Who has moved their electronics under the seat? Re wiring HELP!

[Guest]

I am starting on the wiring for my cafe and trying ti figure out how I want to run everything. I'm not going to be running side covers so I want to mount everything to a piece of aluminum under the cafe seat. Has anyone done this? Please post pics and any info/pointers.


Also, I will be re wiring the entire bike since my harness is really brittle. Where can I source good connectors and terminals to connect everything? Any info reguarding to rewiring (gauge wire to use, connectors, ect) the bike from scratch would be GREATLY appreciated.

[Steve]

Most of the small stuff will run on 18ga. wire, lights, coils, horns, etc. would like to have 16ga. The starter should have 8ga.

Here are a couple of sources for connectors that might make things a little neater:

Cycle Re-Cycle 2

Eastern Beaver

[Speedo]

I understand that old wires are suspect and maybe need replacing,etc. BUT are you sure? They may be just fine. Have you run any continuity tests on your old wires? If they are ok, why spend (waste?) your time on that?

And to add to that, how about this solution: put the side covers back on? What possible "advantage" are you hoping to gain with no side covers?

Ok, let the public forum stonings begin....

[KiwiGS]

This is what I did

Cheers

[Speedo]

KiwiGS guy - nice work. Your bike is beautiful! Go "All-Blacks" and I love Steinlager (how many guys have an "Exported" empty bottle of Steinlager? My cousing honeymooned in NZ and that's what he brought me back)

Ok, so you did what DrImodium wants to do. And quite nicely I must say.
My questions are:

1. Why? really, why? what is the advantage because:
1a) there is NO air flow under the seat. at least under side cover, there is some airflow to cool the R/R and other elec components. I don't get it.

and

1b) It's ugly as sin. The rest of ur bike is beautiful/looks awesome & trick. What, did you break the side covers? What the hell is wrong with side covers?

[KiwiGS]

KiwiGS guy - nice work. Your bike is beautiful! Go "All-Blacks" and I love Steinlager (how many guys have an "Exported" empty bottle of Steinlager? My cousing honeymooned in NZ and that's what he brought me back)

Ok, so you did what DrImodium wants to do. And quite nicely I must say.
My questions are:

1. Why? really, why? what is the advantage because:
1a) there is NO air flow under the seat. at least under side cover, there is some airflow to cool the R/R and other elec components. I don't get it.

and

1b) It's ugly as sin. The rest of ur bike is beautiful/looks awesome & trick. What, did you break the side covers? What the hell is wrong with side covers?

Thanks mate
I did it 'cause I am going for a repliracer sort of look.
no issues with airflow over the R/R

No I didnt break the side covers, but I did run out of paint for them. They can be put back on if/when I paint them.
I agree it looks a bit ugly at the moment, but once I get the rearsets mounted and the poxy old rear master cylinder off it will look better.
This is a work in progress remember.....

[Speedo]

roight mate. thx for reply (and I am not bsing about that 'exported' Steinlager - my fav beer btw - either).

check out my bike, terrible pics i know, but its a start

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=149740

i LOVE my raast rearsets. so much that i threw out my stockers many yrs ago.

ok...here goes (pls don't be offended in any way. it is just an opinion after all):

1. Ur building a racer eh? Well where ur RR is where ur Oil cooler needs to go. why mount the RR there anyway? it is not necessary. put it back on the side by the battery w/ shorter (i.e. less resistance/more reliable) wire runs and put the side covers back on.

2. Your bike is NOT ugly. It really is looking quite lovely. Just get the side covers back on. Use something "spongy" on the upper mounts to elim all the annoying rattling - again see my pix, ull get the idea). If you are "out of paint" as you say, take a page from Suzuki itself (1977 gs 750) and just buy a flat black "spray bomb" as we say in USA for spary paint cans and spray paint ur side covers flat black. (sand off to smooth first of course). They will look cool and racerish.

3. Get SS fr brakelines (if you can still find them). The difference in fr braking force and feel is unbelievable and totally worth the $$.

Cheers mate and best of luck from USA!

[Speedo]

ps not to mention that the RR is right above the VERY hot headers. Ex gas has the highest temp of anything - yep, that would be anything else - in the entire motor. 1200degF (vs motor for example running at 180degF to 220defF). Think about it. Heat rises....I don't like it.

[DrImodium]

My questions are:

1. Why? really, why? what is the advantage because:
1a) there is NO air flow under the seat. at least under side cover, there is some airflow to cool the R/R and other elec components. I don't get it.

and

1b) It's ugly as sin. The rest of ur bike is beautiful/looks awesome & trick. What, did you break the side covers? What the hell is wrong with side covers?

Im going for the cafe look and I would like to only be able to see the necessities. I have side covers that are in perfect condition but I dont want to use them. I want to be able to see through the bike. The battery will be mounted in the rear cowl of the solo seat so I want to move everything else that is hidden under the seat. For the R/R, I will prob mount it out of view but in a location that has sufficent air flow.

Anyone else have any other pictures? I remember seeing someone doing a really clean install on a piece of aluminum sheet and had everything mounted very VERY cleanly.

Aa far as the wiring goes..... I dont need to do any kind of testing when the wires are falling apart in my hands while trying to remove them VERY carefully. The insulation around the wires is cracking and in a lot of places just non existant. I figure it will be easier for me to wire everything from scratch since I will be replacing my headlight, turn signals, bar controls, battery, ect.

