Help with K1300 Restoration Please

Hello KEL:

Are you sure you are getting current past your starter button, off of your handlebar cluster?

The copper contactor (Little round copper piece of metal) are known to corrode and prevent current from flowing to the starter solenoid. It can cause clicking to no starting period.

I would:

1: verify with the wiring diagram all connections. (Around the whole electrical bus) Especially around the headlight area. You may have already done so.

2: Remove the RH handlebar electrical connector and take a meter to the two conductors on the connector, while pressing the starter button in and out. Check for continuity, should read just about zero, depending on how much resistance is in that circuit. If resistance is high, or non-existent, that switch could be faulty.

2a: If you suspect your starter switch, disassemble the cluster. You would be amazed at what you might find in there. Everything from spider eggs to mud wasps. I know this because that is what I found in mine in the past. Electrical contact cleaner works wonders.

3: Check for damaged or cobbled together wiring. Our bikes are of the age that who knows what been done to them over the years.

Thanks guys, all great suggestions.
I will make a list and go thru them one at a time.
I have a manual to use but just quickly is the starter easy to access?
Also is it normal to have a fuel pump on a bike like this?
It doesn't really make sense with a carb bike, but there must have been a reason for the last owner fitting it.

It's not considered "normal" but if it's done right, can be a helpful add-on. If you want to keep it, I would make sure that your float bowl needles can seal up good and I might even venture to add a pressure regulator. Might be a good idea for someone that insists on a fuel pump set-up with a carburetor.

Otherwise it's usually not needed. The bike in stock configuration with fuel solenoid removed has the ability get enough gas from gravity alone.

There's other members on this forum that have had these setups and know quite a bit about them. Perhaps they may chime in .

Oh and the starter is pretty easy to get to you just need some patience when angling it out of it's spot. You don't have to take very much off to get to it just a few bolts for the cover and the wire going to it.

Good luck!

Mikez wrote: It's not considered "normal" but if it's done right, can be a helpful add-on. If you want to keep it, I would make sure that your float bowl needles can seal up good and I might even venture to add a pressure regulator. Might be a good idea for someone that insists on a fuel pump set-up with a carburetor.

Otherwise it's usually not needed. The bike in stock configuration with fuel solenoid removed has the ability get enough gas from gravity alone.

There's other members on this forum that have had these setups and know quite a bit about them. Perhaps they may chime in .

Thanks for that. I think I will remove it. I think eliminating as many things that can go wrong can only be a bonus.
What would have been the thinking behind it? I know its a pretty up and down feed for fuel to travel but gravity should be OK surely?

Sometimes these bikes can have some fuel starvation and the pumps ensure that the float bowls get plenty of fuel and never run dry under hard use.

Fuel starvation can be a symptom of lots of different things though. Have a look at another current thread going on for the GPZ petcock right now. It'll point you in the right direction.

By the way, make sure you have a manual impact driver handy when taking apart that starter motor. The screws on mine were quite stubborn and I was lucky to have it handy!