I have to admit I’m not confident about harness replacement.
Usually when you just install it as is,
don’t you find yourself thinking “Hmm?? That’s tight. The layout is cramped. I need to bundle this better”?
If you make the length necessary and sufficient and route it so it can be held in place, it becomes very simple. But that means cutting, splicing, and making brackets are essential, which takes time.
That’s the kind of thing we’re quietly working on—making it easy to remove and easy to service.
First we strip off the bodywork, clean it, and do a quick check.
Both left and right switches are all Giboshi connectors! That’s like a T-bar (obsolete term), right?
Remember those? Back in the day… Kimutaku. (Not kimchi and pickled radish.)
We use a repro, so we check old versus new.
Wow! You’d almost want to shout at all these Giboshi connectors…
Why do repro models tend to be US spec? It’s such a mystery.
Even just the starter lead wire has lots of options, so using an interesting one is a good idea.
Having a connector wire means you can easily do a direct battery connection.
Avoiding shared terminals keeps things simple.
We use Suzuki starter lead and ground leads if we can.
A ground lead with a pull-proof connector is safer. (The Z uses a harness ground connection Giboshi.)
We use a Honda starter relay.
It has a fuse built in and direct battery terminals, so just plugging it in makes it lighter, simpler, and more convenient.
The fuse box is Honda 38200-KFG-010 with mini fuses, making it extremely compact.
Just three circuits. Perfect for adapting other things.
This is optional, but
if you use a fused starter relay, the main 20A goes into the starter relay.
So the fuse box side becomes two circuits, which might be a nice bonus.
The trick is that terminals you can make yourself are also commonly available.
You can replace everything, or make your own!
The headlight connector is Giboshi and disconnects—what a weird era.
We cut it and crimp a flag terminal directly.
We use the IWISS HS-05FL that everyone loves.
FL probably stands for flag.
IWISS flag terminal 187 type 250 type flag fastener terminal L type terminal crimping tool 0.5/2.5 mm² HS-FL
Shops should have one on hand.
Don’t you find yourself needing to do H4 work sometimes?
You could use this too.
Reducing unnecessary connections keeps things simple.
It’s reassuring to guard anywhere you think might rub.
We use leftover Suzuki OEM metal-lined loom.
The starter lead wire won’t come off (the nut is shot), so we remove and discard it.
We wire brush it to check the condition. Hmm, it looks like it should come off but won’t.
We thin the area around it with a thin cutting disc sander, then twist it off.
The power of nature is amazing…
Old bike shops have it tough—you’d probably be better off not doing this kind of work… maybe? That’s what I’m thinking.
