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I've replaced the main ignition barrel switch on my 3EN2 model.
I've connected up a simple switch to turn the ignition on and off, and it works.

However, I'm confused.

There's 6 wires coming out of the ignition barrel.
two red/white, two red/yello and two blue/something.

I've identified that the blue ones are for the parking light, and so are redundant.

I've connected the two red/white wires to the new switch. Flick the switch, igntion comes on, and the bike can start from the starter switch. Kill switch also operates as expected.

So what are the two red/yellow wires for?
Tracing them under the airbox, they go into a 2-pin connector which takes them from two red/yellow to one red/yellow and one brown. The only reference I can see to a brown wire from the main switch in my wiring diagram is pretty much the primary wire for everything to make it go, and if that wasn't connected, it shouldn't start.

So, I'm confussled.

It starts and runs, and the new switch does it's job (image below) but I'm bewildered as to what these other two wires are for.

One thing that has crossed my mind is that this bike had no clocks as the wiring had been butchered where it would have exited the frame to the dash. I only want a tacho, so I rewired it in. However, that's now stopped working. It might be coincidental and I've broken a connection somewhere in rerouting the wires after testing the clock, OR these two wires somehow affect the dash, but they appear far too heavy-duty for that, and I can't see any reference to the main-switch with regards to any of the dash displays.

Anyone got any ideas?


(I turned a nice little alloy holder for the switch to replace the lock barrel)

Sorry it has taken so long for someone to reply to this.

We did not get the 3EN model here in the US, so I might be a little off. Usually on Yamaha's, the brown wire is the axillary power. It runs to the everything that needs power but only receives it after the main switch is turned on. An example of this are the lights in the gauges so you can see the tach and speed at night.

Hope this helps.

feef wrote:The only reference I can see to a brown wire from the main switch in my wiring diagram is pretty much the primary wire for everything to make it go, and if that wasn't connected, it shouldn't start.

cad600 wrote:Usually on Yamaha's, the brown wire is the axillary power. It runs to the everything that needs power but only receives it after the main switch is turned on. An example of this are the lights in the gauges so you can see the tach and speed at night.

Hope this helps.

What may have helped would be if you could actually tell him something he doesn't already know .

mawler wrote:

feef wrote:The only reference I can see to a brown wire from the main switch in my wiring diagram is pretty much the primary wire for everything to make it go, and if that wasn't connected, it shouldn't start.

cad600 wrote:Usually on Yamaha's, the brown wire is the axillary power. It runs to the everything that needs power but only receives it after the main switch is turned on. An example of this are the lights in the gauges so you can see the tach and speed at night.

Hope this helps.

What may have helped would be if you could actually tell him something he doesn't already know .

Basically FeeF you have answered your own question , on older Yams the ig switch turned on battery & battery/ mag powered stuff by 2 circuits instead of one circuit so that unlike brit bikes if the fuse blew in one circuit you had at least some stuff working.

Modern bikes such as Ducati's and high end Yams use much thinner wire and more circuits with more fuses. Older bikes had just 3 fuses and 1 main fuse and heavy wiring.

I know this at the moment as I am bringing an 1980 yamaha upto modern standard wiring with separate fuses for general lighting, main lighting , indicators, horn mostly as i cannot find a circuit diagram for a US / Canadian spec
Daytona special GRRR.