In this update I'll be installing the wiring harness and clutch cable. They are mounted using the same wiring bands, so it's best to do them both at the same time. In addition, we'll fit the remainder of the peripheral parts
But first, I should mention a couple of changes I've made to the thread due to new information I've run across that shows I incorrectly installed one of the boots (or covers) in the previous post; that being the cover for the tail light wiring bundle. Yeah, I know it's not a critical part, but since we're trying to do things "by the book" I figured it would be best to have it done as Honda designed it to be. With that in mind, I've removed one of the pics and some text that depicted the incorrect location of the boot - you can go back and take a look if you think you really need to, but we'll be addressing that part later on in this post...
Another change I've made is way back in the front brake installation. There's a clip that's installed with the brake "joint" that I indicated was used to route the clutch cable; it's actually used for routing the speedo cable, so I made that change to the text. Live and learn...
On to the update. Here are the wiring harness and clutch cable, along with the mounting bands, a "J" shaped wiring support and, to the right, the clutch switch with its mounting clip
To start the build, I'll mount the clutch switch into the left switch pod. This is a safety feature that allows the bike to be started only when the clutch is disengaged. After the clutch lever is removed, the switch wire threads through a hole in the lever mount...
...the switch being inserted fully into the housing where a small tab on the switch body (below inset) fits into a slot cut into the lever support
The clutch cable and lever are then installed, and the cable and switch wire are joined together with a plastic clip (inset) that keeps the two from flopping around in the wind
With this preliminary step completed, I turned my attention to the main wiring harness. It's a new OEM harness from David Silver Spares made by TEK, so I'm hoping everything fits and works as it should...
I started out by laying the harness roughly in position along the frame. Installation begins by removing the front coil mount bolt and inserting it through the large green ground wire lug, after which the bolt is re-installed (below left). Its important that this bolt is tight as this wire supplies grounding for the entire electrical system (all the green wires lead to here)
The coil and horn leads are then connected to the harness (above right). Note that the horn wire is routed
behind the down tube rather than in front...
Once all of the connections have been made, they're held in position using this flat "J" shaped stamped aluminum hanger clip, shown here with a tank mount rubber
The hanger is concave at its mounting end, and is inserted down over the tank mount on the frame with the concave portion fitting over the base of the mount; this also orients the curve of the "J" inboard roughly toward the centerline of the frame. The coil and horn connections are then bundled together and collected inside the curved portion of the hanger (below left)...
...and the tank rubber is inserted down over its mount, holding everything in place (above right). On the "F" models, the wiring connections actually run under the frame and are collected inside a small box mounted beneath the coils. The "J" hanger is still used, but the curve is reversed and it acts to hold the wiring harness itself...
From here on out, the wiring harness and clutch cable will be mounted to the frame using stamped aluminum cable ties (Honda likes to call them "bands"). They're different sizes: the longer, wider tie, measuring 7X3/8", is referred to as "Band B1" (or simply, the "B" band); the shorter tie, measuring 5 1/8X5/16" is called "Band A2" (band "A") (below upper)
These OEM bands were originally coated with Rubber Dip (similar to Plasti-Dip). They're no longer available in this form from Honda, who has substituted a narrower band in place of band "B", and a black plastic band for the "A" band (above lower). Additionally, they've stopped actually dipping the bands in rubber dip and, instead, are now using wire sleeve in its place. I like this idea. The OEM bands are relatively easy to find in ebay auctions, but on most of them the rubber coating has deteriorated and is either pretty beat up or is missing altogether. Using Honda's lead, the original metal bands can be straightened and the rubber covering replaced with 7mm sleeving for the "A" bands, and 9mm for the "B" bands. Other clips and straps originally given a rubber coat can be resurrected using larger diameter sleeve, such as the wiring hanger and HT clips, which can be covered using 11mm sleeving (below)
At this point in time, this nice, shiny black wire sleeving can be found at "Vintage Connections.com" for a reasonable price per foot.
To install the harness, I'll be following the wiring diagrams that are printed in the Honda Shop manual (find these in your Clymer's
). Here are copies of the diagrams, once again shamelessly purloined from the manual (click on diagrams to expand to full size):
Again, it's stuff like this that compels me to urge you to pick up the official Honda Shop Manual. Clymer's is OK as far as it goes, but adding the Honda manual to your reference is like going up a click on a 3-way bulb: much more info is suddenly available. Download it or, better yet, get a hard copy you can actually fondle and smear grease all over!
