HELP: Slashed Wire while installing bars- bike won't start!
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 267
Likes: 0
From: Northwest territories
Before you do anything else, repair those wires. Then check your fuses, battery etc.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,960
Likes: 26
From: Sonoma County, CA
Yeah dude, you gotta fix that wiring before you try riding. As mentioned, probably a dead short and blown fuse on you bike...I also find it interesting that you're OK with the front signal working but aren't worried that the headlight doesn't... Take that mess apart and do it right. Wire it internally, solder (and heat shrink) any connections. I'm not trying to be a *ick, but it's kinda important that all that stuff works right over the long haul...
Novice
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: Buffalo,N.Y.
++1 on this fix. Solder and forgetaboutit.
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,016
Likes: 3
From: West New york, NJ
Being an Electrician vs. auto, marine or motorcycle wiring is a big difference. Houses don't move and vibrate. I've been a Contractor for over 20 years and know all about residential and commercial electrical. I have had plenty of wire nuts not holding and being the source of an outlet or switch not working. Soldering doesn't make sense in your field. If a solder joint is done properly and heat shrink is used over it, you can't go wrong.
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,016
Likes: 3
From: West New york, NJ
Well,
My intentions were to install my new Todd Cycle 10" Strip apes on my '06 Bob. Early on I decided that conquering the internal wiring seemed ambitious for the 2 hours I had to do with my help (neither of us had done this before). So we decided to keep wiring external for time being. Problem is we didn't realize that it was not possible due to lack of recess under bottom of bars to accommodate electrical wire thickness by housings. As a result, as we tightened the housing, the sharp edge where internal wires enter the bars actually sliced into the wire wrap and cut 3 wires clean through on left side. It turns out that the headlight will not turn on but left turn signal will. I was feeling ok with that until I tried to fire up the bike and it would not turn over. Electrical started flashing (almost like fighting for battery) and sound like little gunshots.
Can anybody help me shed some light on this? I'm not surpised the headlight didn't work but I expected it to start as nothing on the right housing throttle side seemed to be compromised (unless i missed it).
thanks for any advice
My intentions were to install my new Todd Cycle 10" Strip apes on my '06 Bob. Early on I decided that conquering the internal wiring seemed ambitious for the 2 hours I had to do with my help (neither of us had done this before). So we decided to keep wiring external for time being. Problem is we didn't realize that it was not possible due to lack of recess under bottom of bars to accommodate electrical wire thickness by housings. As a result, as we tightened the housing, the sharp edge where internal wires enter the bars actually sliced into the wire wrap and cut 3 wires clean through on left side. It turns out that the headlight will not turn on but left turn signal will. I was feeling ok with that until I tried to fire up the bike and it would not turn over. Electrical started flashing (almost like fighting for battery) and sound like little gunshots.
Can anybody help me shed some light on this? I'm not surpised the headlight didn't work but I expected it to start as nothing on the right housing throttle side seemed to be compromised (unless i missed it).
thanks for any advice
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
From: Leduc, Alberta Canada
Being an Electrician vs. auto, marine or motorcycle wiring is a big difference. Houses don't move and vibrate. I've been a Contractor for over 20 years and know all about residential and commercial electrical. I have had plenty of wire nuts not holding and being the source of an outlet or switch not working. Soldering doesn't make sense in your field. If a solder joint is done properly and heat shrink is used over it, you can't go wrong.
Yeah dude, you gotta fix that wiring before you try riding. As mentioned, probably a dead short and blown fuse on you bike...I also find it interesting that you're OK with the front signal working but aren't worried that the headlight doesn't... Take that mess apart and do it right. Wire it internally, solder (and heat shrink) any connections. I'm not trying to be a *ick, but it's kinda important that all that stuff works right over the long haul...
no headlight was just ok because a custom shop is a couple blocks away and we were gonna say "F it" and take it to them to fix.
But now we are intrigued and the weather doesn't seem to be getting warmer so we will just cut them all and internally wire and re-solder and fix the blown fuse and call it a day.
yea I'm hijacking my cousins thread
