Hello there.  Awesome forum btw!

2004 Savage, 6,500 miles on it.  (2,500 my own, been riding it since August with no issues- awesome bike!)  Sexy silver and black.  all stock.

problem:  Sunday morning it just died when I was on my way to church. Like lights, power, engine, everything just power out. I pushed it back up-hill to my apartment.  that afternoon I took off the seat and it turns out the main fuse was blown.  

I replaced the fuse.  It started right up.  I let it idle for like 2 minutes then I got on it, switched into gear and rolled around on the parking lot.  I got up to about 10 MPH in first gear, revved high and then it died again.  Power out. Nothing.  No difference what position the ignition was in.  I parked it.

Yesterday I took the seat off again and replaced the fuse.  as soon as I turned the ignition key it blew the fuse.  I did this twice.  I peaked around and found all the wires to look pretty stock, like new. Put it back together and left it sitting.

A friend told me it is probably a gad ground or something along those lines.

Then today I took off the seat and looked around at the wires.  They all look good, but I didn't trace all of them or use an OHM meter to test them.  I did use my neighbors OHM meter to test the battery- it is fine. I disconnected the ground with the clip-deal connected to the negative battery terminal.  I forgot to put it back in-- then I put in a new fuse.

The parking light would come on with the ignition turned to park.  nothing else would happen besides that.  My friend saw that I forgot to reconnect the ground.  He reconnected it.  the lights came on, fuse didn't blow.  we stared the bike. I let it idle.  I revved it in neutral a bunch of times and it all stayed on, lights and everything.  

I put the seat on without really putting everything back together.  Rode it gently up and down the lot, revving it a couple of times.  Parked it.  Very happy that I friend was good luck, since we didn't really do anything, we put it back together.  We chatted for a bit, I figured I'd ride it once more up and down the street before it got dark.

Got on, went a little less gently, but not too fast.  it died when I was in first gear revving up about to switch into second.  I hadn't even gone 50 feet.
-_-

I'm wondering why its blowing fuses when I rev it while it is in gear.  I don't think its the ignition since it stars with a new fuse.  

Any ideas?

(I've been commuting on this bike every day for the last 3 months and driving a car these last couple days is driving me crazy haha!)

You have some kind of a short somewhere that is blowing the fuse.  Start it up, turn the forks left and right and see what happens....could be in the wiring harness at the forks.  If that is not it look at the wiring harness down at the bottom of the engine behind the drive pulley, and then just start pulling and wiggling wires and see what makes the fuse flow.  You probably don't need to have the bike running....just watch for the headlight to go out when the fuse blows.

I had a problem with mine as well.  I gently wrapped all exposed and old wires with electrical tape that might rub against anything after I found the short.  I keep a couple extra fuses and tape in my bag at all tines.  No problems yet, 6 months later.

My 98 did that a few times when it was still under warranty. Had it checked, everything tested out fine, and after awhile the issue went away on its own.

Suzuki is well known, to the point of notorious, for having the worst seats and worst electrical parts of the Japanese Big 4 bike producers.

Andreas wrote on 10/23/13 at 02:43:14:


Have you had a chance to test this theory? It sounds about right.... Maybe if you were to change the fuse, start the bike and shift from neutral to 1st, to neutral to 2nd a few times while holding the brake, to see if it blows, do you have a really bright neutral light? does the neutral light flash brightly when you shift on the way into 2nd gear?
The other thing is to check that engine ground wire.... take it off and clean under it anyway, maybe check its resistance when it is not connected to anything, it could have broken wires under the wrap that have corroded over time.
Just an idea...hope you figure it out.

]I don't have a manual at all, gonna have to get one. Sounds like you need to start from where the power is generated and work your way out from there. Someone is gonna have to talk you thru it since i'm trying to picture what is happening electrically.

Take the tank off, it is fairly easily done... then chase a few wires... if that don't work start at the beginning.

When you apply torque shifting into second it blows a fuse...... when torque is applied power is needed.... i'd start at power supply.

When you tried signals and hazards you blew a fuse, when more power is needed for lighting i'd start at the power supply..

See where i'm going?   I'm not sure, but one of the guru's should step in to help if they are around. Internet trouble shooting sux....would be great if you were like next door or close.

Also what regulates the voltage?? doesn't that come after power supply?
In the chain of power creation I mean.

Hang in there someone with more backround should be here.....

swedishbiker wrote on 10/28/13 at 00:32:04:


I think your "bulb" test works for finding a short that pulls a battery down when the key is off - but this problem works with the key "ON".  When the key is switched "ON" the headlight, running lights, tail light, neutral light, coil and charging system are all energized......and your test light is going to light up....and this provides no useful information.

A light will go REal Bright or blow. YOu can watch it go from normal to Small Sun. Dont let it do that for too long, else youll melt wires.

You can use a Big Bulb & see it go from barely lit to well lit,, & thats sure to not blow & save your wires,, be kerfull!