Making a wiring loom, advice please.

Apologies to the mods if this is in the wrong place. I've recently bought a 1980 XL185s. However it needs a new loom which i am going to build myself. I've had a bit of experience but i'm no ferret, and as such would appreciate any pointers or advice anyone can give. (before it starts i already know the one about not eatings yellow snow......) as always Cheers all. Marc.

[squirrel_hunter]

Are you trying to reproduce it exactly? In which case where are you going to get the connectors and wires from? I'd start here and workout the cost.

After that as I understand it, you'd want to tape the loom out on some board and mark up the connectors and take lots of photographs and notes. Then take the insulation wrap off and mark where wires are connected or spliced and the colours. From this you then have a basic map. After that its a case of measuring it all up and putting it carefully together.

I've not done this myself but found this approach when looking to make a loom for my 2MA. In the end I was able to find someone who made one for me and it was fantastic.

cheers bud nice one.....

[Jayneflakes]

I recently replaced the useless block connectors on my main ignition on the SV and discovered that it is possible to buy really good quality replacements that are better than the originals, via E-Bay. Check out marine and quad bike parts for extra durability. Also, wire in a charger socket to run gadgets like phone charger or sat nav power cord. Again a marine quality unit will be weather shielded.

Good luck, by making your own loom, you can remove the useless bits of loom that seem to fit other bikes, but are blanked off on a standard one.

Also, try to use original colours, doing the whole lot in red PVC coated wire makes fault finding later on a real pain. (Yes, I have seen this done.)

A good solder iron is well worth the time and investment. I have an old variable heat solder station that despite being nearly as old as I am, has never let me down. I also have a gas iron for times when the electric one cannot get to where I need it, again this is a useful investment.

Finally, if you get really stuck, I know a fantastic wiring technician in Weston who can do a whole bike for a fee.

[squirrel_hunter]

Pictures, post them here. Its always nice to see a project in progress.

that sounds spot on Jayneflakes, but i'm trying to keep costs down... I have a soldering iron and i'm lucky enough to have a garage to work in so although theres not much room .... im dry! always a bonus!

squirrel hunter..... will do!

[Ruffy]

Originally Posted by squirrel_hunter

After that as I understand it, you'd want to tape the loom out on some board and mark up the connectors and take lots of photographs and notes. Then take the insulation wrap off and mark where wires are connected or spliced and the colours. From this you then have a basic map. After that its a case of measuring it all up and putting it carefully together.

Using an old one to map out the arrangement is a good idea. Key thing is ensuring the ends (connectors) and branch points are in the same place as these will be crucial when trying to get the new one to fit well back on the bike.

My personal preference is to try to avoid having joints hidden in the loom. That way all ends are accessible for testing and each wire end can only be continuous to one other end. This can cause a minor build issue when re-creating the common connection points but generally this is only a problem on the earth return wires where there are a larger number of common connections.

If you choose not to use a loom board off the bike, the alternative is to loosely route everything on the bike as you build each circuit up. Just allow plenty of length in each wire and tidy the main loom run before finishing the end connectors to ensure no tight spots etc.

I'd also suggest you use a more or less standard colour scheme when you do this, or at least wiring diagram it out, so you know what goes where when you need to troubleshoot.

[Mark_h]

Also probably don't need to say it, but I'll say it anyway. Use Loom Tape, NOT insulation tape to form the routes. I've seen some right sludgy messes where people have skimped and used insulation tape.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1405508529...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT