Wiring & Electrical Supplies

[MiniDanzig]

Hey guys, finally at that point in my build, however i have never wired a bike completely from scratch before. What types of terminals/connectors do you guys prefer and where are you finding them?

researching around i have found a few places:

www.waytekwire.com/
http://www.wirecare.com/

however i am not even sure exactly what i am looking for, what is overkill, etc. any direction on this would be a huge help.

here is a recent pic of where i have the bike now. here's hoping to have her ready for the good weather:

 

[CDNTX650]

I run 18awg for stuff like tail light/brake signals etc. Everything else is 12awg or 14awg depending on what i have lying around. main ground to frame i use 8awg. i crimp then solder connectors onto wire, i dont rely on just a crimp. I like weather proof male/female bullet connectors for stuff like head light connections etc. I then wrap the whole harness tightly in GOOD electrical tape like 3m stuff (except where stuff may need to be unhooked ). then i use weather proof black ty-wraps or zip ties if you want to call them that. Oh, and i like to heat shrink joints i do, or at worst if it is more than 2 like a 4 wire splice, i use liquid electrical tape over solder, then electrical tape, then it gets taped into the harness.

12 years commercial electrical.

Sick bike man, starting to like real 60's lookin chops more and more.

 

[MiniDanzig]

man thank's so much. what may seem like basic no-brainer stuff to you is super helpful to people like me. I will definitely use all your suggestions.

another thing that i haven't been able to find a concrete answer on is the grounds. when you ground to the frame where do you do it and how do you protect it from corrosion and whatnot? i have been searching around a lot and the most info i could find is that bad grounds are the cause of most shotty electrical system problems. i'd love to see how you guys are doing them reliably.

as for the bike that is def what i am going for; a stubby version of a 60s/70s chop. love it or hate it i'm gonna do my best to make it different hah.

 

[CDNTX650]

I always do two system grounds actually, a main one from the battery to the inside of the rear motor mount, make sure there is metal to metal contact, no paint for the ground. And then do another one usually, to the top motor mount thats 12awg, then i also use that point for head light ground etc. I dont do much for those in terms of corrosion.

One other thing i do, always use a 30a auto relay to run the whole fuse panel. So the key off kills everything except the hot to rectifier, but that hot is still fused. I like the idea of a relay instead of all that current going through a small switch.

you using kick only?

http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=61

 

[MiniDanzig]

yeah doing kick only. been reading that wiring diagram thread for like the past year hah. i think i am pretty close to what i need.

i am running a pamco, ultimate coil, hugh's PMA kit, and 15k uF capacitor. looking to wire up headlight, tail light, key switch, kill switch, and neutral light. i have found most of what i need on that wiring thread. once i get all the connectors/wires sorted i should be 99% there to figure out those last couple connections.

thanks again.

 

[MiniDanzig]

you guys routing everything thru the frame or just along it?