2c electrics

[farmer]

Hello, new to the forum and 2c ownership and have a query regarding the electrical system.
1974 drum brake bike, the horn, brake light and neutral warning light all work without the ignition key turned on is this correct? doesn't seem right to me. Everything else in the electrical system seems to work as per riders handbook, if the above situation is not correct where should I start looking to rectify the problem?
Many thanks,
Colin.

[GeorgeE111]

where should I start looking to rectify the problem?
Many thanks,
Colin.

Hi Colin,
Welcome to the forum.
Good start is always with getting a proper circuit diagram for 2C Benelli. You can find it on this forum if I am not wrong. good luck !
Cheers
Jerzy

[bantam1949]

Hi Colin,

Welcome also to the forum. Another 2C owner about to delve into the mysteries of its electrics is always a thing of joy to watch. Just kidding.

I don't know if the forum has a documents section with the wiring diagram but if you contact me through my website:

Benelli 2C Restoration

I'd be more than pleased to send you a DropBox link to the diagram and some mods my mates and I made to the electrics.

To answer your question, I suspect that something is wrong with the wiring on your bike. The ignition switch is quite a complicated arrangement which cuts off the battery power AND earths the coils through separate contacts. If someone wired it back up sometime it would be easy to get it all horribly wrong.

Drop me an email and I'll get you that info.

Cheers,


Tony
South Australia

[farmer]

Many thanks for your suggestions, I have found three different diagrams so hopefully one will match the bike!
The ignition switch may be a good place to start as there was a box with a few bits in that came with the bike and one of the "spares" was an ignition switch so this may well have been swapped over at some time, possibly incorrectly.
I will let you know how it goes.
Colin.

[farmer]

To cut a long story short it was the retro fitted indicators, the earth on the rears had been brought back to the neg on the battery rather than to the frame, in simple terms, the only wire that should be connected to the neg terminal on the battery is the white one going to the ignition switch. As with a lot of things in life once you know the answer..................
Normal operation has now been resumed, this may also explain why the bulb in the neutral warning lamp was missing!