Topic: Simplified CB750 Wiring

[Gears]

I just opened up my headlight and saw the rat's nest of wiring inside and I started wondering how much of that is really necessary. I've seen people selling simplified CB750 wiring schemes for bobbers and cafe bikes on ebay and such, but I wanted to know about people on this forums personal experiences. What they did, and how it worked out for them.

[Bodi]

It depends on what you want. The instrument lights, warning lights, turn signals, brake light switch, etc. etc. etc. all need wires to work.
I've wired up a few race bikes where all you have is a battery, on/off switch, ignition module, and kill switch - no alternator since the bike runs "total loss" for an hour or so between charger sessions.
For street riding you face quite a few legal requirements on top of the battery/alternator/ignition basics: tail light, stop light, headlight, and horn are the usual minimum.
Wiring a bike for this minimum is what most of the chopper wiring diagrams are about. If that's all you want, go ahead! If you like the other stuff then the wires have to stay... the headlight bucket is a nasty mess but you don't ever see inside it unless you want to.

[mystic_1]

The stock wiring isn't really all that complicated, study a few good wiring diagrams and it'll start to make more sense.  Match the colors when you plug everything in and you'll do OK.

Whatever you do, don't waste your money buying a simplified diagram on eBay, they are available for free on the net in lots of places.

Try www.hondachopper.com, they have the classic CB750 chopper simplified wiring diagram in their tech section.

Also, look in the FAQ section here under "manuals FAQ" and you'll find downloadable manuals and wiring diagrams.  

mystic_1


Edit, there's a sticky post at the top of this forum section now at has the downloadable manuals.

-m

[Gears]

I'd like to keep all of the lights, including the turn signals. It's more that I'd like everything to be clean. I plan on relocating the electronics and the battery at some point, and the idea of rewiring everything according to the diagram gives me a headache XD

[CB750Ken8]

My understanding is that the wiring mess is in the bucket to protect most a lot of those bullet connectors that are on just about every wire, and there's a plethora of them up front seeing as how you have gauge back lights, headlight ,turns, turns to the back, key, dummy lights, left and right controls, as for cleaning up the mess depends on what you're willing to spend, I like you wanted to clean it up plus bring as must of the stuff up to date as possible, and the only way I could find to clean the wiring up, keep the connector contacts clean, and keep all the functions of the bike was to buy  somewhat expensive connectors, especially since I have a non stock light bucket and none of my wiring would fit in it.

[the technological J]

i got rid of the right hand wiring controls i jumped the starter from the fuse box to a switch right under the left side of the tank and I put the push button kill switch right beside it( like one click on and one click off) i also have no key for the bike so that was it and i ran it in series from the fuse too... i cant remember but i might have had to jumper something inside the bucket so what i did was cut the wires after the plug so if i wanted to reverse it all i would need is a new assembly to plug in.... i did the same thing with the kill switch so i could just plug the wires back together (which ended up being benifitial because my switch was too weak and i now just pull a fuse to kill the bike)

[Kev Nemo]

Zombie thread...

So I'm trying to keep a horn button on handlebars, my key in the same place, and a off/hi/low toggle on my headlight bucket. I'm moving the 3 position kill and starter button back and under my seat on the right side. I've attached a simple pic to explain:


Question:
My stock start button died and I ended up having to connect power to my headlight wire and now use kickstart. How do I bypass this when I wire the toggle switch in headlight bucket? Do I cut and cap the wires at the base of wire harness?

[kerryb]

After you clean, identify the colors, look em up in the clymer manual (they have nice color wiring diagrams) and trace each wire to where it is supposed to be, you will find it quite easy to build your own simplified wiring.  Getting all the wires back in the bucket, that's just a matter of "stirring" and pushing till the headlight drops into place.

Until then, study Kev Nemo's plan.  He's got it pretty well laid out!
 

[lucky]

No such thing exsists.

I wish it did.

[Kev Nemo]

Yeah, I wish I did have a plan; right now I just have a drawing of what I want. If it was that easy, I'd draw a big pile of money on that seat,too = )

[scottly]

Zombie thread...

