Need Help with Wiring Controls!

Jacob

New Member
So I have a 1972 Honda CB450, original controls were falling to pieces and beyond repair so I bought this from DCC. I got it in the mail and love it, just having troubles wiring everything up. It doesn't have a starter switch from what I can see, I thought it did but it doesn't, but I just plan on buying a simple switch for that.

I have the turn signals hooked up and running correctly, I think...
And am just having troubles with the kill switch, starter switch, high, low beams and pretty much everything ha.

Attached is what I've been using for wiring diagrams, also goodfornothing's colored diagram found here.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! :)



Oh, btw this is my first post :) I've been lurking around here for quite a while and finally decided to join.
 

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I'm in the process of hooking up a very similar switch... same brand K&S just the 0030 version (no kill switch). And I have the same CB450 bike.

While I'm having trouble with headlight, I did get the horn to work :) Since I wasn't sure if you had the horn working or not I could help with that, ha. The black wire, horn ground, go to a green ground (green=ground) cable in your wiring harness. The pink main horn wire, goes to light green in the main harness.

Tell me, with regard to your turn signals, did you plug the T/S Main (brown/white) wire into the Gray wire from the harness.

I hope to work on the headlight situation tonight. I can tell you that yellow will go to the headlight blue (high beam), and green goes to headlight white (low beam). I'm working on where that red (headlight main) wire plugs in [I think it will be black from the harness (black=power)... TBD].
 
Before you do anything electrical - DISCONNECT THE GROUND CONNECTION FORM THE BATTERY. Never work on electricals without doing this, or I pretty much guarantee that Mr. Murphy will rear his ugly head. If you're lucky all that will happen is a blown fuse. If not, well... have a fire extinguisher at-hand (seriously). I usually wrap a piece of electrical tape temporarily around the negative battery lead, just to be 100% sure it doesn't accidentally touch the frame or something else and fry anything. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. ;)

With the battery disconnected, start by identifying each of the required wires on the bike's stock harness (cut-off, starter, beam, signals, etc.) using the wiring diagram you linked to, and label them with a little flag of masking tape. Then do the same for the wires attsached to the new controls you bought (there's a list that came with the new switch clearly identifying what wire is connected to each control).

Then, assuming you want to plug the new controls' wiring directly into the stock wiring harness, you'll probably have the best luck by seeing what connection the stock wires have (typically bullet-type connectors), and replacing the plastic connection block with those. Radio Shack has 'em - just bring the stock unit with you and hold it up alongside the replacement connectors to guarantee the right ones are purchased. Buy about 3X the number of connectors you actually need - trust me on this (you'll see why below) - it'll only cost you about $5 extra and will save you the headache of going back to the store later on. ;)

While you're in the 'Shack, you'll also need to buy a good wire stripper/crimper (costs about $25 - do yourself a favor and get the good kind with the side-action spring-loaded strippers... DON'T SKIMP and get the cheapie ones). I'd also buy a spool of wire of the approximate same thickness as the stock wiring (costs about $2) to do some tests, since this is your first time (see below).

When you get everything home, do a few test cuts, strips, and crimps on donor wire until you perfect the process; DON'T do your first strips/crimps on the actual controls themselves, as the cleaner and tighter you do them = the longer they'll last and the safer they'll be. Testing like this will teach you how much insulation to strip off and how to best seat the connector you'll crimp on. When properly installed, you should be able to tug on the connector pretty hard and it will remain firmly in-place without pulling off or slipping. If the connector moves AT ALL try again and keep practicing until you can reliably install a connector properly the same way every time. If you DON'T do this, expect the controls to fail in short-order (probably while you're riding 100 miles from home), stranding you or even worse.

Once you've perfected the cutting/stripping/crimping process, cut the connector block from the new controls and crimp on your actual, final connectors. Then, with the controls still off the bike, plug everything in, reconnect the battery, and test all controls. Again: DO NOT mount the controls or re-run any of the wires into their actual final locations until you test each and every connection - history shows that AT LEAST ONE will fail to function properly if you re-install everything nefore you test, which will mean disassembling everything all over again to re-check. ;D

Assuming everything works, unplug the controls, run all the wires into their proper locations, button everything up, then enjoy several years'-worth of maintenance-free, safe, and reliable operation.
 
Got everything wired up for the switch I have (very similar to OP's), K&S 12-0030 and a CB450. Here's how it shakes out, should help others with this or similar switch:


Horn:
pink to light green (main)
black to green (ground)

blue to brown/white - (tail light)
yellow to HL blue (high beam)
green to HL white (low beam)
red/yellow to black (power)

Signals:
brown to orange (left)
dark green to light blue (right)
brown/white to gray (turn signal relay)
 

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ImagoX said:
Before you do anything electrical - DISCONNECT THE GROUND CONNECTION FORM THE BATTERY. Never work on electricals without doing this, or I pretty much guarantee that Mr. Murphy will rear his ugly head. If you're lucky all that will happen is a blown fuse. If not, well... have a fire extinguisher at-hand (seriously). I usually wrap a piece of electrical tape temporarily around the negative battery lead, just to be 100% sure it doesn't accidentally touch the frame or something else and fry anything. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. ;)

I always disconnect it :) my dad's an electrician and it's been drilled into my head from day one ha.
Thanks for all the tips and reminders tho :)



amycyclenut said:
Got everything wired up for the switch I have (very similar to OP's), K&S 12-0030 and a CB450. Here's how it shakes out, should help others with this or similar switch:


Horn:
pink to light green (main)
black to green (ground)

blue to brown/white - (tail light)
yellow to HL blue (high beam)
green to HL white (low beam)
red/yellow to black (power)

Signals:
brown to orange (left)
dark green to light blue (right)
brown/white to gray (turn signal relay)

Cool beans, this helps a lot thanks! I did have the horn wired correctly, but that was the only one I had correct ha.

Now I just have to figure out how to wire the killswitch and starter.
 
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