Teds new project a CB500 K1 mostly version 0.5 circa 1972.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

How many wires to the starter button in the switch Ted

The switch itself has a live Yellow/Red trace that when you depress the button connects to a black wire out of the loom with a male end.

[Oddjob]

The problem Ted is your trying to marry up 550 switchgear with a 500 loom and that's not going to be a doddle.

First of all the yellow/red is supposed to be earthed by the starter button on the 500, on the 550 it's a different arrangement as the 550 has a clutch switch and sensor so the starter solenoid won't work if the bikes not in neutral or the clutch isn't pulled in. You haven't got the wiring for that. On the 550 the yellow/red connects to a green/red when the button is pressed.

You also seem to have a yellow/black connected to 2 blacks for some reason, yet there is a female yellow/black up near the top connected to something else, what's that about.

What does the black/blue wire connect to in the switchgear? I have a sneaky idea that's the power source for the headlight flasher and horn, try testing to see if there is continuity between the blue and the black/blue when the pass switch is operated and also light green to black/blue when the horn is pressed If so that wire goes to the black connectors in the loom.. 

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

The problem Ted is your trying to marry up 550 switchgear with a 500 loom and that's not going to be a doddle.

First of all the yellow/red is supposed to be earthed by the starter button on the 500, on the 550 it's a different arrangement as the 550 has a clutch switch and sensor so the starter solenoid won't work if the bikes not in neutral or the clutch isn't pulled in. You haven't got the wiring for that. On the 550 the yellow/red connects to a green/red when the button is pressed.

You also seem to have a yellow/black connected to 2 blacks for some reason, yet there is a female yellow/black up near the top connected to something else, what's that about.

What does the black/blue wire connect to in the switchgear? I have a sneaky idea that's the power source for the headlight flasher and horn, try testing to see if there is continuity between the blue and the black/blue when the pass switch is operated and also light green to black/blue when the horn is pressed If so that wire goes to the black connectors in the loom..

I have some connections that have no colour logic but work - it's certainly not completely finished as yet.
I have a black live double connector on the loom end connected to  a single Black/Yellow trace wire from the right side light switch - this made the sidelights & instrument lights work as they should when ignition is on.
I have a temporary bridge between the left switch - male Black/Yellow trace connected to right switch - Black/Red trace, This made the headlamp position on the right handlebar  switch work, main & dip work on the left handlebar switch.
I have an unused black male wire  on the right side handlebar switch - this is probably related to the kill switch?

I need to check the solenoid connections again, if it's just a matter of earthing the starter button I have a spare black wire on the right side switch that I can connect to earth but at the moment pretty sure that would blow the fuse as the Yellow/Red trace is live & reads a good 12 volts.
As you have mentioned there is a "Spare" Black/Blue trace wire on the left side switch as yet unused.


My switch gear came from Germany listed as follows - CB 400 500 K2 550 750K3-K6 Four

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Short update Bryan - I've connected the spare black from the right side switch to earth & solenoid now clicks - starter motor lead not connected at the moment. I've wrapped the black with earth coloured tape.

[Bryanj]

You would be better connecting the black to black power, the yelloe/red to yellow/red and at the solenoid the small wire that DOES NOT connect to yellow red is connected to an earth(green).
That keeps everything in the shell colour to colour for next time and only the solenoid, which is rarely looked at, different to standard

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

At the moment I am painting my cylinder head prior to re-fitting the valves etc.

Whilst waiting for paint to dry I did a tad more on my headlamp & switch connection issues with having 550 switches on my 500 loom.

With the exception of the Pass switch function I have everything working now so getting closer!
Trouble is I have no spare wires so it's closer but not quite right - I might end up fitting a relay for the headlamp flash function.

Oh oh when I take the key out in the far right Park position rear side lamp & front beam on! I'll leave it until I've fitted the cylinder head.

