Making a wiring harness

[Useful Idiot]

I'm rebuilding a 68 CL450 and the wiring harness is hacked to pieces. I've looked on ebay, but those look pretty rough as well. Has anyone here created a new one? I'm wondering where you can buy wire, etc etc?

Thanks

 

[VonYinzer]

http://www.wiringproducts.com/ or Autozone/PepBoys/Advance/etc... The stuff at the parts stores isnt generally the highest quality though, and they are limited in what they carry. Making your own harness isnt too tough... get a stock wiring diagram and go from there. Take your time and you should be ok.

 

[Rocan]

plan it all out on paper using the stock diagram as a guide. what i did was made copies of the stock diagram and then white outed everything i didnt need/could improve on, then i copied it over to a fresh piece of paper and went from there.

 

[Big R]

Whatever you do, make sure that you make a new diagram. Once colors start changing on the wires, it can become a nightmare in a hurry. With even a hand-drawn diagram, somebody 15-20 years down the road won't open up the headlight and say "What the hell did that PO do in here!?"

 

[jay_kent]

Tim did a pretty good write up in his xs650 build thread. Chris F also did his wiring and suggested using marine grade wire. Helps with the moisture. I've forgotten where he bought it from.

Here's what looks like a great place to purchase new connectors from. I haven't used them but I think Tim referred them once for someone else wiring question

http://www.vintageconnections.com/

It seems complicated when you get into it and since to save cost wiring harnesss are often made for many models, you may find wires that don't do anything in there.

Jay

 

[mysta2]

This is one of my favorite places:

www.waytekwire.com

I built the harness for my Ranchero out of their awesome catalog.

 

[gane]

Useful, my 2cents & $2.00 will just about buy you a cup of coffee at Starbucks. But... i build "new" harnesses for all my projects. I'd start by buying a cheep "roached " harness from most anything from same bike maker. (IE.honda,whatever) as colored wires will be same in color & guage. K&L sells a"teminals kit" which includes most connectors, & more importantly the proper crimper to produce "factory connections". remove from bike & strip tape from stock harness, then, with wiring diagram,clean test,inspect from stem to stern stock harness, replacing everything you can w/fresh.. avoid soldering when feasable. Where repairs/replacements are made, allow additional slack in wiring. use di-electric grease on connectors. Reproducing stock harness may seem a waste of time, but can save hours of trouble shooting down the line, and previous butchery indicates a problem which may or may not have solved existing problem. luck G