I know this isn't the sportster forum but, this is where all the good mechanics are. I (my wife) has a 1993 sporty 883/1200. The main connector (orange wire) keeps getting hot when starting and it's damaging the connector. I have fooled with it and fooled with it. Before it wouldn't even start. Now it will start and can be ridden but, no matter how much cleaning and adjusting that I do to that connector it just keeps on getting hot. That indicates, to me, that the connection is sparking, shorting, and getting really hot.

Any suggestions moving forward? Replace the connector? Jump that wire over the connector?

 

It could be an indication that corrosion has seeped its way all the way up the wire causing more resistance (source of your heat).


I'd replace the wire and connectors if it were me.

 

Was it corroded before you messed with it? If not it may not be the main problem. You could bypass the connector but make sure you use the correct gauge wire.

 

The heat is caused by resistance. No connector is perfect, so all will have more resistance than the wire connected to them.

How much current is flowing through that wire? Might want to put an ammeter in series and hit the starter. If I recall, a big twin starter solenoid pulls 10 amps, and I would think a sportster one should be about the same. If it is way over 10 amps, it might indicate a problem with the starter solenoid.

Otherwise, yeah, replace the connectors, or the wire or hard wire around the plug if you have to.

 

lots of machines do this - the one orange wire does many different electrical items - we have added an extra wire to the system from a different braker - split off one of the main draws and then the power usage is less on the one 14 g wire running stuff

just mark the wire diagram what one you pick and what colors you used, so if an issue comes up you can check it

 

Thanks.. I'm wondering if the issue is related to the 1200 upgrade, bigger pistons and more compression. The starter is the same for 883 and 1200 but, the bike now has more compression so, the starter has more work to do.

 

No, that wire is the low power side of the starter circuit, pulling in the solenoid (giant relay.) It is the same regardless of the load on the starter.