fault - except for the side stand switch.

[hb7]

I wouldn't be too quick to get rid of the neutral kickstand switch...if you ride on the streets.
Eventually, you'll forget/overlook and try to start the bike in gear. It has saved me from stupidity a few times.

[DAVID THOMPSON]

i am not a fan of bypassing the side stand safety switch except to get the bike running to get home...
i have forgot the sidestand many times ... the switch is much better than the spring loaded one on the r90s i had
it always popped up when the wind would blow and the bike would fall over on its own yuk
the saxon tour is spring loaded and it falls over all the time by its self for no reason
dave