custom wiring

[Danney]

I am looking to rewire some of my bike the previous owner has cut and spliced things and I'm thinking of repairing some damage here. I'd like to use as much of the original connectors as possible so I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on what brand or type of wire i should use for this. There are so many different brands and reviews I'm just lost at this point.

 

[jpdevol]

I prefer non-tinned copper stranded 16AWG for most applications - it's close to the metric sized OEM harness. Do not use single conductor or aluminum conductor wire.

https://www.remingtonindustries.com...tranded-2-color-sets-2-spool-sizes-available/

 

[650Skull]

Good reading

https://www.xs650.com/threads/wiring-harness-musings.18925/

12 Volt Wiring: Wire Gauge to Amps​

http://www.offroaders.com/technical/12-volt-wiring-tech-gauge-to-amps/

 

[lakeview]

Complete replacement harnesses are available aftermarket for very reasonable price.

 

[Niels B]

If the wire repair is extensive and you have to invest in the correct crimping tool / connectors / wire etc. you are better off buying a new harness - it’s only about $65. Also it seem impossible to find all the correct color coded wires (if you want to go OEM). The benefit of running your own is you really get a hang of the electrical system.

 

[Wingedwheel]

I used 16ga when I wired my bobber and it was a little “thick” when placing it into the loom. IIRC I believe the majority of the OEM wires were 18ga with the exception of the red power wires which were 16ga.

 

[j343my]

This is what I used for my rewire:

https://www.wirebarn.com/11-Pack-of...rown-White-Orange-Pink-Violet-Gray_p_549.html

SXL is overkill, You could probably even get away with TXL to make it a little smaller.

If the wire repair is extensive and you have to invest in the correct crimping tool / connectors / wire etc. you are better off buying a new harness - it’s only about $65. Also it seem impossible to find all the correct color coded wires (if you want to go OEM). The benefit of running your own is you really get a hang of the electrical system.

This is very true. I definitely spent more making my own wiring harness than buying a new one. In my application it made sense though, and I gained a ton of experience.

 

[Danney]

If the wire repair is extensive and you have to invest in the correct crimping tool / connectors / wire etc. you are better off buying a new harness - it’s only about $65. Also it seem impossible to find all the correct color coded wires (if you want to go OEM). The benefit of running your own is you really get a hang of the electrical system.

Yeah i eventually want to rewire the whole bike but for now I’m thinking just cutting and reusing the existing connectors.

 

[jpdevol]

Yeah, GPT grade is probably adequate; it's $9 cheaper ($50) for the 10 color spools. The SXL is more heat resistant.

https://www.remingtonindustries.com...ded-kit-2-color-sets-2-spool-sizes-available/

Certainly splices must be properly soldered and insulated with heat shrink. I like to solder all terminals and then crimp them, regardless whether block connector, ring or bullet type connector. The wire from solenoid to fuse box is 12ga. Many circuits can be 18ga if you want. I think you'll find the original metric wire cross section 1.5mm through most of the harness, making 16AWG the closest alternative.

 

[OLD ROOKIE]

I agree with Lakeview. Struggled for weeks with OEM harness repair. Purchased a entire new one for $61 specially made for my 1981 SH.
Don't really know the manufacturer, but of course it's from China.

Took me about an 2 hours to plug and play ! Fortunately the original was still in place. Sort of a template.
After that all the headlight, taillight blinker irregularities were gone and I could enjoy.

Very educational also. Particularly if you look at the schematics a little bit before. In my case, I looked the wiring diagrams before attempting when I tried to fix the lights. I rate this job about a 7 on the 1-10 on handy man fix it amateur difficulty scale.

 

[lakeview]

Maybe from Taiwan?