Author Topic: CB550 Rebuilt Top End - Alloy Swingarm - Custom Wiring Harness (Read 7126 times)

Stilltime · « **on:** June 24, 2015, 06:28:30 AM »

Long story short, I rewired my CB550 from scratch. Dropped the battery in and flipped the ignition switch and get no power, no clicks or anything. Can not figure out where the wiring is not correct. I haven't finished my diagram on paper yet, so I'll do the best to describe the general setup for getting power.

- Mike's XS AGM battery, has been on AGM charger (Bosch C3)
- Battery negative to frame/engine ground
- Battery positive to starter solenoid post 1
- Red wire from Rick's R/R to post 1
- Red wire from post 1 to 15A fuse on Blue Sea Systems fuse block
- Above red wire from 15A fuse to Lossa engineering ignition switch Red + battery in wire
- Lossa purple + power out wire to second spot on fuse block, with jumpers to 3 more slots for main Black wire power (start switch, headlight, gauges, taillight, accessory lights etc)
- Post 2 on starter solenoid has the large wire to the starter motor, Yellow/Red from start switch, and a ground wire (removed diode and clutch/neutral safety switches)

At a minimum I would expect the the lights to come on when I switch the ignition switch to "On" but I don't get anything at all...

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm going to try to get my chicken scratch notebook wiring diagrams into Photoshop to finish my digital schematic.

Thanks in advance...

Original post below:

Top end (base gasket up) is back together, valves adjusted, everything is buttoned up and ready to go well within our 10-day monsoon here in Illinois, but there is still rain in the forecast so I decided to check off a few other items on my list.

QUESTIONS:

1) I do not want to run a headlight switch. I read somewhere and now I can't find it how to wire the headlight to always be on, but with a relay to dim when the starter solenoid is activated. Could someone please help me out? I am great with everything else on the bike, cars, etc. but wiring has always been my downfall.

2) I am running the CycleX Power Arc ignition. Can I still wire this directly to the battery with a relay for more direct power to it? Again, could someone please explain this further?

3) Purchased a 5" VOES to wire in with my CycleX Power Arc, blue wire (advanced) until I hit 5" vacuum then it will retard to stock timing (no blue wire). There is a long lead and a short lead, but they are both black and there are no marks on the VOES. Which goes to ground and which goes to the blue wire from the ignition?

BACKGROUND:

I had been trying to keep the harness as stock as possible, but there are a lot of areas the PO had hacked away and I would need to do further modifications and a lot of labor to try to keep this intact, so I have decided to open the harness and pull the wires I'm not using and clean up my routing a LOT.

5.75" H4 headlight is going in, I don't want any wires in the bucket. I was able to remove a lot, and re-route things up front so I'll have one small harness coming from the front and removed the mass of wiring from what was in the bucket.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!! As well as this was running before, I'm hoping it's even better after this round of modifications.

70CB750 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 24, 2015, 06:52:14 AM »

For the headlight you want 5 pin automotive relay

and connect the wire to the headlight to pin 87A while power comes in to 30.

Pins 85 and 86 connect to start button switch.

70CB750 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 24, 2015, 07:01:28 AM »

Like this:

strynboen · « **Reply #3 on:** June 24, 2015, 07:12:28 AM »

you need a low /heigh light .....the perfekt is a svitch to turn light on..and a relay to svitch low/heigh..like in old Volvo cars..a push button ..and a selektor relay(bosch) does the job..

Stilltime · « **Reply #4 on:** June 24, 2015, 07:29:04 AM »

Thanks a lot 70CB750!! Any brand relay okay or are there specifics I should steer clear from?

strynboen - I would prefer just to hardwire either HI or LOW. I rarely if ever ride at night, usually just use my 550 to commute to/from work. Most bikes around here run HI during the day too. On top of that, I'm trying to get my bars clean and simple without a big handlebar switch.

Chris C.

70CB750 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 24, 2015, 07:51:28 AM »

Any will do, Autozone, Advance Auto, Pep Boys - they all carry it.

calj737 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 24, 2015, 12:51:45 PM »

Run the PowerArc coils to the solenoid stud where the battery connects. No further relay required.

Stilltime · « **Reply #7 on:** June 24, 2015, 01:15:58 PM »

That's where I have it now, calj737. The relay mod must be for the original points? That's 2 out of 3 questions

Someone has to have experience installing a VOES...

Chris C.

dusterdude · « **Reply #8 on:** June 24, 2015, 02:55:47 PM »

Try a harley forum on the voes

Stilltime · « **Reply #9 on:** June 28, 2015, 03:38:41 PM »

Well last night I think I officially removed everything I could from the stock harness. 90% of it were things I wasn't using to begin with anyway.

Headlight bucket no longer houses any wires or connections, and I'm going with a 5-3/4" bucket. I'm relocating my PowerArc coil pack to under the seat with the rest of the setup. In the void where the cool was will be three Delphi Weatherpack connectors for speedometer, tach and starter buttons with brake switch.

