I need a little help with my 04 Heritage. Saturday I noted somehow that a dent appeared in the front fender right between the forks. It is not a deep or very large dent, little bigger than a golf ball. I have located a body shop that can remove the dent, but the lead for the fender tip light is giving me fits. The connector end is too big to fit thru the holes in the fender to remove, and it looks like that lead goes under the tank to "never never" land.

I checked the service manual, and found nothing at all that would tell me anything about this. I also tried the dealership but their service guy was gone. What I need to know is how to remove the lead so that I can remove the fender completely from the bike. I hate to think of what the alternative would be, but if anyone can help me out here I sure would appreciate it!

I am trying to avoid disassembling half the bike for one small electrical wire for one light.

 

The pins on the connectors should be removable. They can be a pain, but once de-pinned, the wiring should slip through the hole.

Most of the connectors I have worked with have a part near the back that lifts up, and once that is done, a paper clip or similar piece of metal can be used to remove the pin. You slide the paper clip in from the front of the connector. Make sure you make a wire map before removing the pins. I use a dental pick, but not everyone has one of those.

Remove the ground wire at the battery to avoid sparks when pulling the wire through the holes

Hope this helps.

 

And a dent between the forks usually means you bottomed out and the lower triple tree hit the fender.

 

I will check the connector, but do not believe there are any pins as you describe. Since I am not an electrician at all, what is a wire map? I normally dont like fussing around with anything electrical. Comes from an accident I had in the submarine service involving a 400 cycle power line to a mast light. I was lucky I didnt end up on Jupiter.

I'll check for those pins! Thanks.

 

Yep thats what happened, but I didnt know it until Saturday. I think I know when I did it, but it looks like time to get those new Progressive Springs I have been drooling about. And maybe a fork oil change as well.

 

A wire map is what color wire goes into what spot on the plug.

Here is a link to some harley connectors. notice 1 is male, and the other is female, but removing the ends is the same.

http://www.hdtalking.com/electrical_...onnectors.html

 

What color wire huh? What if they are both black and no other identifying features? Yes they are both black. So - I took some tape and wrapped it around one wire and marked the side of the connector. I see what you are talking about on the connector, but I am having some problems getting the pins to come out. Its frozen pretty good up in there.

 

My first statement said they are a pain LOL They are a lot easier to get back in though!!!!

I move the wire to move the pins a bit, then they come out as I move the pick.

Since it is only 2 wires, you could cut and then splice back together. If you decide to do that make sure to solder and heat shrink then since they are exposed to all of the road gook up there.

 

When I had the tank off of my 04 I was able to reroute the fender tip connector so it peeked out from under the tank. The fender can now be easily taken of or put on. They say the tank can be slid back to get to the wiring without disconnecting the gas crossover.

 

This has always been (amongst other things that Harley does) one of my biggest pet peeves with my Heritage. Why in the world would you make it so difficult to take a front fender off HD?

Sometimes all I can do is shake my head.