crusierlover
Well-known member
Fortunately my bike is so pristine I have no wiring issues. knock on wood.I would hate to have to pull a motor to replace the alternator. This could be long post and have even longer answers.
I recently sold all my extra parts and my 78 parts bike. Even though that bike was totally corroded and weather beaten I could put a battery in it, put a screwdriver across the solenoid and it would turn over like crazy. That means that part of the harness was still intact. Many of the plastic connectors looked well worn out. When I was delusional enough to think I could resurrect the parts bike I bought a harness off ebay that looked pretty good. On the ngw forum guys take out their motors and everything else and paint their frame. There are 9 million things connected and running along the frame from front to back on these bikes. I cant imagine getting all that back together.
My reason for posting is this. I want to buy another wing just to customize. I have many ideas I think are cool. My obervations are as follows,with the final question is there somewhere a guide to makiing a barebones noncomplicated harness. Headlight,tailight,brake light,starter and coils,r/r,start kill switch? I don't know anything about diodes and technical stuff. I also know about a company vintage connections. I would think many wires and connectors would not be needed with a stripped down bike.
1.wiring diagrams-they might as well be in chinese. I know some colors consistently mean certain things, at least on a particular bike. such as green is always hot,or red is, and black and or black with a white stripe is a ground etc.
2. I have been on at least 10 forums over the years. These old bikes are always coming up with new problems. But so are 57 chevys and I love them. In a car show the 57 looks totally stock but the wiring,brakes,engine etc are new.Because the old stuff is a failure waiting to happen. Wouldn't it be neat if someone could come up with a new harness. The m mode device only takes your old wiring and plugs it into a new spot on the device.
3. Many parts of the harness are plug and play. Anyone can do those. Some are like colored bullet connectors.
4. Inside most headlights is a rats nest of wires. Many are not plug and play. Taking pictures,making notes helps but not enough for me. No one here works on old bikes.
5. Start circuit-one large gauge redwire from positive post of battery to positive of regulator, to positive post of ignition switch, to positive side of kill/run switch to positive side of solenoid. Then do the same with a large gauge black wire to the negative side. That powers up the start system. Right? If I understand right neither side of the solenoid is positive or negative until you run a wire. If so, that's all I know.
Other than one cannot have one single black ground wire with everything spliced into from the front to the back as I have seen before. I also know everything that can be grounded to the frame,making sure its well grounded, dielectric grease inside the connectors,etc are basic.
But based on point# 5 how then how does one get the coils involved. To have a working solenoid and key switch doesn't give it a spark.
This is a long post.I am sorry for that. Just get me started. These bikes are 35 years old, if a connector is good great. But many guys have taken the harness out and found many as would be expected problems with the wiring such as bare wires,missing insulation and others.
I have an acquaintance Jacob of j and r rodwerks. He is a world class builder of hotrods. He buys wire by the mile and redoes everything, plus many old cars have nice aftermarket harnesses. No one is going to make a new harness for an old goldwing. They are not rare or collector items or priceless as some old bikes are. So we have to make one ourselves. That's what I have boiled this down to.
I recently sold all my extra parts and my 78 parts bike. Even though that bike was totally corroded and weather beaten I could put a battery in it, put a screwdriver across the solenoid and it would turn over like crazy. That means that part of the harness was still intact. Many of the plastic connectors looked well worn out. When I was delusional enough to think I could resurrect the parts bike I bought a harness off ebay that looked pretty good. On the ngw forum guys take out their motors and everything else and paint their frame. There are 9 million things connected and running along the frame from front to back on these bikes. I cant imagine getting all that back together.
My reason for posting is this. I want to buy another wing just to customize. I have many ideas I think are cool. My obervations are as follows,with the final question is there somewhere a guide to makiing a barebones noncomplicated harness. Headlight,tailight,brake light,starter and coils,r/r,start kill switch? I don't know anything about diodes and technical stuff. I also know about a company vintage connections. I would think many wires and connectors would not be needed with a stripped down bike.
1.wiring diagrams-they might as well be in chinese. I know some colors consistently mean certain things, at least on a particular bike. such as green is always hot,or red is, and black and or black with a white stripe is a ground etc.
2. I have been on at least 10 forums over the years. These old bikes are always coming up with new problems. But so are 57 chevys and I love them. In a car show the 57 looks totally stock but the wiring,brakes,engine etc are new.Because the old stuff is a failure waiting to happen. Wouldn't it be neat if someone could come up with a new harness. The m mode device only takes your old wiring and plugs it into a new spot on the device.
3. Many parts of the harness are plug and play. Anyone can do those. Some are like colored bullet connectors.
4. Inside most headlights is a rats nest of wires. Many are not plug and play. Taking pictures,making notes helps but not enough for me. No one here works on old bikes.
5. Start circuit-one large gauge redwire from positive post of battery to positive of regulator, to positive post of ignition switch, to positive side of kill/run switch to positive side of solenoid. Then do the same with a large gauge black wire to the negative side. That powers up the start system. Right? If I understand right neither side of the solenoid is positive or negative until you run a wire. If so, that's all I know.
Other than one cannot have one single black ground wire with everything spliced into from the front to the back as I have seen before. I also know everything that can be grounded to the frame,making sure its well grounded, dielectric grease inside the connectors,etc are basic.
But based on point# 5 how then how does one get the coils involved. To have a working solenoid and key switch doesn't give it a spark.
This is a long post.I am sorry for that. Just get me started. These bikes are 35 years old, if a connector is good great. But many guys have taken the harness out and found many as would be expected problems with the wiring such as bare wires,missing insulation and others.
I have an acquaintance Jacob of j and r rodwerks. He is a world class builder of hotrods. He buys wire by the mile and redoes everything, plus many old cars have nice aftermarket harnesses. No one is going to make a new harness for an old goldwing. They are not rare or collector items or priceless as some old bikes are. So we have to make one ourselves. That's what I have boiled this down to.