The first tie we'll install is a "B" band, and it wraps around the front left downtube, capturing both the main harness and (behind the downtube) the horn sub-harness
Now, if you're following a parts fiche it might indicate an "A" band in this location. Fact is, one of them just isn't long enough to reach around the tube and wiring bundles, so I'm fitting a "B" band here. There are a couple of other places where I will deviate from the fiche - you can decide for yourself if I'm wrong or not.
The next tie is installed farther down the frame and wraps around the "backbone" behind the coils. It captures the main harness and ignition switch "dongle" as well as the clutch cable, so it really does triple duty. Unfortunately, neither of the bands is long enough to accomplish all of this on its own, so what Honda did was to take two "A" bands and splice them together (inset below) which creates a long enough band to do the job. Here it is on the wiring harness side, with the main switch already connected...
...and this is how it captures the clutch cable on the right side of the frame. The cable routes around the headstock in front of all of the other cables and wires (see above diagram), then down between the forks, under the tank mount and up to the top of the frame, where it's held in place by the wiring band assembly
Back on the left (harness) side, the harness tucks down under the frame "backbone" and continues on toward the back of the bike. When it reaches the electrical panel triangle several things happen at once: the harness kind of "dives" down under the cross brace and routes along the top of the electrical panel, where it's held in position using a couple of "A" bands: the first routes down through a hole stamped into the frame gusset...
...while the second band supports the harness farther down the frame tube, just before the frame brace.
At this point, all of the connections to the electrical panel are made. The connectors for the fuse box and SSM tuck away behind the panel, atop the inner fender. Something to note in the bottom left portion of the pic is the stator sub-harness and the starter motor lead, which come up off the engine. The stator harness routes in front of the downtube while the starter lead snakes around behind, and both are fixed in place with an "A" band.
Meanwhile, a wiring extension takes off at a tangent from the main harness and routs under the frame gusset to the right side of the bike. Here's a blow-up from the routing diagram that demonstrates this (dotted lines)
It carries wiring for the brake pedal switch and the ignition points. Once in position, it and the clutch cable are secured to the frame via a "B" band that wraps around the frame tube and through another hole in the frame gusset
Here's a shot from above, showing the bands and their locations; compare it to the diagrams above. At top is the "B" band holding the clutch cable and wiring harness extension, while at bottom we have the two "A" bands holding the main harness in position
Something else to notice in the above pic is the positive battery cable (on the right). It's connected to the solenoid, then extends across the bike between the air box and rear inner fender to the battery box.
Next, I installed the rear brake switch and spring. The switch fits down into a mount welded onto the downtube, and the spring connects to a tab on the brake pedal
The switch wiring is routed around in front of the downtube and, along with the points leads from the engine, are connected to the harness extension (below inset). The connections are then covered with a rubber shield, and the whole assembly is tucked away between the battery box and air box where it's held in position with an "A" band around the frame tube
Still on the right side of the bike, the clutch cable snakes down between the intakes for cyls 3 and 4 and connects with the rear engine mount at a curled section of the mount formed to accept it. The cable shield threads fit down into the mount, where it's held for adjustment by the lower adjuster nut, while the cable itself attaches to the clutch lever via a clevis on the end of the lever
Once the cable is attached, the clutch mechanism is given a "preload" by turning the clutch adjuster screw on the clutch cover in a counter-clockwise direction until the marks punched into the actuator lever and the clutch cover are in alignment (above inset). This forces a long lever inside the clutch cover to make contact with the clutch rod; final adjustment is then made using the adjusters on the cable and at the lever on the handlebar.
Here's a shot of the clutch cable installation. Notice the fairly exaggerated "hump" between the cable ties. It should reach to the center of the frame (and a bit beyond) when the cable is laid flat against the frame. It's covered by the tank and insures smooth operation of the clutch mechanism.
Returning to the left side of the bike and the wiring harness, the "tail" of the harness routes up between the rear frame brace and the inner fender. There's a rubber boot that fits over the connectors; you'll want to install it before routing the harness as it's a major PITA to try to install once everything is in place. Talking from experience, here...
Once the connectors are routed, the wiring harness installation is completed by making the tail light and rear turn signal connections
And here is a shot of the installed main harness
So I'm calling this episode done for now. I've got the harness in place along with most of the major components; any that are left over will be covered in the next couple of posts. Things are starting to come together and it looks like this project is nearing its end. Glory Hallelujah!
'til next time
