Headlight connection through clutch handle

JoshWED · Post by **JoshWED** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 5:21 pm

Hey all. Anyone ever had problems with the connection to the headlight that runs through the switch assembly on the clutch handle? My headlamp will work when I just start up and in neutral. But as soon as some vibrations get going, or when I engage the clutch and twist, the headlight goes out. The pilot lamp is always on (would expect that) and I haven't gotten the highbeam to work at all.

Judging from the <a href="http://www.lmlparts.co.uk/electrics/WIR ... STELLA.jpg"> wiring diagram </a> (and the switch), there's likely something loose near that clutch side switch. Will pop open the headset this weekend, but any advice?

(My neutral light has always been fickle, too...slightly off from true neutral, but never been a problem).

Halloweenie · Post by **Halloweenie** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 9:27 pm

The headlight problem is rather common. There are several threads over at stellaspeed about it. There tends to be two main problem areas, the soldering on the switch, and where the headset cover meets the shift lever can cut/fray they wires.

JoshWED · Post by **JoshWED** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 9:43 pm

Thanks for the two pointers...will look for those when I open it up! Now only if work was more enjoyable when it's 30F out.

jmkjr72 · Post by **jmkjr72** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 11:32 pm

on top of that id could be that the conecter under the speedo is loose and when you shift it pulls it

MOD MIKE · Post by **MOD MIKE** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 1:53 am

I have a similar problem; when ever I put my turn signal on, my headlight blinks. I bought a new battery, that wasn't it. These are quirky kinda problems that have a way of solving themselves. Enjoy the ride...

JoshWED · Post by **JoshWED** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 3:11 am

Strike 30F...let's go with 22F right now. Effin' hell.

kh4130 · Post by **kh4130** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 8:34 pm

Check out this post I put up on Stella Speed about this. I posted pics.

This was my 1st time taking apart my headset and it wasn't too hard.

http://forums.stellaspeed.com/viewtopic ... 14&t=14662

JoshWED · Post by **JoshWED** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 9:55 pm

So I opened up the clutch side switch assembly. The violet and gray leads need replacing (snapped...looks like from age).

Tried to rig up a temp connection with some electrical tape, but the wires are too taught for such a dream.

Where do people by spares?

kh4130 · Post by **kh4130** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 9:59 pm

What about just putting a new piece of wire in the middle of the wire to extend things out? Do you have a soldering iron?

jmkjr72 · Post by **jmkjr72** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 12:52 am

yeah i would go in there and remove the factory conector and replace it with bullit conectoers
then put my own wire in long enough to do what needs to be done

that way they are long enough not to pull and brake again
the pulling action of shifting proably weakend the wires and let the corsion happen

JoshWED · Post by **JoshWED** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 5:25 pm

my buddy can solder, so yeah...that would work. bullet connectors also sound like a good option. will keep you posted. Thanks!

JoshWED · Post by **JoshWED** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 5:39 pm

follow up: so i guess i have about 3/4" of wire exposed in the switch box for one of the broken leads. will that be enough to get a spade or bullet on? assuming i could get a needle nose in to crimp it...

Silver Streak · Post by **Silver Streak** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 5:46 pm

Depends on how much working room you have.

DON'T use needle-nose pliers to crimp it if you want a reliable connection; use a proper crimp tool of the right size... they're cheap.

JoshWED · Post by **JoshWED** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 5:48 pm

silver-- i don't know how to get a crimper into that spot then....maybe disassemble the whole head set and back out the broken wire, then feed through with the solder or crimped section. Soldering is probably the better solution then...as the barrel (or otherwise) crimping will likely be "too fat" to snake back through.

Silver Streak · Post by **Silver Streak** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 6:02 pm

I think I'd use a properly snug-fitting bullet or spade connector under those circumstances, and solder it.

Of course, you could always slip a length of heat-shrink tubing over an extension wire, twist and solder the wire to the existing stub, and then slip the tubing over the splice to shrink and insulate the splice. That should be dead reliable.

JoshWED · Post by **JoshWED** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 7:30 pm

like your thinking. thanks!

JoshWED · Post by **JoshWED** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 8:15 pm

silly question: how hard to yank on the speedo to get the top cover fully off? When i was in yesterday, i just had enough clearance to snoop around. pulled the four long screws from underneath--shouldn't be anything else from my diagrams, but the cover holds on for dear life.

jmkjr72 · Post by **jmkjr72** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 10:48 pm

yeah you are being held up by the speedo cable
i cant remember if its a clip you have to pull or if you have to twist the end in the headstock

Halloweenie · Post by **Halloweenie** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 12:10 am

You can get a little more slack so you can disconnect it by feeding it up from the bottom.

craho · Post by **craho** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 4:14 am

This is an anecdote, but I had a similar problem.

I got to the shop to pick Stella up (upon purchase) and as the dealer was going through everything to check it out, it kept blowing the fuse for the electric start. We ended up pulling to headset off, the front cowl off, and searched for about 2 hours. Found a worn wire on the turn signal side that was fixed with a tape-up but it didn't solve the problem. Finally we chased it to the headlight switch. Several of the headlight connectors had come loose so the bike would start, but when you would turn the handlebars, the loose connections would touch and short out the fuse.
Matthew soldered the connectors to the switch and it is perfect. I would suggest that as your ultimate solution, but I was just watching.

All that said, and here is my dealer plug....Matthew Myers at Magic City Scooters in Birmingham was and is great. We had built up a good rapport in the process of me purchasing the scooter so he let me be a bit of a go-fer for him while he was working on Stella that day. It was a great education for me. I get automobile mechanics but this is my first scooter or motorcycle. I got to see it all apart and got to hang out in the shop for the better part of a day. Other than Stella living up to her wiring problem infamy, it was about the best way to begin ownership. I am not afraid of digging into it. And, I got a good dealer to fall back on when I need something.

Good luck geting this problem solved.
Sorry its so cold out. It's almost too cold to ride for us thin blooded people down on the coast but tomorrow will be upper 50s, so I am planning on riding. Hope you are back on soon.

JoshWED · Post by **JoshWED** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 9:59 pm

so is this 16 gauge wire in there? ......

craho · Post by **craho** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 3:31 am

I dont know. I am sorry. (If that q was directed at me.)

JoshWED · Post by **JoshWED** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 6:43 pm

ended up using some 18 ga automotive wire...worked like a charm! made my soldering connection under the headset (where there was room for the slightly fatter bump which results from the splice) and fished the new wire back through to the switch box.

replaced two of the three connections. then of course when reinstalling everything the third connection also gave out (should have known that all the wires were starting to go!). Another five minutes, but now all three have freshly crimped connections and shrink tube.

deadmile · Post by **deadmile** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 5:11 am

Halloweenie wrote:The headlight problem is rather common. There are several threads over at stellaspeed about it. There tends to be two main problem areas, the soldering on the switch, and where the headset cover meets the shift lever can cut/fray they wires.

I work at a scooter shop and it turns out this has happened to a couple new stellas. Some have the headlight wires zip tied to the clutch handle shaft and therefore twist and pull on the connector plug. In severe cases it unplugs the light in first and plugs it back in when in second and up. It can be a combination of bad plastic clips and connectors plus the zip-tied wire on a rotating assembly.

JoshWED · Post by **JoshWED** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 3:01 pm

All of my wires in the clutch handle assembly are going one by one. This week it's the horn...and the soldering iron comes out to the rescue again...though I am running out of room to make the connections.