Electrical problem.....

[q3uk]

It was working fine…..I came back home, parked outside the garage, unloaded the shopping, and when I tried to start the Quadro again it suffered some sort of electrical malfunction and quickly the battery appeared to not have enough charge to turn the starter motor over. I changed the battery for another, and it would turn over but not start. “The spark plug” I thought, so eventually located it and swapped it for a NGK CR8E that I had. Still wouldn’t start. The EFI fuse had ‘blown’. Put in a new one and it started OK. Rode about 15 metres and the Quadro suffered a total loss of electrics – the ‘General’ and EFI fuses had both blown. Replaced both and it started, ran in situ for 10 seconds, then both fuses blew again. I put the old spark plug (NGK C8E) back in and tried various things, but only succeeded in blowing more fuses. A combination of ‘no more 15 amp fuses and a desire to see if the problem would ‘make itself known’ led me to put 20amp fuses in the ‘General’ and EFI slots. The Quadro, started and ran………and I realised that the hand-brake cable was melting its plastic sheath and the under bodywork, and was smoking ! I switched off the ignition and disconnected the battery, then started to take off the bodywork in expectation of finding somewhere where the hand-brake cable was rubbing against a ‘live’ cable. After a couple of hours, with the majority of the bodywork still in situ, I had had enough of bodywork dismantling, and decided to cut the hand-brake cable (thereby removing the circuit, I thought). In fact the hand-brake cable was non-functioning, and I was waiting for a replacement cable from ‘my’ Quadro dealer (who had told me that replacement of it would be a straightforward job for me !) – so it was not quite the radical solution that it at first appears. I cut about a foot out of the cable and secured both ends. I replaced the battery – all good. I started the engine and it ran fine, and (neither end of) the hand-brake cable heated up. Result ! I put back all the bodywork, ending up with the usual inexplicable extra fasteners, and went for a ‘test ride’ – a kilometre down the road and back. All perfect. Parked outside the garage, switched off the ignition……..and the engine kept running. I had to disconnect the negative cables from the battery to stop it. As soon as I reconnect the battery now, the ignition is ‘on’. I seem to have a positive earth Quadro ! I have sprayed inside the ignition / key slot with WD40. Prior to my ownership, there seems to have been a fair amount of ‘extra wiring’ having been done – see photo ? I have ascertained that the thick red cable in the photo (the ‘factory’ one ?) appears to do nothing. It does seem to run quite hot : with a 17 degree background temp, the fan came on after about 10 mins of running the engine (eg while I was getting a spanner to disconnect the battery terminal). Any ideas of what the problem / solution might be? Preferably ones that do not involve removing all the bloody bodywork !

Not sure if my German is going to be good enough to understand how to attach a photo to this post.....

[q3uk]

Update: I removed the hand-brake cable entirely, but the problem persists – the Quadro’s frame is ‘positive’, the engine remains ‘earth’ -- as soon as the battery is connected, the ignition is ‘on’ (with or without a key). BUT, if I remove the EFI fuse, the problem disappears eg the ignition goes to ‘off’. I have removed the seat and under-seat bodywork, and checked / cleaned / jiggled all the cables & connectors that I can reach – with no result. Is it something as simple as a damaged cable touching the frame (behind the forward bodywork ?) or is it something more complicated ? To do with the EFI ? Any ideas out there ?!!