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Personally, Id run OEM... On the first bike I built (CB 750) I got aftermarket controls that were more condense, etc. I thought it was the best way to go but to be honest once I put them on.. I kind of said, ah, I guess they look okay. They are actually fairly bulky. Plus obviously with different controls you'll need to wire them in. Can be a little bit of a hassle, especially if your not around wiring much. Anyways, after that bike I decided to go OEM. You can still find them brand new, for the 750s anyways.. And they really are not that much more expensive.. Plus they are waaay easier to wire in because all the colors already match..
Go OEM, or at least OEM compatible. I tend to use cheap gear from online wholesalers. Basically the bikes were designed as they were for a reason, and controls are one such item I prefer stock. Aftermarket ofen have higher operating loads and/or longer reaches or complicated fitment. If they don't then they're usually fairly expensive.
The first time I did aftermarket controls on a bike was back around 1972. The bike owner was a jockey, so he was a small dude. He chopped the frame to drop the seat to fit his small size on a Honda 175. I had to analyze the wiring diagram, and learned that the electrical system engaged additional stator windings with the headlights on, vs the headlights off. I had to wire in relays to do this because the aftermarket switches had no way to do it. My two years of electronics theory really paid off.
Moral of the story...what the OEM switches do could be more complex than you think.
Similar story with regard to my '81 Suzuki GS450. It has a 3-phase stator. Parts of it were unregulated and ran directly to the lighting through the handlebar switches. I installed dual headlights powered through relays off battery power. I went from a single 30W/50W headlight to dual 55W/60W. That was more power than I was willing to run through the original handlebar switches. It didn't take long to cook the stator and run the battery down. I installed a more powerful aftermarket stator, and a matching regulator that regulates all three phases and sends the power to the battery. I have had no further charging system issues. Again, the handlebar switches were more involved in the charging system than as simple switches to direct power to the appropriate bulb filaments in the headlight.
Wow, thats good to know also Alpha.. Wiring is my weakness, Ive been able to do all my bikes that I build but I didnt know that.. Seems like you can never know ENOUGH about wiring.
I personally, HATE it.. Id rather build five motors than wire one bike..Honestly 8)
I don't mind doing wiring, but I guess that's because I can read a wiring diagram and figure stuff out. I do find that it takes an extraordinary amount of time to do wiring. In part that would be because I am so meticulous.
As a general rule, I don't like running headlight power through the handlebar switches. It makes for a long circuit path on small gauge wire before the power gets to the headlights, and those switches always cause some voltage drop. I prefer to use the switches to control relays which direct power to the headlights through 12 gauge wire. You get brighter lighting that way, and less trouble with the overtaxed handlebar switches. I do the same for the horn. Horns draw a lot of power, especially loud horns, and using a relay gets far more power to the horn.
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