I'm not going "bare bones" with my harness, retaining some of the factory functions just deleting the rest and giving the factory connections an update with the Delphi plugs. This will make it a lot easier down the road when I do redo the entire main harness.

Made my first connections today with the Delphi Weatherpack crimper, adjustable depth stripper and some heat shrink and WOW this will be very clean and simplified. The repeatability of these tools is unbelievable and it really gives it the OEM look.

I've been hand drawing all of my "sub-harnesses" that connect to the factory main harness, and when I'm finished with them all I will draw one main harness with all of the connections.

Wish me luck!

Stilltime · « **Reply #10 on:** June 30, 2015, 05:11:23 AM »

Waiting on my connectors to come in so I started putting all of my sketches together in Photoshop. Goal is to have a complete wiring schematic to verify and build off of.

70CB750 · « **Reply #11 on:** June 30, 2015, 05:15:07 AM »

Quote from: Stilltime on June 30, 2015, 05:11:23 AM

Waiting on my connectors to come in so I started putting all of my sketches together in Photoshop. Goal is to have a complete wiring schematic to verify and build off of.

Playing nicely

Stilltime · « **Reply #12 on:** June 30, 2015, 05:35:27 PM »

Most of my wiring and loom came in, the rest of the wiring should be here tomorrow. Weatherpack connectors Thursday.

Ring terminals are only for my sealed blade style fuse box, that will also get a male and female Weatherpack connector

Spark plug wires came, relocating the coil to under the seat is a go with custom wires.

Made a bracket to mount the headlight on the waterjet at work, and hit it on the brake press to keep it in place.

calj737 · « **Reply #13 on:** June 30, 2015, 05:42:53 PM »

I dig the weatherpacks! I've got the smaller Molex style for my builds and prefer them over stock and bullets.

Stilltime · « **Reply #14 on:** June 30, 2015, 05:56:57 PM »

Yea these aren't exactly compact connectors when you get into the 4, 5 and 6 terminals but I love the fit and finish of them. Chemical/water/vibration resistant too!

Stilltime · « **Reply #15 on:** June 30, 2015, 08:55:59 PM »

VOES question has been answered by Cqyqte, it does not matter which lead is which. One is connected to ground and the other to the ignition, it is just an interrupter so when the vacuum reaches 5" it switches and grounds the wire.

dusterdude · « **Reply #16 on:** July 01, 2015, 04:21:35 PM »

What cal said

Stilltime · « **Reply #17 on:** July 02, 2015, 11:01:00 AM »

This was revision 1 of my are which I more or less went way too fast taking measurements and didn't have the wheel and swingarm on so I eyeballed it.

Second one is after mocking up the wheel and swingarm (without the shocks) and cycled the wheel all the way up, then measured and added plenty of clearance, even radiused around the wheel

I'll throw this on to start running the wires from end to end, and make my spark plug wires. Then pull it for powdercoat.

70CB750 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 02, 2015, 11:02:59 AM »

Looking good!

Stilltime · « **Reply #19 on:** July 05, 2015, 05:39:31 PM »

Well my plan for finishing the bike was overruled by the decision to do our landscaping this weekend...

But I did wire my speedometer!

Stilltime · « **Reply #20 on:** July 06, 2015, 09:36:22 PM »

Made some progress! One or two more evenings and I should be able to button it all back up. I'm thinking this weekend I should be riding...

Stilltime · « **Reply #21 on:** July 07, 2015, 07:21:01 PM »

Electronics panel is mounted and dry fitted.

Stilltime · « **Reply #22 on:** July 08, 2015, 09:50:42 PM »

Almost there

Stilltime · « **Reply #23 on:** July 21, 2015, 08:42:10 PM »

Dropped the freshly charged battery in, turned the key and no power to anything

I have my wiring matching the factory schematic to a T as far as the battery connections and the starter solenoid.

Lossa ignition switch red = + battery input and purple = + out for reference

Battery positive to back terminal on starter solenoid. Red wire from that post to the red on Rick's R/R. Red wire from that post to 15A fuse to the Red on the ignition switch. Purple ignition switch to fuse block and all of my black power out circuits from that (headlight/gauges, tail and accessory lights, starter switch etc).... I have a feeling it's the dang ignition switch, even though I had no problems with it before.

Stilltime · « **Reply #24 on:** July 21, 2015, 09:00:04 PM »

Am I reading this positive? I'm 99% sure before I had red coming from the Main 15A fuse from the battery + and purple going out to my accessories when I still had the stock harness.

It must be right under my nose, but I can not for the life of me figure out where this is incorrect.

I've had my AGM battery from Mike's XS side on the trickle charger for AGM batteries. It says OK and lights up a spare LED no problem. Would an LED light off of just 6V by chance? I can't find my ohmmeter (recently moved) otherwise I would
Measure the battery...

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Author Topic: CB550 Rebuilt Top End - Alloy Swingarm - Custom Wiring Harness (Read 7126 times)