THE “Old Bike Baptism” – A Story of Wanting to Ride the Coveted Z1R Smoothly?

The scorching hot days just keep coming.
Now that I think about it, I realize I haven’t been riding the bike except for test rides.

This season isn’t good for either humans or bikes, so maybe I shouldn’t run it too much?
That’s what I’m thinking.
So let’s move forward with the harness replacement and electrical work.

Decoding the main harness

This era’s reproduction harness is made almost exactly like the original, carefully and all.
I could understand it if it were from around the 90s, but for a 70s bike to be made the same way…

There are very few electrical parts that can be used as-is, right?
Most of it requires modification.

Making a plate to secure the electrical components

As always, I’m too lazy to measure with numbers,
so I use a laser to set the reference position and then work from there.

For now, the mounting plate is roughly complete.
I start with craft paper and then just cut and fit pieces together.

This time I’m using a compact “FH022BA” MOSFET regulator.
I always want to keep some breathing room in the layout.

For safety, I’m switching to a starter relay with a built-in fuse

In the 70s and early 80s, starter relays didn’t have built-in fuses.
Back then, because of this, the distance from the battery to
“the main fuse was a bit long = there was a long unprotected section. ”
It’s not a part where problems often occur, but when it comes to electrical systems, higher safety is better I think.

After making it, I was surprised at how tight the mounting pitch was.
Anyway, I managed to get it mounted, so that’s a relief.

Honestly, there was no need to use the original electrical plate…

Using a Suzuki main ground

Since it’s a bit long, I’ll shorten the side that mounts to the crankcase.
The Suzuki main ground has
a nice thick harness ground section with a locking connector, which is the key point.

The original main ground from this era feels a bit thin, and the spade terminal connection is a bit worrying too.
Using a locking connector that won’t come loose no matter what catches it gives you much more peace of mind.

Since the Z1R meter damper is discontinued, I’m using a Suzuki OEM one

I don’t fully understand the positional relationships yet, so I’ll introduce it once I’m sure it’s okay.
It’s progressing like this, or maybe not progressing…

I’ll assemble it piece by piece to make sure there are no issues.