Has anyone wired their own bike???

[txironhead]

Most states require a headlight, taillight, horn and one brake to be legal. Personally, I prefer dual disc up front, drum or disc in the rear and turn signals, but if you're going the minimalist route it's your call. You have to keep the stator, regulator, starter, starter relay (unless you are lucky enough to have a kickstarter, then you can eliminate the starter and relay but they're very nice to have on a cold day), headlight, high/low beam switch, coil circuits, battery cables, horn, horn button, kill switch, starter button (if non kickstart, etc.), fuse block and related wiring. If you have electronic points you'll also need the CDI and related wiring. You can eliminate some wiring there by installing a Dyna ignition. Do a Honda regulator conversion and you can eliminate the wires going to the "headlight loop" that the factory regulator uses. Basically, you can eliminate some of the wiring, but your best bet is to try to hide what you can.

[rustybronco]

Great write up Hap!

Also, any suggestions on flux? I prefer the liquid kind (Stay Clean) over the goopy stuff my dad used. With tattooing, Stay Clean is also non toxic once it's neutralized (with baking soda and water) while other types are not safe for the body. Any need to neutralize the flux after connecting wires on a bike? Bad idea or good idea?

when using rosin core solder on clean wire and terminals, if I need to clean flux off I use hot water and a tooth brush, sometimes, mostly I leave them like they are.
IMHO a pencil type soldering iron is not large enough for automotive type wiring i use a weller soldering gun it heats faster, pencil is for electronic component repair.

[jknappsax]

Adhesive-lined heat shrink tubing

Since a bike's electrics are much more exposed to the elements than a car, you might want to use adhesive-lined heat shrink tubing like is used in marine wiring, or at least liberally coat the soldered connection with white lithium heat-sink compound before shrinking dowm the tubing.

[Jethro]

I think Hap said it best, but I will add that a little item I have discovered recently is pure gold- cold shrink tape. It's tape that basically sticks to itself and nothing else. One it bonds, it will be like one piece, impossible to seperate without cutting. Again, not for use directly over the motor.

[MissFabulous]

I think Hap said it best, but I will add that a little item I have discovered recently is pure gold- cold shrink tape. It's tape that basically sticks to itself and nothing else. One it bonds, it will be like one piece, impossible to seperate without cutting. Again, not for use directly over the motor.

Where might one procure this nifty stuff, Geoff? Sounds worth adding to the arsenal!

And thanks everyone for the input on soldering - I do it a LOT but on stuff that gets disposed of pretty quickly! Now I know why my rheostat has corroded solder in it - they guy who put it together used the flux we use for making needles! I guess I can add that to my list of stuff to rebuild...

[REDDY]

Soldering

This thread should be put beside the STATOR PARERS.

This from a aircraft electronics quality control inspector.

[argonsagas]

Having done all this work on my own GS, I must offer an alternative to soldering, for some of the work.

Within the harness itself there is little opportunity for moisture and/or corrosion, but a good chance for vibration if it is not wrapped properly.

Obviously, wrapping is important, (especially as we are nearing Christmas again )

A liberal dose of Liquid Electrical Tape (it is sold under that name) on a crimp joint works fine, and it offers both insulation and flexibility, so the crimp joint stays together, even with normal vibration. Apart from, perhaps, a feeling of security, there is no significant advantage to soldering all the links/joints/splices inside the wrapped harness.

The liquid tape works on exposed areas as well, and it retains its advantage of flexibility in areas where this may be needed.


Which leads to a note of caution when soldering:

Should one be overly generous with the amount of solder used, it will move along the wires, as well as the connectors, and one will soon learn that solder is not flexible, and this could introduce an element of brittleness in areas where flexibility is necessary.

On exposed electrical joints, by all means take the extra mesures and give yourself the best connections you can, but do not dismiss the crimp method as an overall failure as it is not that.

[rustybronco]

Don't dismiss crimped connections factories use it.

[saddlewarmer]

I use crimp connectors in a lot of the work i do. using the PROPER crimping tool makes all the difference. for butt connectors i use a crimping tool available from klein tools. i have seen a similar version at harbor frieght. using the correct size of connector is also important. some of your spade connectors require a different crimping tool and a different method of crimping. waterproofing on of these connections is easy using heat shrink tubing and silicon sealer applied correctly. soldering is ok if done correctly. i have had a milspec soldering course. it is an art, like welding. i have been installing and wiring two way radio sytems, sirens, light controllers, computers, mobile data terminals, etc into vehicles for years for government agencies, private agencies, etc.

[Hap Call]

Don't dismiss crimped connections factories use it.

This is true...as long as it lasts past the warranty period it is fine. Seriously, if you live in a fairly dry climate then you may be able to get away with just crimp type conections. If you live in an area where the roads are often wet and are salted for traction in the winter, I wouldn't dream of using crimp type connections.

I completely wired a Baja Bug from scratch in the mid Eighties. I used crimp type connections and gave it no second though...until about 2 years later. I started to have intermittant problems with my electrical system, especially in the engine bay. I had driven the Bug on the Texas Gulf coast and up in Washington/Oragon most of the time. I found the connections were corroding badly despite having used a professional quality crimper and lots of heat shrink and electrical tape. I never used the Liquid Electrical tape so I can't comment on it but it sounds great.

I miss that old Bug...

[txironhead]

Don't dismiss crimped connections factories use it.

Keep in mind that this is the same factory that gave us those LOVELY regulators on our GS's.......and the non-successfully-rebuildable petcocks.\\/

[rustybronco]

This is true...as long as it lasts past the warranty period it is fine. Seriously, if you live in a fairly dry climate then you may be able to get away with just crimp type conections. If you live in an area where the roads are often wet and are salted for traction in the winter, I wouldn't dream of using crimp type connections.

Hap, mr. rosin and i have been on a first name basis since about '68. The only way i do exposed wiring repair is solder, silicone and shrink tube, but crimped and properly sealed wiring is more than fine IMHO.

[xDUKEx]

i rewired my bike from sctatch, i wanted the bike to be as naked as possible. all i have is head light tail light , and brake light. no guages, idiot lights, speedo, tach, not even a gas guage. it was fairly simple !!! here is what the inside of my head light looks like now, big difference !!!

[xDUKEx]

my wiring harness went from 1 1/2 inches in diameter to about 1/2 inch in diameter !!! this gives more spark to the motor!!!

[xDUKEx]

here is the 5 pounds of wiring that was removed !!!