When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I recently put in new start/stop switches in my bike.
When I talked to the local indy and the dealer ship they both told me to take off the right tank, remove the wire sockets from the block on the frame, pull the old wires out of the harness and pull in the new ones.
I was looking for the O.E.M. number for the crimping tool for the socket connectors and found out the manual says cut the wires 3/4" from the switch and simply solder and heat shrink the wires.
My question is why the difference and does it really matter which way you do it?
I am getting ready to replace my hand brake switch and the instructions from Harley say the same thing, to cut, solder and heat-shrink...and I have done this when I have replaced it in the past without any problem...
My switch also came with lots of excess wire attached to it...when you really only need an inch of wire at most... so you could run it all the way through and add connectors if you really needed to but I wouldn't go through all that.
Did they include connectors to fit in the socket with your switch?
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.