circurt breaker wiring

[amf 71flh]

will someone peak under the seat of a 70's sporty and let me know if the wiring from the main harness to the circurt breakers goes under the frame backbone or through the hole? I'm redoing a 76 XLCH and the factory harness has been replaced with some hack going through the hole. it don't look right.... Thanks!

take a look at this wiring job and you will know what I mean about some owners being a bikes worst friend.

[attachment removed after 60 days by system]

[Blackcherry Low]

I can say right now with 99% certainty that HD never ran wire through the frame on these bikes.  But I can take another look at mine when I get home and confirm.

[Blackcherry Low]

Ok, I just checked it out on my bike (1975 XLCH) and the harness follows the backbone on the left side and goes over the top of the oil tank mount between the two upright tubes and spreads out to the circuit breakers from there. 

[amf 71flh]

thanks blackcherry, I thank you for your time.

[Blackcherry Low]

No prob, hope you can tell something from the pics.

[garyajaz]

my 1974 wires went  through frame.
big hole on right side for them..
wiring still does now.   sleived in gas line to protect from nubs inside.
if not for wireing why a big hole with slanty indent in frame?

i also have fuses now instead of breakers. 1/2 the wires of stock.
(stock stuff burnt down twice in two years)
after i re-did it been twenty something years with 0 problems.
dont hesitate to do a better job than factory yourself.
'the stock stuff was junk...

[garyajaz]

pix availble upon request

[amf 71flh]

I found an intresting wiring glinch while re-wiring the 76 with the factory harness. First of all, on the 76 CH, the postive lead from the battery went right to the the regulator. Looking at the factory service manual, in 77 the factory went from the battery  to a 4th circurt breaker, then to the regulator.

In 1978, they went even further and ran the red wire to the ignition switch off that same 4th breaker. Smart.

But it gets even better. Up until 1977, they ran the green wire from the ignition switch, which turned hot with the switch on, to the OPPOSITE side of one of the other breakers, NOT the BATT side.

Do yourself a favor if you own a 1976 or eariler bike and add a 4th breaker and put the green wire from the switch to the BATT side of the breaker.

Don't believe me? Study the factory wiring diagrams and see for yourself. That may explain garyayaz's meltdowns.

I've posted pics to show what I have done.

[attachment removed after 60 days by system]

[amf 71flh]

more pics...

[attachment removed after 60 days by system]

[amf 71flh]

last one...

[attachment removed after 60 days by system]

[amf 71flh]

As for running the main harness, the factory did funny things in the 70's. Maybe too much acid??

Up until 1974, they ran the harness through the frame and out the big hole in the right front to a terminal block. In 1975, they ran the main harness on the left, outside the frame, through the headlight housing, to a number of connectors. But left the big gapping hole in the right front of the frame....

No one ever said these bikes were perfect, but they were all we had back then. And we loved them, and we still do 40 years later!!

[Blackcherry Low]

Nice job on the wiring AMF. 

I clipped all the terminal ends off of mine when I got it, they were all pretty shot, made new heavier battery cables.  Put all new terminal ends on and heat shrinked them back a ways. 

I did the same thing you did with the battery pos wire, sheathing it.  I didn't have any problems initially when I got the bike, I just did this as a preventive measure and have not had any electrical problems on this factory wired 38 year old bike.  I've had it for 4 years now, I had the identical bike when I was a kid some 35 years ago, so it's a blast having this old beast from the past in my possession.

I'm going to look into adding that 4th breaker, thanks for the tip.

I didn't know they ran the wires in the frame on the earlier ones.

[amf 71flh]

B-low, got any pics of the 75? I always liked that tank decal the best.

[Blackcherry Low]

Here's a couple more.  I wish I had the FX from the same year, it has the same paint and decals.

[amf 71flh]

she is a beauty!!!!!!!!!!!! I switched my shifter/ brake the first year i owned it but I'm thinking about going back to ALL stock....

yeah, a 75 black FX is what the sporty needs to keep her company. I'll keep my eyes open. Wish my 76 was orange

[attachment removed after 60 days by system]

[Blackcherry Low]

Wow, the FX is very nice also.

I live in a very small midwestern town, and when I was 18, (long time ago) there were three dudes that all had new FXs from the mid/late 70s and another of their buddies had an XL.  These guys were all a fair bit older than me but when I got my bike that year, it didn't go unnoticed and they welcomed me to ride with them, we had a blast, and I got to know some great riders, some of my best memories biking.