I thought I would post this one on the forum, since everyone seems to be hesitant to tackle their own CanBUS wiring extensions - for those of us who don't mind a little extra work (removing the pins from the wiring clips, etc.)... Here it is (Gotta give props to Redbeard719 who helped guide me through the process - this is his narrative that he sent me via e-mail). I hope this at least helps you all out a little bit - I know I was frustrated even after doing many wiring extensions on Pre-CanBUS bikes....

First, get a small paper clip - the big ones are still too big and a jeweler's screwdriver is probably too big too. The space inside the clip is very small.




Reference the picture and straighten it out, and cut one end off at a 45* angle, like the yellow line I drew on the picture. The idea is to make the end very pointed. If you orient the cut with part of the paper clip you don't unbend, you'll have a reference as to which way your point is oriented once you insert it into the wiring clip. I tend to think of the point on the paper clip as a little ramp that you'll slide under the tab lock of the wiring clip.

Grab your wiring clip and push the wire into the clip from the way it's inserted. The idea is to remove any tension that may be on the tab inside the clip, holding the pins inside.

Next, grab your paper clip and slide it into the wire clip, where the arrows are drawn on your picture. You'll feel it hit the tab. At that point, use the paper clip to pry (gently) or lift the tab, while pulling the wire from the back of the wiring clip.




It really does take a little practice. Once you get that first wire out, you'll be golden and the rest will come naturally. The paper clip approach is pretty crude, but it's effective.

Don't worry excessively about the wire twists, etc. (At this point, I did the twisted wires individually - soldered in my extensions, covered with heat-shrink, and RE-TWISTED them as close as I could to factory to avoid any problems). As long as the wires are twisted, you'll be good. The twisted pairs just help to conduct the signals through the wires from end to end, just like a telephone/computer cable. Since it's such a short run of wire, I bet the twists per foot are negligible...just my thoughts.

Redbeard, I hope you don't mind I posted this... Spread the wealth!

 

Thanks to both of you !

 

Thanks for putting that up man.

On a side note, I absolutely despise having to get those pins out of the connectors. I'm dreading doing it when I do my rear fender swap.

 

Great information! I will throw my 2 cents in. I work with CAN bus datalink systems daily and while these rules may not apply to all systems, I believe they are general rules that will apply to most. CAN or Controller Area Network cables are formed using two twisted wires to prevent electrical interference. Back in the old days there were actually 3 wires, the third one being a bare shielding wire. One of the purposes of CAN systems is to cut down on the amount of wiring so eventually we figured out that we can twist the wires and eliminate that shielding wire all together. Every OEM has a standard for the rate of twist but about 33 to 40 twists per meter or 3.28ft seems to be the norm. Im with you Kizzletruck, this is such a short run I doubt you would ever see any negative effects from the inproper amount of twist. Dont be affraid to extend these wires guys. The hardest part is getting the pins released if you opt to go that route. That all being said, the extensions are cheap enough it wasnt worth my time to extend them. The Namz are like 35 bucks and the Harley part number can be had for about 25 bucks.

 

Good to know - there is such a wealth of information on this board. I agree - the smaller pins and clips are much more difficult to remove than the larger, pre-Canbus style... But once you get one, the rest are cake because you've got the hang of it from that point on. Honestly, I had a more difficult time with the two grey/black wires for the passing lamps than I did with all other wires in the front end system. (I had them apart to run some nylon covering over the top of them).

As far as handlebar swaps - This mostly applies to those who are seeking to purchase the full Burly kit - cables, wire extensions, etc. It seems that people are afraid to tackle the project same as they always have in the past. Nothing is really that different; smaller clips, smaller tools, and the wires from the Burly kit come pre-twisted. I just un-twisted them to make it easier to solder the connections and heat shrink, then re-twisted before I covered/ran the wires and reinstalled the clips/plugs. For me, my clips wouldn't fit through the opening in the bottom of my apes, so in order to run them as a group without having two section of wire covering, I had to remove the clips.

I just want the knowledge I learned from a forum member to be passed on to the rest of everyone, and am sure glad others with knowledge are chiming in!

 

There are several write ups in the Dyna Forum on removing the wire connectors from the plugs, as well as several great videos on YouTube.
It does not take much to master it, but once you have done it a few times, you become a pro at it!

 

Good idea kizzletruck to start this thread - like you said, I'm sure there's other members who can benefit from our discussion about this.

Glad it was a help to you, and to the others who see this!

 

I'm a little confused cause you guys keep mentioning that these wires are twisted.

What exactly do you guys mean by that.

 

The wires coming from a couple of electrical items on the controls are twisted in order to cut down on signal interference, while lessening the amount of wires necessary in the harness. In order to keep the interference down, you must re-twist them when soldering connections:


Redbeard - No problem. I figured you wouldn't mind, as this is going to help to better the knowledge out there, and maybe take some of the hesitation out of the people who are a little intimidated by wire and solder.

Gommee - I'm sure there are write ups all over the internet - and now we even have one for us softail guys.

 

Thank you kizzle. That's what I was thinking but wasn't sure.