I have a 1987 Harley 883 XLH Deluxe and I got her started and got about 100m before she shut off. Looked down and my circuit breaker (I think) was smoking. I believe it was 40amp.

The connection is (positive battery terminal)--(red copper wire)--(circuit breaker terminal 1)--(blue starter wire+black wire on circuit breaker terminal 2)
I got this bike used, and it wasn't very well taken care of. Before this happened I had to wrap the circuit breaker in electrical tape because it was touching metal.
Can anyone throw out some advice on what to do?

​​​All fluids have been changedAll connections have been cleanedBattery is new
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First and easiest, the breaker may be bad. If the circuit breaker is "smoking" it is shorting to ground. A high amperage situation. See what is on the whole circuit not just the battery to the breaker, see what is past that on the ground side.

Do you know the difference between voltage amperes and ohms? In hydraulics speak, Voltage would be your reservoir, amps would be your PSI and Ohms would be the different orifice sizes or a measure of resistance to the pressure.

so, a high amps situation, means that all your pressure is flowing through your breaker, causing it to get hot...ultimately this is how electrical fires start when the wires get red hot. the breaker may or may not be working ,hence the smoke. It is supposed to "break" the circuit "open" and prevent a fire.

Like said trace the circuit "all the way" to ground. it sounds like you went battery to breaker and stopped the path flows to ground somewhere. Id follow the black on terminal 2 and see where it goes. if it goes to the starter,see if it is shorting somewhere. Does the starting system tie in with the charging system?

 

That's the one I taped because it was touching metal, but it started smoking. This is an old picture, those contacts are clean now.

 

I see alot of rust on the contacts, like said if it is an inexpensive part throw one in ,OR you could take it completely off, scrub and polish the wire ends and contacts with a brass wire brush( or steel, steel wool etc.) and contact cleaner, something like CRC electronics cleaner.

the rust makes for "High resistance "(Ohms) which can cause heat hence the smoke. Worth a try I suppose.

 

Where is the mount plate for the CBs on the rear fender? All 3 as well as the 4th of those should have a mount plate and would be installed in the order from the left side of the bike lights, main, Accy, and ignition with a bar on the copper side of the ignition to the Accy. The copper sides are the feed side and should be to the rear with the battery wire going on the copper terminal on the main CB, this would keep them separated and give a heat sink. They should not be just scattered about like that.

 

Ok the circuit breaker that was smoking did not have a copper terminal. Both terminals were metal or silver. Which wire goes on which terminal on the breaker?

 

Looks like the answer is in the wiring diagram, the little boxes under the shunt bar. Labeled ign acc main lights. by "feed side " he mans the hot side or the side that is coming from battery positive. according to Zanthamos and the wiring diagram you are missing that shunt bar form ign to acc. Follow the wire colors in the diagram, and ultimately see if you can find the missing pieces. Going by your pic and following the diagram provided by Zanthamos, the breaker in the pic with two red wires is the main., find the rest of them ,line them up,and that missing metal bat looks like it may provide a ground from ign to acc or it com=nnects the ign ground side to the acc ground. basically a shared ground

 

The single wire side of the main goes to battery, the other side should have 2 wires. Pm me if you want the full diagrams.

 

Doesn't the 2nd wire go directly to the Voltage regulator?

 

Sure does.