Bryan did say I might have some issues with these switches..lol

[Bryanj]

Have you put up pics of the switches ted? Is so point me at them or if not can you please

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

These are my switches  Bryan links below, in one of the photos most of the wires look to be all black but they have a trace colour on them that does not show in photos.

Both the starter button & the horn have a separate earth wire connection so they were pretty straight forward to connect up. I'm distracted at the moment as I want to get the cylinder head & camshaft all buttoned up before the cold weather sets in so wiring work will be at a standstill for a couple of weeks - any pointers welcome though.

Not helped by having another minor operation tomorrow afternoon to remove a BCC on my shoulder - top marks to my Dermatologist for spotting it & my two Melanomas that he has removed in the last couple of years. They blame sun damage but aside from one holiday  back in 1967 I have never sunbathed or worn a sleeveless T shirt as I am and never was a beach Adonis or sun worshiper.


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184159105630

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174181090102

[Bryanj]

OK ted, i know what you have done but not what wire colours you have done it with.
The wire from the H on rh switch needs to go to the input of the dip switch on lh side
The P from rh switch needs to go to brown and/or brown white in headlamp
Black from rh switch(should be two of them) go to black power
Black from lh switch goes to black power(may be two of those as well)
Pass switch may have a seperate wire to shell or may connect inside to dip switch
Horn will need to have ground wire at horn as switch will power it.

You have already found starter has two wires and i explained how to keep shell standard instead of way you have it.

Hope that helps mate but long distance electrics aint easy, remember electrikery dont smell(unless you let the smoke out) dont taste much but by christ it bites

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Thanks for that Bryan I have copied  your post on a word document so I can print it out I hope to report a good outcome by the end of the month. Ted

[Bryanj]

You have my number if you are sat in front of it scratching whatever you scratch

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

You have my number if you are sat in front of it scratching whatever you scratch

Thanks Bryan I have that in reserve  bud- I'm a stubborn old bloke with Electrics with a slow learning dip before I see a hint of a curve on the horizon.

Like I say to my brother about house electrics there are only three wires how hard can it be -assuming you are not colour blind.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Plan B

Until I have the sutures removed from my right shoulder shoulder I am leaving the cylinder head assembly & fitting for a couple of weeks so instead I'm biting & bobbing with the wiring again.
 I have following Bryan's wiring tips with some success. (Early Days)

I have undone the switch halves from the handlebars  to try to work out what goes where inside and made quite a bit of headway I think.  As yet the pass switch is not functioning but everything else seems to now work.

I no longer have the front beam coming on with the switch in the far right position - parking light I think - trouble is just the rear lamp illuminates not the front side light. Is this how these old bikes were wired up?

[Oddjob]

Seem to recall the front side light also lit up on park position Ted.

There should be 3 wires going to the pass switch, light green, dark blue and black. If you have the light green and dark blue whatever the other wire is goes to black on the loom. It should work then.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I think you are right the front sidelight should illuminate as well.

I'll look at the Pass switch again as I have some spare wires atm.


Update: 
I had a bit of a Eureka moment when I went to bed last night, this morning I changed the way the Horn function operates (as hinted by Bryan) so there is an earth wire at the horn end instead of the button earthing it. The black wire now supplies power to the horn instead of being an earth connection (much like the starter button). When I tried it this moring the Pass switch now works as does the Horn.  I am now left with just one unused wire from the right handlebar switch - Black/blue trace. The original right side switch had 6 wires the new switch has 7 wires so not an issue to have a spare wire. I have a couple of wires that seem to contradict the matching colours I would expect - I will take a look at those & see if it changes anything.

Only very minor  issue left is the front side light does not come on in the park position only the rear one - if I do not find a fix for that I can live with it as I have never used parking lights on a bike anway. Seems strange really as the front & rear side light are on the same circuit in the P light switch position. I would have thought that if the Park light position on the main ignition switch sends power to the rear lamp that it would also power the front sidelight - clearly it does not.