Topic: Should I replace these electrical connectors? '76 CB550K

[Deltarider]

Nothing wrong with disconnecting connectors to inspect. If they crumble they need replacing.

+1 to the above. Ignore the BS flying about and enjoy your project.

BenelliSei, with all due respect, those connections are sound, even if the plastic is old.
Your 'enjoy your project' says it all. It's about a project and if you want one, you'll find one easily. When your project is to find a project, also fine, if that's make you happy. But be honest about it and don't present it as needed. That can create misunderstandings.
I have wondered about my own 47 year old harnass sometimes, but, hey, everything works fine and so far I have not found one wire chafed. Maybe it has to do with my disciplin to leave things alone and just do what is needed.

[bryanj]

It is a know thing in the marine world that if you give the Japanese a design brief or safety factor they will work religiously to those numbers which is why when tankers had a design life of 10 years the Japanese built ones were being scrapped at 11 as uneconomical to repair whilst the British built ones were still being repaired at 20 years.
Nearset to this was an auto manufacturer, Volvo i believe, who speced a 10 year life on wiring loom insulation for "enviromental reasons" and mechanicaly sound, reliable vehicles were expensively useless at 11 yrs old, i believe they changed their ideas and did cut price repairs for a while

[BenelliSEI]

Nothing wrong with disconnecting connectors to inspect. If they crumble they need replacing.

+1 to the above. Ignore the BS flying about and enjoy your project.

BenelliSei, with all due respect, those connections are sound, even if the plastic is old.
Your 'enjoy your project' says it all. It's about a project and if you want one, you'll find one easily. When your project is to find a project, also fine, if that's make you happy. But be honest about it and don't present it as needed. That can create misunderstandings.
I have wondered about my own 47 year old harnass sometimes, but, hey, everything works fine and so far I have not found one wire chafed. Maybe it has to do with my disciplin to leave things alone and just do what is needed.

Most of the farmers around here feel the same way. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. I just don’t like my stuff to look like theirs.

[Little_Phil]

Wow! Stupid Honda! How could they have missed this?!
In the 70s the performance of Honda's starting was unmatched.

Yes that was then. Since then many of our bikes have had a hard life with many, many owners. Poor maintenance where parts have been dis-assembled and put back together poorly. Took a kill switch apart recently, it was worn out and mangled, Rusty spring and contacts no longer seated correctly. It LOOKED fine, if a little loose.

[rotortiller]

Most of the farmers around here feel the same way. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

And that is precisely why they are farmers and not preventative maintainers lol. Fix the plugs, it will look better and prevent future issues down the road when you actually have to pull the plugs apart lol.

[Deltarider]

[...] Took a kill switch apart recently, it was worn out and mangled, Rusty spring and contacts no longer seated correctly. It LOOKED fine, if a little loose.

You are braver than I am, Phil. I've often been tempted to open that kill switch, just the kill switch. I was afraid it would not survive me flipping of the red lid. I wonder how this can be done without damaging that no doubt over time hardened red lid. Coward, that I am, I've taken refuge in a V-drop measurement the next time I had to open headlamp bucket. Although I can't remember the exact digits on the meter, there was no voltage drop worth mentioning.