my 87 savage will not start.  Per the attached picture smoke was coming up from where the lead wire was bolted down.  I pulled the tank and changed the spark plug just be sure, and after putting everything back together and re-taping up the lead wire in a couple of places the bike still clicks but won't turn.  The wire has melted a little bit of the section plastic section where it is bolted down (same spot little whisps of smoke, from melting plastic i assume, were coming out off at first, but now the smoke is gone).  Maybe it is shorting out there still?????  The wire gets reallllly hot still after attempting to start it a few times, so I'm guessing there is a short there still and that is the culprit of my non-starting bike still.

Checked the Fuses and those are good, and battery is fully charged and ready to go.  Andy advice here?  I can probably get a new lead wire, and see if that fixes it, but I am guessing that melted spot behind the bolt is still the culprit.  

Thanks for everyone's help here!  

Thanks!  I just ordered one and will report back after I install it!  

I learned the hard way, if the smoke comes out the wire is junk... Of course, I had to learn it on fabric covered wires. Where if one wire lets the smoke out, they all tend to. Who knew wiring insulation was flammable?

I do wonder why the cable was run to the frame instead of the engine. No reason to ever reroute it unless the battery box was off for some kind of work before he got the bike... and even then, it should have gone back on the engine.

I'll have to see where the cable routes inside the battery box. I moved the ignition solenoid to the toolbox, so my wiring is rather, um, "different" than stone stock would be. Wonder how much other crap I can cram in there since I have a different gas tank, no switch boxes, no decomp relay...

In an attempt to still help out the newbie, here is where the ground cable is supposed to be attached to the engine...

SALB wrote on 06/10/13 at 10:20:07:


Nope, that is the negative post on the battery and the negative lead.

$10 for a new ground wire...nbd, but thanks for the hazing all you senior members  

I guess a little ignorance got me more face time to answer this issue, so can't complain!  thanks for all your responses

I just grounded the negative lead to another solid area of the engine block  and tried to start it and the wire smoked in the same spot.... it is fried.  waiting on the new one.

If I remember right, the cable runs inside the box and drops out on the right hand side. But, my bike is nowhere near stock, hasn't been for years. I haven't even opened the battery box in 2 years, at least.

Im doin all I can,, & since you said a lot of what I said,, Im guessin
a I did as much as you did
b you agree with my answer.