Author Topic: Headlight bucket rat's nest (Read 1981 times)

Schnell · « **on:** April 14, 2014, 08:09:33 am »

Who has the most organized/neatest headlight bucket. Come on, I know there are some OCD guys out there! Show us a pic.

Schnell · « **Reply #1 on:** April 14, 2014, 10:56:51 am »

Or you can just ignore threads that you aren't interested in.

This topic is interesting to me because the nest is so out of place on an otherwise tidy and well sorted bike.

TonUp_UK · « **Reply #2 on:** April 14, 2014, 11:28:57 am »

I want to see yours first, then I will show you mine.

LesterPiglet · « **Reply #3 on:** April 14, 2014, 11:46:15 am »

OOooer missus.

strynboen · « **Reply #4 on:** April 14, 2014, 11:51:37 am »

it can be hard to find place for a bulb-(p)..? inside the headlight housing..

MCRider · « **Reply #5 on:** April 14, 2014, 11:55:48 am »

Quote from: strynboen on April 14, 2014, 11:51:37 am

it can be hard to find place for a bulb-(p)..? inside the headlight housing..

Rat's nests can be pretty too.

Colorful anyway.

Bob Wessner · « **Reply #6 on:** April 14, 2014, 11:58:41 am »

It reminds me of every attempt I've ever made to clean-up the mess of connections surrounding the PC in "the office.' Each time I upgrade I sware it will be more organized, it always seems to end up the same way.

trebuchetxlt · « **Reply #7 on:** April 14, 2014, 01:27:09 pm »

I've tried tidying up the wiring in the headlight bucket, however, it always ends up looking like the same rats nest but in differing coloured configurations.

Geeto67 · « **Reply #8 on:** April 14, 2014, 01:41:47 pm »

a while ago a friend of mine showed me a cb750 with a completely clean headlight bucket inside. He had completely reqired the bike, built his own modern junction blocks, and even adapted a different stator from a different bike. basically I don't think it is possible to make the rats nest cleaner without throwing out the current electrical sustem and starting fresh.

db22 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 14, 2014, 02:19:15 pm »

Alright -- that's what I'd like to see -- a simplified, neat solution to the bucket mess. My daily rider '75 CB 550 uses the stock headlight bucket with its load of wires, but I have a project bike, also a '75 CB550, that came with almost no wiring. The handlebar switches were toast or missing, and though I do have a spare headlight bucket, I sure would like to put the wiring in a neat, easily accessible spot somewhere else. Can all those connections be moved somewhere else -- say, under the seat or contained in a project box tucked under the triple tree?

mcswny · « **Reply #10 on:** April 14, 2014, 02:47:17 pm »

I have a panic attack every time I look inside my headlight bucket!!

LesterPiglet · « **Reply #11 on:** April 14, 2014, 02:54:15 pm »

Quote from: mcswny on April 14, 2014, 02:47:17 pm

I have a panic attack every time I look inside my headlight bucket!!

How often do you need to?
I don't see anything daunting in there, it's all colour coded. Or are you expecting a real rat?

Geeto67 · « **Reply #12 on:** April 14, 2014, 02:55:18 pm »

you can move the connections anywhere you like if you are custom building. But you might not have a harness, i.e everything is individually wired. If you really study how the wiring system was designed you'll realize pretty quickly that honda did this for ease of manufacture by putting all their junctions at a central point and then bundling the wires in a main harness. It's pretty brilliant in that they hid it out of sight in the headlight bucket. If you look at how modern bikes evolved in wiring they moved away from this toward larger block connectors and junctions that are still centrally located but now pass through things like circuit boards and then computers. I suppose you could start replacing your individual stock honda connections with multi pin connectors but then if a part goes bad you can't replace it as easy because now you have to replace the entire bundle you just created (or repin the connector which is easy but intimidates most guys who maintain their bikes at home).

If you really study the stock harness there are some ingenious things going on in there like using the headlight bucket bolts as grounds. Compare it to a brit or an HD of the same era where you see things like giant braided ground straps and it looks positivley high tech. Comapre it to a BMW of the same era and it looks stone age.

Bootlegger56 · « **Reply #13 on:** April 14, 2014, 03:34:21 pm »

No pics....no camera but I found if you go buy the adhesive backed 1" pads at Lowes or Home Depot in the electronic section and clean the mounting area with alcohol that they will stick pretty good to the inside of the bucket. They are called a self adhesive cable tie mount. Set down on a comfy chair with beverage of choice and stick half a dozen of them to the inside of the bucket. If I remember I did the 10-2-4-8 o'clock thingy sort of towards the rear of the bucket. Organize the groups of wires with multiple connectors and then single connectors into those area's and then lock them down with cable ties. If you are patient you can unplug/untangle individual wires until it looks pretty good. Its not fantastic but its better than the spaghetti typically seen. The good thing is you can stick them inside to your hearts content. I don't know how the longevity is since I have not had to pull my headlight since I did it. Just a thought!

Schnell · « **Reply #14 on:** April 14, 2014, 03:44:58 pm »

Bootlegger, that's a cool idea.

calj737 · « **Reply #15 on:** April 14, 2014, 05:44:21 pm »

Quote from: db22 on April 14, 2014, 02:19:15 pm

Alright -- that's what I'd like to see -- a simplified, neat solution to the bucket mess. I sure would like to put the wiring in a neat, easily accessible spot somewhere else.

DB- if you're up to it, check out the MotoGadget m-unit and their m-button. Makes a super clean install, eliminates fuses, switches, relays, and even the solenoid. The "button" collects all the control wires from the handlebar switches and isolates them to a single digital wire back to the m-unit. It's pricey, but is it the easiest and cleanest solution possible.

evanphi · « **Reply #16 on:** April 15, 2014, 05:17:20 am »

My bike just puked.

Jayelwin · « **Reply #17 on:** April 15, 2014, 05:45:04 am »

Here's mine right now.

Bootlegger56 · « **Reply #18 on:** April 15, 2014, 08:53:20 am »

Quote from: evanphi on April 15, 2014, 05:17:20 am

My bike just puked.

Too much bar hoppin!!! LOL

db22 · « **Reply #19 on:** April 15, 2014, 02:13:41 pm »

Quote from: calj737 on April 14, 2014, 05:44:21 pm

Quote from: db22 on April 14, 2014, 02:19:15 pm
Alright -- that's what I'd like to see -- a simplified, neat solution to the bucket mess. I sure would like to put the wiring in a neat, easily accessible spot somewhere else.

DB- if you're up to it, check out the MotoGadget m-unit and their m-button. Makes a super clean install, eliminates fuses, switches, relays, and even the solenoid. The "button" collects all the control wires from the handlebar switches and isolates them to a single digital wire back to the m-unit. It's pricey, but is it the easiest and cleanest solution possible.

calj737: Yeah, I've seen their website. Very pretty, very neat, a bit steep for my budget. I have to work with leftovers from my rider and cheapo aftermarket stuff, but I'm optimistic -- the componenets I have tested out on the rider so far have worked. Now, if the local weather would just warm up enough for me to get back out to the garage and try to remember where I left off last fall, I could make some progress. Got the rider un-pickled and re-insured, and we promptly had another dose of winter. Oh boy.

News:

Author Topic: Headlight bucket rat's nest (Read 1981 times)