Point of no return

[Chachiboy]

Quick reminder. I am a newbie and this is my first bike. That out of the way..

Woke up this morning and decided to take out my battery box. I had an electronics box made so I had to take it out at some point. The box came out relatively easy but I had to unplug a bunch of things I have no idea what they are for which raises some questions.

I should mention that I will also be installing a Motogadget M-unit (and rewiring) to simplify the wiring although at this point I am not sure which wires from the old harness should go in the bin and which ones can stay.

Here are some questions off the bat
1)what are those 2 things circled? They came off with battery box. Do I need them?
2) does that tube connected to that filter REALLY have to be that long? Can I cut it short so that it tucks in neatly
3) bolted to the underside of the battery box was another box that just said IGNITION on it. What exactly is it and do I need it with motogadget?
4) since I will be rewiring, what type or gauge of wiring should I be looking for. Motogadget sells their own cable kit but it's over $100. I want to see if I can get cheaper type at my local auto stores.

 

[Downeaster]

The black unit on the top is the starter solenoid.

The cans below it are (probably, I'm not sure) the headlight and safety relays.

That filter is a owner-mod used to catch oil mist coming out of the crankcase vent on the cylinder head. Cut it as short as you like.

Unit under the battery box is likely the TCI ignition box. Dunno anything about the Motogadget so can't say if you can do without it.

On wire gauge, be guided by what you're removing and replace with same gauge wire.

 

[gggGary]

A good (best?) way to become familiar with motorcycle 'lectrics and "how things work" is to study the wiring diagram for your year and identify the parts Yamaha used and why.
To put it bluntly you WILL get educated in electrics OR give up in frustration after blindly flubbing about. That moto gadget is not all that simple from my understanding but I just wire up harnesses the old fashioned way, power/control/device, one circuit at a time.

 

[Chachiboy]

A good (best?) way to become familiar with motorcycle 'lectrics and "how things work" is to study the wiring diagram for your year and identify the parts Yamaha used and why.
To put it bluntly you WILL get educated in electrics OR give up in frustration after blindly flubbing about. That moto gadget is not all the simple from my understanding but I just wire up harnesses the old fashioned way, power/control/device, one circuit at a time.

Thanks yes I will spend some time stuydying the intricate wiring diagrams. To my own fault I am a visual person and some of those diagrams just don't register to me. I will give it a go though - that's why I got the bike - to learn and get hands on

 

[motormike]

Chase'n electrical gremlins…. frustration abounds ! But … with the help of the gurus and wizards here.. (lord know they've bail'd me out many times).. you'll be eat'n bugs in the wind soon. I had a Special that era and recall the fuse box was junk... a $6.oo replacement at the local auto store... ck yours... just.. replace it.. think of it as preventative maintenance. Mine also had that stupid side stand switch.. I removed it.

 

[Raymond]

Your story very familiar to me. Used to be a complete numpty when it came to bike electrics. But over the past three years, I've now re-wired two bikes and there is a great feeling of satisfaction when you have done that and the bike works. In both cases, the approach which worked for me was to do a full re-wire job. This gave me eventually a full understanding of the bike's circuits instead of just adding things in.

For an old 1970 Triumph, I pulled the old wiring out one piece at a time, drawing diagrams and fully documenting every cable, the colour, what it connected to at each end.

For my XS650, I used this diagram http://www.xs650.com/threads/some-wiring-diagrams.61/ the top one, which Jim very kindly suggested. You will see it's a lot simpler than the original harness and eliminates components you don't really need including the reserve lighting unit, the lights checker and the turn signal cancelling function.

For my supplies I go to Vehicle Wiring Products Ltd in Ilkeston - bound to be similar suppliers your side of the pond - and buy lengths of tracer cable in the colours I need. This is up to the job for the wattage the bike needs but a lot thinner than the old 1970's original which helps by saving space and lets you tuck the harness away more neatly. I used their Japanese-style bullet connectors and a crimping tool.

So now you've passed the point of no return, just have faith that it will make sense in the end and have a go. There's plenty of help on this forum!

 

[grizld1]

The filter on the breather hose is there to keep crap out of the motor which would otherwise be sucked in as pistons rise. The most effective way to reduce oil loss out the breather is to install a one-way valve in the line. Plenty of options have been discussed, search and you'll find. Gary's post gives you the key to thinking about wiring. Identify controls (switches and relays) and devices, then track wires. Your multimeter is your friend--get a good one.

 

[nj1639]

If you look in the tech section, there's a thread ' some wiring diagrams' by INXS. In that thread there are some colored wiring diagrams that were posted by Jayel, iirc. Find your year and keep it handy.
No disrespect - but if you have to ask what the solenoid is, then it's obvious you're a novice. I would suggest that instead of rewiring do a de-wiring.....especially if the bike is a current runner. Figure out what works what, remove what you deem unnecessary, test then repeat. Little steps. The Specials came out with some safety redundancies that the earlier models didn't have......compare the schematics and you'll see.
The ignition system you have with the black box marked 'ignition' is a good system, No need to change IMHO.
There are no duplications in the multiplug connectors, they can only go back from whence they came if you're pulling them apart. IF you find a duplicate check the wire colors, they need to match.

Once you've de-wired to the basics and everything still works, then do the rewire. Rome wasn't built in a day......

 

[jetmechmarty]

The Moto Gadget is a combination switching unit and fuse box. So, you'll need to keep the charging and ignition systems intact, or reinvent the wheel. The advice about learning the stock system is very good and will help you get through this. Revival Cycles in Texas has a How to Wire Your Motorcycle video published to UTube. They used the Motogadget stuff. I suggest you take a look there as well.

 

[Chachiboy]

The Moto Gadget is a combination switching unit and fuse box. So, you'll need to keep the charging and ignition systems intact, or reinvent the wheel. The advice about learning the stock system is very good and will help you get through this. Revival Cycles in Texas has a How to Wire Your Motorcycle video published to UTube. They used the Motogadget stuff. I suggest you take a look there as well.

Thanks for this I will check it out!