Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

Need some help with my 95/96 CB500.

Sorry if following is TMI, thought better to start from beginning. It has halogen mini indicators, when in for last MOT rear left had blown, went to bike shop next door who gave me a bulb saying it was the one I needed, box it was in was slightly damaged. Put the bulb in, work for a second then something blew.

Dash lights/neutral light/brake light and all indicators stopped working, headlight still on.

I left it with the shop and they sorted it, When I picked it up the mechanic wasn't there so I didn't find out what exactly had gone wrong. Rode it a couple of times then the same happened again, MoT place hadn't changed the bulb I had bought (at this point didn't suspect it was wrong, I now think it is)

When trying to remove the bulb I've broken the indicator so will need to get some new indicators, reccomendations for something similar to the attached welcomed.

What I need to find out first though is what has gone, any ideas?

I've checked the fuses and all are fine. I've got limited experience working on bikes but I'm alright with tools and I've got a Haines manual.

1 Attachment

Bike that age the indicator runs from a little clacky relay with one or two wires powering it. A duff or even shorted bulb would only really damage this relay, but even then likely not.

Those indicator look more modern, defo halogen bulbs in there? Halogen don't really like turning on and off fast, suspect a brighter nornal filament bulb is what's in there. Halogen might draw more current which has melted something like the relay or the wiring powering it.

I'd be taking any bodywork off, and having a very good scout around all the earth cables you can find, cables that are near the frame are the most plausible causes. A rag and some brake cleaner to get in Al the tight bits is handy

Check the battery terminals are on and the earth wire to the engine and frame.

I had a recovery van out and they checked the alternator was charging but the battery was not topping up or keeping a charge.
The mechanic said he changes his battery for a fresh one every year.
He is also.doing a ride with Charlie Boorman to Capetown next year. He interestingly said he (the mechanic)isn't doing it on the BMW gs as the one bike he has to pick up all the time is the new model GS and it is always an an electrical fault, often due to one of the sensors

Got a heated vest for Christmas. Cannot wait to try it out.

Nice. But it's too warm today.

Jeans and jumper weather and lots of lovely grip compared to the last few weeks.

Indeed. Be cold again in feb. Bikes been parked up for 2 weeks since term ended.

Charlie & Ewan wanted KTMs for the "Long Way" rides, but KTM wouldn't sponsor them. BMW GSs are just horrible, slow, heavy & unreliable IMHO. On the Long Way Round, the only bike to break down and be unrepairable en-route was a GS.

I had occasion to get on a motorway on Xmas day to drop of presents etc. can highly recommend - virtually empty, so tempted to pin it against the stop.
Happy New Year cyclists/motorcyclists.

Think they are on the last iteration of the boxer as we know it. Think emissions and other things are getting hard to get around for any longer (? This might be total bump) so going to q new more conventional engine for thr next model.

The breakdown you mean I think was the abs system dying (torn wiring hardness most likely) which on those bikes is a known, and can mean you have no brakes if it breaks in the wrong place on thr harness, can happen to any bike.
Some other guys did a similar route on ktm 690/990 of whatever the newer one was and became stranded in part of eastern Russia for a very similar reason, think it was fuel pump or controller for the pump.

KTM wouldn't give charlie and Ewan bikes as they didn't think that they boys would complete it.

BMW showed that even that the bikes had problems, braking frames and being unreliable. The back up that BMW gave was the reason so many were sold.

Engine light came on when starting up this morning. Apparently it's fairly common if the battery gets to a certain depletion level (ie being turned off for a week...). The problem is that the don't self clear any more...

I have a bluetooth OBD2 dongle thing.

Anyone know if it will clear the fault on the Yamaha if i get a 4 port to OBD2 adapter?

This, BMW will ship parts it to you at random hotel addresses at a price, ktm now offer this, but poss too late to turn the tide.
Let's be honest, 97% of gs owner have never even been round a gravel carpark.

Was rally hoping the new yamaha tenure was gonna be replaced and that the new 850gs wasn't going to be even heavier than its predecessor

https://www.homesandproperty.co.uk/home-garden/interiors/how-two-designers-netted-16m-transforming-their-50k-flat-into-a-magical-family-home-a115551.html#gallery

Cool motorbike storage solution in there...

Jesus, never thought I'd ever hear queens park and £1.95mil in the same sentence.
Anyway, must be a pretty big front door for that.

Awesome idea.

You'd also need to plan to minimise smells and make cleaning easy.

What do insurance companies make of you keeping petrol, oil and a hot engine under the stairs?

You don't think he actually rides it :)

Naaaah he's too busy "teaching superbike"...

I wanted more footage of this, is it inside? as in within the building or are those external stairs covered by a canopy? so if those stairs are really just an external covered fire exit I think its ok.

but without further info, I agree, Im not sure insurers would be too happy.

Looks outside, hence the fake plastic grass stuff.

Managed to hit a potholed so hard yesterday that left hand came off the bar and face butted the top of the tank. Helmet peek survived only a little scratch in paint.
Went back to find this monster hole, couldn't see it :/

This is very anecdotal, when I was in Cambodia a few years ago I met a couple of Spanish KTM riders who were propping up the bar of the guest house we were staying at. They’d been waiting for parts for 2 months.

Roads are really suffering in the last couple weeks/months.

I've just dented the wheel on the car hitting one on the way home.

It's as good an excuse as any....