TOPIC:

on the kz1000p i have, the second from right side fuse gets extremely hot and melts the end caps off any fuse i install.

What should i be looking for when i tear into the bike to remedie the situation and stop the hot overheated fuse syndrome.

when it goes the whole electrical system on the bike goes out.

That's very common and happens from bad connection between the fuse and the fuse clip. Every little bit of extra resistance adds up to major heat. I polished up the fuse clips nice and bright and that mostly fixes the problem. You'll notice the fuse clips are copper or brass and will get dull and corroded over time and will not work. I hoped and prayed every time I was riding at 2AM on a dark road in the middle of nowhere this would not happen as it's not just annoying, it can be life threatening if that fuse burns at the wrong time.

ok, gives me a reason to install a $16 spade fuse block anyways then. thanks for the reply.

i cleaned it real good and made it shine, still does it.

gets hot as crap even if the engine isnt running. actually melts the fuse solder.

It's still bad fuse clips. That's all that can cause it. Get those blade fuses and you'll be all set. Once the plastic has melted, the fuse fits loose and aggravates the heating up.

ran429 wrote:

i cleaned it real good and made it shine, still does it. gets hot as crap even if the engine isnt running. actually melts the fuse solder.

To confirm, it gets hot only after turning the ignition switch to the ON position? In other words, it does not get hot while the ignition is in the OFF position?

For example, thinking maybe a positive wire to one of the coils is shorting against the frame.

Edit -- on second thought, a short would more likely just blow the fuse.

Hot enough to melt the plastic holder!

Let's get some pics of your solution. Given the average age of our bikes this is a common problem and a lot of members will benifit.

Best of success!

I had the same problem. I haven't sanded the brass connectors, but I probably should.
I had to remove the metal fuse holder from the plastic case and rebuild it. The plastic had been melting on the bottom side of the holder and it was a mess.
Also, I found that the wire leading from the solenoid to the fuse box had been burned as well. That has to be replaced, so check for that.
Finally, I just did a thorough inspection of the entire wiring system, cleaning/repairing little bits here and there.
No more melted fuses for me.
Good luck.

I had the same issue on my 77 kz650 and after I shined the clips up with a wire wheel on my dremel I didn't have any further issues. I did ultimately decide to replace the stock fuse box with a blade style block though just to be certain, but that wasn't until the next season after I had piled on about 1200 miles without a glitch from the shined up clips in the stock box.

Capt_Planet, remember if you need any of the OEM like connectors or pins they are still available cheap from Z1 Enteprises.

Best of success!

Get the spade fuses, I did on mine as well to fix the same issue.