So I'm trying to keep a horn button on handlebars, my key in the same place, and a off/hi/low toggle on my headlight bucket. I'm moving the 3 position kill and starter button back and under my seat on the right side.

That kill switch mounted under the seat won't do you much good if you need it in an emergency. I have my kill switch mounted on my right side handlebar, where I can flick it off with my thumb WITHOUT taking my hand off the bar. Same for my headlight switch. Also, how will you operate the throttle and push the starter button at the same time?

[andrewk]

Lots of different ways to do it.  I've built a few one-off harnesses for choppers, and done "minimizing" on lots of "regular" bikes- all using different components.  If you're just looking for "clean" a santee box works well, and contains most of the "ugly."

The last chopper harness I did (77 CB750 K) had bar end turnsignals, Dyna III ignition, and solid state charging.  I put most of the electrics in the headlight bucket-  flasher, 30 amp breaker (charging system was fused inline), start switch, and an oil light.  If you have patience and some foresight, you can lay everything out neatly enough to where it doesn't make a big rats nest.  It was real tight in the headlight, but it all fit.  The starter button was positioned so that a guy could run the choke and the starter with one hand, leaving the throttle hand free.\

There really isn't a whole lot to prune out of a CB750 harness-  the real minimizing comes from how you put the necessary components together, and how clean and neat you can make it look.

[the technological J]

Zombie thread...

So I'm trying to keep a horn button on handlebars, my key in the same place, and a off/hi/low toggle on my headlight bucket. I'm moving the 3 position kill and starter button back and under my seat on the right side.

That kill switch mounted under the seat won't do you much good if you need it in an emergency. I have my kill switch mounted on my right side handlebar, where I can flick it off with my thumb WITHOUT taking my hand off the bar. Same for my headlight switch. Also, how will you operate the throttle and push the starter button at the same time?

can you post a pick of this?

Edit:i did the same thing on mine with the ignition buttons on the other side and now regret getting rid of the kill switch.... right now im hashing out a way to make the high low a kill switch and put it somewhere else

[Rigid]

I suggest you buy one off eBay...............   Intellectual property is just the new way of saying information is valuable.

[Kev Nemo]

Zombie thread...

So I'm trying to keep a horn button on handlebars, my key in the same place, and a off/hi/low toggle on my headlight bucket. I'm moving the 3 position kill and starter button back and under my seat on the right side.

That kill switch mounted under the seat won't do you much good if you need it in an emergency. I have my kill switch mounted on my right side handlebar, where I can flick it off with my thumb WITHOUT taking my hand off the bar. Same for my headlight switch. Also, how will you operate the throttle and push the starter button at the same time?

Currently, I operate my starter button with my right leg and it's been working out great In the 3 years I've had my bike, I've never had an instance where I've needed that kill switch; from what I understand, it was an addition during the 70's Nader consumer safety scare. I understand you can use it for plug chops, or shutting down the bike, but I think I can pull that off in that position. The main thing is I keep both buttons somewhere so if I change my mind I can move them around.

[Kev Nemo]

I took a picture of what my current handlebars look like:


As you can see, the only thing I have working on throttle side is the kill switch (starter button burned out and I had to jump the headlight wire to power- it's the wire w/ blue connectors hanging down). In the middle I have an aftermarket headlight (the wiring mess in the stock bucket is long gone). On the clutch side, I'm still using the hi/lo switch (which I want to move to the bucket) and the horn (which will stay there)

[scottly]

That kill switch mounted under the seat won't do you much good if you need it in an emergency. I have my kill switch mounted on my right side handlebar, where I can flick it off with my thumb WITHOUT taking my hand off the bar. Same for my headlight switch. Also, how will you operate the throttle and push the starter button at the same time?

can you post a pick of this?

Here's a pic. The upper switch is the kill switch. The lower switch is low-beam/off/high-beam.

[Kev Nemo]

scottly- I like it; reminds me of a more industrial/ way less expensive Pingle block:

I think what I'll do is fab something similar to yours with a button on bottom/toggle on top for both sides (clutch side: button=horn, 2 position toggle=hi/lo; throttle side: button=starter,  toggle= on/off)