I have been putting this off as it fills me with dread but that time has come. I initially asked about making a harness on both forums so I have been reading and reading and trying to understand it all, so I have again posted on both with this summary and a few questions I still don’t understand, it is an amalgamation of all the helpfull advice I received. I won’t quote all the bits or names because I usually muck up the quote bit !!! but all is there. If you could please just check over and suggest where I am not sure, that would be wonderful.
Relays:
Headlight supply
Main/Dip switch
Horn
Have I missed any off?
I am not sure which to buy, it has been suggested a simple on/off Relay and at 40amps all round so they are interchangeable. From the pictures posted I can see that the ones used are marked with posts numbered 30-85-86-87. Can anyone please just identify these from Vehicle Wiring Products or another suitable supplier, I just don’t want to get the wrong ones.
Multi Connectors:
From the VWP catalogue I can see two types, is there a general preference to one sort or the other? They are-
Multi Connector 6.3mm
Mate-N-Lok
With regards to the spade male and female connectors, I am going for uninsulated and putting heat shrink one, but one kind person suggested using slide on insulation, my question is would you use slide on only or slide on then heatshrink?
Lastly cable sizes. Thanks for or the advice but trying to distill it all down I am still a little confused, my questions are:
16.5amp for all the cables except for the following-
3 cables from the alternator
Started motor feed
Mains from battery to ignition switch then to fuse box
Output wires from rectifier back to battery
Headlight cable
Should these be 25 amp or 33amp
Have I missed anything obvious here. Sorry to labour it but I am a toes virgin where the electricals are concerned
Standard normally open relays are correct but for the main/dip relay I have used switching type that has 5 spade terminals
In all cases terminals 85 and 86 opperate the relay coil, so one is a small live feed and the other is an earth on the handlebar switch
Terminal 30 is the main live feed (the load) this is the one you want to powere your lights or horn.
Terminal 87 is the contact for the lights/horn. When there is poer to the coil (contacts 85 and 86) the coil becomes an elctromagnet and closes the switch sending power from terminal 30 to terminal 87 and to the lights/horn.
For the dip switch use a relay with 5 spade terminals, everything is as above, the main power to terminal 30 comes from terminal 87 on the lights relay (the one mentioned above) I have it so the dip bulb is connected to terminal 87a on the main/dip relay and the main bulb to terminal 87 on the main/dip relay. This is because the relay is at rest when 87a is connected and powered up for 87 I do this because I think I ride on dip more than on main beam but it realy doesn’t matter.
I did a diagram for you on an earlier post and that should explain it all.
The starter motor has a relay too but you probably already have that.
With regards to the spade male and female connectors, I am going for uninsulated and putting heat shrink one, but one kind person suggested using slide on insulation, my question is would you use slide on only or slide on then heatshrink?
Having used both, Mate-N-Lok are smaller than the 6.3mm blade Multi Connector blocks. The latter can be quite chunky, which could be a problem in confined spaces. The Mate-N-Lok terminals are somewhat smaller and more fiddly tho to deal with.
Ideally you want a kosher crimping tool. VWP sell those too. It can be done with pliers etc. but better to have the proper tool. Also you need to think about size of wire or conversely size of connector, that will fit together. Too thick wire in a connector that’s too small for it won’t crimp properly.
I too prefer the uninsulated 6.3mm blade connectors, and always use with male and female insulating covers – the female version is the smaller one that is a snug fit over the female connector, the male version is “loose” because it is large enough to slide over the outside of the female insulator after the terminals are plugged together. Additioonal heatshrink is not necessary. However I’m not sure now where to get these, I think my current stock came from Maplin who have effectively since disappeared. eBay possibly. They’re a kind of rubbery transparent plastic. Very good.