I am about to embark on some electrical issues on my buddys bike, namely the speedo bracket mount bolt broke and the guys bike has been running this way for a couple years and now when we are out on the road, the wires are starting to vibrate out of the connections and the bike dies.
My question is I am told the I have to go aftermarket for wiring harnesses or most structural parts and brackets should I need them.
Does anyone know of a place for vintage OEM style bike parts?
Thanks

 

If you're looking for the metal bracket above the tank and under the chrome dashboard, J&P has it for around $70 if I remember correctly. Comes with all the wiring but no ignition switch.

*Edit

Had this sitting in my wishlist: J&P Cycles product #7300160. It's actually $60, not $70.

 

I dunno how your buddy's bike is, but I recently, as in 2 days ago, fixed a 2009 Softtail with a similar problem. There is one nut that holds the dash onto the gas tank. It is on a grade 5 carriage bolt that fits in a slot in the bracket that is riveted to the fuel level sender. My friend had tightened the nut down pretty good, and the bracket stripped so that you couldn't undo the nut as the bolt spun freely. This was a major PITA. I cut the nut ($40 custom HD or SE or whatever chrome) off with a cut off wheel in a Dremel brand Moto Tool to get the dash off. Buying a new fuel sender was pretty much out, so I made a new bolt from a 5/16 course stainless bolt welded to a 1/2" strip of 16 ga 304 stainless with 2 holes in it for the dash mounting stud thingies to fit through. It was a bit challenging as we took the bike apart at his house and did the fabrication at my house, but it dropped right in and he got it back together.

 

There is no comparison between a 92 and an 09, 92 had split tanks and it appears to have a threaded hole in the frame neck for about a 5/16-18 bolt.
But thanks for the feed back guys, appreciate it.
My biggest concern is when I open up the can of worms and I find that I need to rewire a portion of or the entire bike. Buddy says he thinks he has melted wires too, thats not an encouraging sign that its a 1 day job.
I had a 99 and I think that was the first year of plug n play wire harness, the 92 has crimped ring terminals and screws holding the terminals to the switches...How primitive.

 

Yea, but the crimped terminals mean you can repair it yourself without having to purchase a new harness. Personally, I solder the crimps and then use liquid electric tape to seal them.

There are actually three bolts that hold down the speedo/electrical bracket. The one you can see and two more which are under the speedo which requires removal of the speedo for access. If you purchase the new bracket, it will come with new wires for all the light sockets so you will just need to plug them into the existing harness. Any electrical for the ignition switch that needs to be done will either be a new harness or I would fabricate re my first paragraph.

Also note that most of the bikes have the ignition switch wired differently than was originally designed. The original setup was to have accessories, off, ignition, lights moving the switch from all the way counter clockwise to clockwise. This is what the dash plate usually reflects. Ignition turned the bike on without the headlights while lights was ignition AND lights. MoCo stopped wiring them that way because you don't want to ride a bike without the headlight on even though they didn't change the hardware nor the dash labeling. Most of them are wired as accessories, off, nothing, ignition/lights. I rewired mine so that "nothing" is now lights with no ignition. That way I can leave the lights on without having the ignition on.

 

Thats exactly what I intend to do, but if the wires are melted together I either have to repair the harness or get a replacement harness and install it, like I said this could be a can of worms, the only good side to it is Im thankful its not a touring bike (time is not that abundant for me right now). Thanks.