By replacing everything, I can ensure:
1. its exactly how I want it to be/look.
2. its all "new" and hopefully some new technology has been incorperated.
3. Nothing will be hacked together or spliced or whatever. Less chance for an issue in the future.

[KiwiGS]

Im going for the cafe look and I would like to only be able to see the necessities. I have side covers that are in perfect condition but I dont want to use them. I want to be able to see through the bike. The battery will be mounted in the rear cowl of the solo seat so I want to move everything else that is hidden under the seat. For the R/R, I will prob mount it out of view but in a location that has sufficent air flow.

Anyone else have any other pictures? I remember seeing someone doing a really clean install on a piece of aluminum sheet and had everything mounted very VERY cleanly.

Aa far as the wiring goes..... I dont need to do any kind of testing when the wires are falling apart in my hands while trying to remove them VERY carefully. The insulation around the wires is cracking and in a lot of places just non existant. I figure it will be easier for me to wire everything from scratch since I will be replacing my headlight, turn signals, bar controls, battery, ect.

By replacing everything, I can ensure:
1. its exactly how I want it to be/look.
2. its all "new" and hopefully some new technology has been incorperated.
3. Nothing will be hacked together or spliced or whatever. Less chance for an issue in the future.

I remember seeing a very clean underseat tray on a very very trick kat on here a while ago maybe that is the one you mean.
Personally I think your wiring approach is the right one for a cafe build, there are a few bits of wire in the main loom you may not need if you are deleting stuff.
This is a general question not aimed at you personally, but why does the battery have to go in the hump on a cafe?
I thought the idea of a cafe was to strip away the chaff and just keep the bare necessities, so you had a light nimble bike good for the twisties.
Putting the battery in the hump has the potential to adversely affect the handling. Seems to me the best place for that weight is as low and as in line
with the centre line of the bike it can go.

[Octain]

ps not to mention that the RR is right above the VERY hot headers. Ex gas has the highest temp of anything - yep, that would be anything else - in the entire motor. 1200degF (vs motor for example running at 180degF to 220defF). Think about it. Heat rises....I don't like it.

There's only one header..

[KiwiGS]

ps not to mention that the RR is right above the VERY hot headers. Ex gas has the highest temp of anything - yep, that would be anything else - in the entire motor. 1200degF (vs motor for example running at 180degF to 220defF). Think about it. Heat rises....I don't like it.

Without want to hijack the OP.
Yes the pipes get hot and yes the heat rises, but when the bike is moving the heat from the pipes is dispersed by the airflow.
So while the ex gas is 1200degf, the pipe isn’t if (it were the pipes would be blood red when I am riding and they are not). When the bike is stopped there will be a time where the headers are very hot and that heat will rise up to the R/R, but pipes have a small thermal mass and will dissipate their heat quickly. The R/R is mounted on a chunk of Aluminium plate so it should be able to dissipate the heat generated by the header.
Time will tell I guess.
Cheers

[Speedo]

Octain-
what?whattheH/Futalking about? Don't let semantics make you totally miss the point.

Besides which, I do believe - ok all, go ahead and crucify me if not - that "headers", at least in the vernacular / slang / whateveruwant2callit on inline four cyl engines like Gs's refer to a "4 in 1 exhaust header pipe" and actually also on V8 engines too. When someone says they "have headers" on an inline 4 or a V8, we ALL (well maybe not you?) know exactly what is meant.

-pogany (aka "speedo")

[Octain]

Octain-
what?whattheH/Futalking about? Don't let semantics make you totally miss the point.

Besides which, I do believe - ok all, go ahead and crucify me if not - that "headers", at least in the vernacular / slang / whateveruwant2callit on inline four cyl engines like Gs's refer to a "4 in 1 exhaust header pipe" and actually also on V8 engines too. When someone says they "have headers" on an inline 4 or a V8, we ALL (well maybe not you?) know exactly what is meant.

-pogany (aka "speedo")

You said header(s).. There's only one header.

[Speedo]

KiwiGS,
Sorry, no offense....yes time will tell. Personally, I would not have anything above the headers (not even Oil Cooler since I think it looks rather ugly and more practically, could be hit with rear of front fender if you hit a really big bump/pothole....and that would totally ruin your day...). Ask me how I know this?....I have header and front fender dents over past 20yrs to back me up....

Ok, on your wiring question. Fatter is better. Abs no harm in using a fatter wire than needed. At any time, for any component, on any vehicle.
Big trouble (like things can catch fire big trouble) if you use a thinner wire than needed. So when in doubt, go fatter.

Greater obsession is needed in protecting wiring connections. Or your best work is gauranteed to start going to heck within as little as one season/year. Whenever you diassemble a connection on an old bike (or car or whatever), wire-brush both sides of the connection (as practical) and use both contact cleaner to cleank and something (various gel shtuff sold) to protect it when you put back together.

Use blade connectors (not bullet), use shrink-wrap coatings on wire connections-extr effective, easy and kinda fun. You don't have to solder (it is better tho), you can use crimp connections and add a shrink/waterproof sheething and that will stay a good connection for a long long long time.


Back to side covers (and I dunno y this bothers me so), go get a flat black spray bomb and slap those side covers back on there. It will give you some options if you want to add an oil cooler up front and/or shorten the wire runs from/to you RR.

andrew (aka "speedo")