Hey folks,

I'm just looking for the opinion of some of you who have wrestled with the rat's nest that is a big twins wiring harness and all the connectors that go along with it.

I'm working on a 08 Street Bob and in the middle of my winter project. Currently I'm replacing my fork springs, top triple clamp, headlight, and front turn signals. Harley loves to make things fun and ran the handbar switch wiring through the upper triple tree (there's a hole in the middle of it that all the wiring barely fits through). I'm already in the process of cutting and soldering the wires that connect the headlight but the service manual says to find the connectors for all wires and to disconnect and then separate and recrimp all wires when replacing any wiring on the bike.

I'm sure that's what the delearship does but is there any harm in just snipping these wires and soldering them? I'm not worried about finding all the connectors underneath the frame but more so about separating each wire from the connector, recrimping them with new pins, and putting them back in the correct order in the connectors. I'm pretty good with a soldering iron but I'm just worried about having a short in my electrical down the road. Does soldering increase the wire's electrical resistance and therefore risk a short in the system or possibly melting something? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

most soldering is just as good of a conductor as the wire.

 

If soldered correctly it should have little effect on resistance in the circuit. If you go that rought go to a electricle supply store and get the type of shrink tube that has a sealer in it that way no moister can ever get in, If you cant fined that get the best shrink tube you can get.
Higher resistance in a cicuit wll not cause a short, a short is when power supply fineds its way to ground before it is supposed to, IE headlamp power feed rubs to frame before it reaches the lamp.
If you go to the connectors you can get release tools to take pins out of the plastic connector but you dont have to take the pins off the wires, If you do it this way take pictures or make drawings of the connectors and lable wires and or connectors that way you know where they go.

 

BC45 hit it on the head. Me, myself, I will most times do what the OP states... cut, solder, shrink wrap and KNOW I have a good connection.

AT work, OTOH... I HAVE to disassemble plugs, connectors, etc. Taking pictures AND notes are mandatory for a good, fast and.... CORRECT re-assembly of all of the pins. Good job BC!!!!

 

Here is the best shrink tube with adhesive lining I can find in the market:
http://crimpsupply.com/shrink-tubing/adhesive-lined

They ship same day too.

 

To my knowledge there are no soldered joints on the entire bike as it leaves the factory, primarily to avoid corrosion. That said, I solder most every electrical connection I make and insulate it with heat-shrink. It is not recommended that you solder O2 sensor wires, however.