question about wiring...

[stigg]

my 81 honda's wiring is crap.. its falling apart etc fuse block is falling to pieces.. it stopped turning the engine over when i was trying to get spark. tried switching the fuses out.. still nothing, the coil is good as tested on a running bike..

anyone have a link to a diy wiring harness?

im on a budget and cant afford and aftermarket one and ive been searching locally for a used one, cant find any in better condition than what i have, or for a decent price, bent bike is a rip off..

any help is appreciated

 

[Bozz]

Re: question about witing...

There are some diagrams out there for scratch built harnesses, but before you go that route, see if you can fine either a scrap bike harness or a car harness to pull supplies out of.

It's damn handy to have lengths of wire in different colors and connectors to re-use as you build a new harness.

Be aware that your honda may be a little more complex in the charging circuit than the older bikes, but the ignition, headlight/taillight and signals should be fairly simple.

Also, make sure you insert fuses into your new harness for each major circuit. I recommend the newer style "blade" type fuses.

Search this forum, I have seen simple scratch built harness diagrams here before.

Cheers!

 

[LuckyLuci631]

Re: question about witing...

i would suggest maybe repairing what you have since youre on a budget i like Bozz's suggestion about pulling apart a scrap harness from something else to have supplies to either make a new one or repair the one you have, i actually just repaired a harness today on a friends bike and boy did it get mangeled, proper wire repair functions just as well as brand new wire but will be much more inexpensive if you need any help deciding which wires need replacing or some help doing it just let me know ill be more than willing to help

 

[stigg]

Re: question about witing...

ok thanks guys,

the wires are not too bad, they are just dirty, but all of the plugs disintegrated as i pulled them apart.. and im not exaggerating. and the fuse block looked fine until i started swapping fuses and noticed i wasnt getting power out of it..


btw i do have a manual with wiring diagrams etc from the ebscohost




btw the reason for the bad plugs etc is cuz this bike sat in a shed for 2 + years with no side covers... in WA

 

[Kong]

Re: question about witing...

From the tone of your post it doesn't sound likely that you have the experience necessary to build your own wiring harness - and that is a good thing because it would cost you a whole lot more money to build a harness than it would for you to buy a good used one. Good stranded tinned automotive type wire is expensive and end connectors cost even more. Special tools are required to get the job right and of course you also have to completely understand the electrical system of your bike because you're really building three systems; the ignition system, the charging system, and then the bike's auxiliary needs (lighting, turn signals, brake lights, horn, engine kill, warning lights). Not only do you need to understand the system but you also have to understand the sizing of wires and how to route wires to minimize materials


By contrast you can go to E-Bay and for about $20~30 you can buy a full wiring harness for just about any make or model or year of Honda motorcycle in like new condition. You could not buy a single roll of good wire that that much.

 

[Bozz]

Re: question about witing...

btw the reason for the bad plugs etc is cuz this bike sat in a shed for 2 + years with no side covers... in WA

If that's WA as in Western Australia, then I think ebay is the better bet. That kind of heat and UV exposure is beyond brutal on electrics.

If that's WA as in Washington State, then you're talking a lot of moisture, which can rot the wire inside the insulation sometimes.

Either way, if you're not terribly comfortable with the ins and outs of electricity, soldering, crimping, etc. Evil-Bay is still a likely good option.

Wiring (like most things on these bikes) isn't necessarily rocket science and can be repaired/replaced/improved by many owners.

BUT, you will need some specialty tools, good reference literature, a clean/dry/sheltered place to work and a lot of PATIENCE.

Know yourself, your abilities, your weaknesses, and your aspirations.

A cheap used part is often preferable to a home brewed mess, but sometimes you just gotta do it your way.

 

[stigg]

Re: question about witing...

thanks guys,


i have a whole set of wiring tools already, wasnt cheap either. i have re-wired a few bikes, but only my honda 50 and some of those little chinese street bikes and my old dt100a, nothing to serious. but this bikes wiring looks WAY more complicated than any of those bikes were..


this is the model that does not have a kick start, which sucks imo..

im in Washington state





also i was testing the electrical with my multimeter and the only things i couldnt get ohms from were the kill switch (both run and off) and starter button (both start and off) any suggestions?