Looking to rewire my GS 1100

[Dutch]

Hello,

I just purchased a 1982 GS1100 Shaft drive bike. It need lots of work but I think it is fundamentally a great start for an inexpensive fun ride.

The PO really screwed up the wiring in this bike. I have a vision of building a stone simple Street fighter/brat bike sort of a thing. I would like to strip ALL of the wiring and only replace what I need to have the bike start, run, charge and have a headlight, taillight and a brake light. No turn signals, idiot lites, gas gauge, sidestand circuit etc.

I am thinking an off/on/start automotive type switch with the lights wired right in to be constant on. Then mabe a toggle on an aftermarket headlight for hi/lo beams to eliminate that switch from the bars. I will probably run a clubman style set of bars with just a horn button and a kill switch.

Has anyone rewired one of these as basically as this before that could help steer me in the right direction? I tried to search the wiring threads but most seem to leave the stock harness pretty much intact. I'm traditionally an old bike guy and these "modern" models are way too complicated for my simple mind!

Thanks!

[Ed Vrolijk]

Hi Dutch, I'm dutch as well (but different)
I did what you described on a number of bikes, rewire to the absolute basics, but with high quality wire and connectors.I've never done this to a GS, but basically they're all the same. I would keep everything from the stator to the Reg/rec original, and from there on everything new. Run a fused wire from the reg/rec to the battery, and one to the negative side as well. From the battery positive run a fat wire to a little box in witch you mount a connectorblock. And from that point on you can connect whatever you like, as long as it's fused.
You can do away with the kill-, clutch- and sidestand switch, because you don't need them.
In the winter time i start with this on my bike, with the addition of at least one high tech item: an automatic remotecontroled ignition switch. Just keep the key in your pocket, and when you come within a distance of 4 meters the ignition switches on. Walk away and it swiches off again
Succes and keep us posted,
Ed

[Baatfam]

...an automatic remotecontroled ignition switch. Just keep the key in your pocket, and when you come within a distance of 4 meters the ignition switches on. Walk away and it swiches off again

Well now....How cool is that....

[Quandryron]

Where do you get one of these remote controlled switches at? I know a guy who has a harley and he keeps the key in his pocket. That would be soooo nice to have.

[lucabond]

You can get a wiring diagram on Bikecliff's small web site, with that you should be able to figure what you need to do. Good luck

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/

[Ed Vrolijk]

Where do you get one of these remote controlled switches at? I know a guy who has a harley and he keeps the key in his pocket. That would be soooo nice to have.

I don't know at the moment. There was an advertisement in a dutch motorcylcle magazine a couple of years ago. At that time there was a lot of motorcycle thefts going where two guys on a bike overtake you, start a conversation and forced you to step a way from your bike, (and you will when threathend with a gun!!) So they could drive a way with your bike. One company claimed to have the solution with the automatic remotecontroled ignition switches. just let them drive away, and when the engine stalls when they are a couple of meters om the run most likely they will run of on there own bike, and leave the bike with the stalled engine alone.
So, as i said i don't know at the moment, but will post here when i find out.

[hampshirehog]

It's pretty easy to do. Not much advice I can give you but I've done similar quite a few times and all I can say is digest the standard wiring diagram then make up your own (which should be way simpler) and just take it slowly. Make it more fun by only using one colour wire - done that, it's not as hard as it seems, and I thought it looked pretty smart too.

[Quandryron]

Thank you Ed I would appreciate that very much. It would give me a starting point on where to search or what to search for over here in the states. Theft prevention is a nice bonus not that I am concerned with someone stealing mine. There are soooo many other nicer bikes than mine around for the baduns to steal!