650 headlight and flashers malfunctioning

Hey y'all.
I'm fixing up my old 81 maxim, haven't ridden it yet, and I want to get it 100% before I go out for my first ride. So I re-did the wiring circuit, all the way, new connections and mostly new wires, and it all works fine!
...except for the lights in the front end. So I'm thinking I could switch the relays. So I do, and instantly, the lights are good! But it won't start. The reverse happens when I switch them back to normal; starts fine, but no lights. So I bypass the relay, by linking the red/yellow cable to the blue/black cable. And success! This means I'll get a new relay, but for now this should work. However, now I've connected the flashers, and when i flick the switch, it's both front flashers on, steady, with no flashing.
So I'm just curious if the grounds are the issue, because I know the black wires for the fronts need to be grounded, and I connected them together the first time. Even when I separated the grounds to different spots, I still get both lights on. Or is this simply because I bypassed the relay? ... I'm thinking it's the latter.
Appreciate any feedback, thanks!

 

What color dot is on the relay that you bypassed?

It sounds to me like you bypassed the headlight relay, and that the headlight relay may be bad.
The turn signal problem should be a separate issue since they are on a separate circuit (well they are supposed to be; whether or not they still are may be the problem).
I assume that you have a service manual and used the wiring diagram to guide you. Is that the case?

 

I followed that diagram religiously, yes. I was very diligent about making sure everything is according to the diagram. I'm going to crack open the handlebar switches again, to make sure nothing is touching in there that shouldn't be touching.

 

And the dot is yellow

 

That is the headlight relay and you did have it bypassed correctly. Something else is amiss (besides the fact that the headlight relay appears to be faulty).

The headlight circuit is not a part of the signal circuits.

 

Could it be the flasher relay? Or the cancelling unit? In either case I'm getting a fresh headlight relay soon as I can get out to my shop. Something severe must have happened to the electrical circuit, since this bike also had an ignition coil which didn't work.

 

Seems if it was wired correctly you would have a front and rear flasher illuminated. Have you updated the flashers or indicator bulb with non stock components?

Flasher relays can go bad, but when the turn signals illuminate but do not flash, it is usually something else.

Incorrect wattage bulb - you need 27 watt bulbs for the stock flasher relay.

Insufficient battery voltage, bike not running flashers are known to stop flashing with the bike idling because of a weak battery.

Occasionally the cancelling unit can cause an issue. It can be disconnected and the flashers should still work. Typically with a cancelling unit failure the flasher will blink one time when the turn signal switch is pushed left or right.

 

Yeah, actually, it's not a stock couple of flashers. They're LED strip installed by the previous owner. I'll look into their wattage. ... and then, get a ...resistor setup for them...?

 

That should have been mentioned from the beginning.

An electronic flasher will do the job, but it has to be the right electronic flasher. You will loose the self-cancel feature unless you also wire in a second relay.
This link is mainly for the XJ750, but the post about the relay mod is relevant to solving your problem. http://www.xjbikes.com/forums/posts/114964/

You could use two ceramic resistors to bring the watage up, but by using an electronic relay you free up amps from the electrical system that you can then use for accessories.

 

I totally didn't think of mentioning that. It's been late days working on the bike, and early mornings working, I've been at half brain capacity. That flasher relay looks like it would replace my current one, much better than a resistor set up. For the time being, steady indicators mixed with hand signals will need to suffice, until I can arrange that relay.
Appreciate all your help, guys.