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Electrical wiring questions.

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Jeff S said:
Here's a kinda related question:

What's the best way to make electrical connections on a bike? I've heard that soldered joints are actually weaker than crimped connectors - as the solder is brittle and all the bouncing around a bike does (dirt roads, light off-road duty, etc) can lead those to fail.

BS or not?
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I llike the Posi-Lock connectors. Basically a screw on crimp. Love them!
http://www.posi-lock.com/
 
I picked this new crimper up for $20. It is awesome and gives a solid crimp. Wiring should start this weekend.
Titan_zps570f2ecc.png
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Rainmaker said:
I picked this new crimper up for $20. It is awesome and gives a solid crimp. Wiring should start this weekend.
Titan_zps570f2ecc.png
[/URL][/IMG]
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that looks a lot like the one I use at work made by greenlee

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they squeeze the connector in on all sides for a secure quality crimp and you can change the jaws to do assorted different connectors.

I use the heat shrink butt connectors, seals the connection and spreads any stresses along the insulation.
 
focus frenzy said:
that looks a lot like the one I use at work made by greenlee

65cc2c8205a05d7379fa3a6386f710e1


they squeeze the connector in on all sides for a secure quality crimp and you can change the jaws to do assorted different connectors.

I use the heat shrink butt connectors, seals the connection and spreads any stresses along the insulation.
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The pictured Greenlee 45500, like the Klein 1006 mentioned by Mike Miller in post 19, holds the connector to a round shape and have the 'center-punch' to dimple the crimp. IMHO that's a much better die-shape than the 'flat-oval' of the pictured Titan-type which causes some connectors to stress-crack at the sides and open at the seam. With the 'dimple-die type' you just gotta take the little effort to ensure the dimple is opposite the connector seam, well worthwhile for a better lifetime crimp.

IMHO the die-shape is much more important than the mechanism of the pliers when choosing crimp tools. Long, well-shaped handles like the Klein (which can be improved with layers of plastic dip for tool handles) are just as easy on the hands as rachet-types if you're doing hundreds of crimps a day, and non-rachet types are quicker with more tactile-feedback.
 
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Terminals & Crimper tools. I like to use open barrel terminals along w an an open barrel crimper tool.
When done properly, the crimps are very strong & appear to be the same as stock on my 81 KZ650.

I already had a ratcheting crimper from harbor-freight, but the dies were wrong, so I got an open barrel die set at amazon.com.
I get most of my motorcycle wiring stuff from CycleTerminal.com. If I hadn't already had the HF crimper, I would've gotten one there.
Also, their terminal pin extractor set is nice to have --- makes changing out old connectors easy.

Cycle Terminal --- Crimp tool page. Scroll down to bottom to see open barrel crimp.

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Well I finally knocked out the wiring. I decided to run the Cig and USB ports through my fuse box which is switched. I compared the reading of the meter when wired directly to the battery and when routed through the switched box. The readings were the same so now the meter is ran through the switched box. The GPS is ran through the switched box and the my heated gear is ran directly to the battery with the factory harness. All wires were ran through a protective sleeve and tie wrapped in place.

This thread generated some discussion on techniques for connecting wires. When I actually stopped to think about electrical issues I've had due to wire issues I can only think of 3. Ever. Corroded truck battery, loose ground on my tractor and a loose wire connector on my aerator that was a result of me tripping on it. I think this is one of those issues people worry about that really may not be an issue. I used the Titan crimper and did not solder. I guess time will tell .

Thanks for all the help!


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SilverBullet said:
Reviving an old thread as I just came across an interesting new product. I have not tried them yet but wanted to share the link. I might purchase to carry a few in my on bike tool kit. Roadside waterproof solder connection with a butane lighter or camp stove.

http://kk.org/cooltools/solder-seal-wire-connector/

_
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Cool find. Be great addition to a kit as you stated. I seem to struggle with every soldering job I do. I’d be interested to see how these hold up.
 
Solder is not real good when vibration is present , I have seen many wires broken at the end of the solder when the terminal is connected to something solid . Could be the low temp solder won't make the wires brittle at the solder joint but don't know . I use solder in a wire to wire connection but never in a terminal or a battery cable application . It's just too **** easy and quick to make a permanent connection with a good crimping tool .
 
Cagiva 549 said:
Solder is not real good when vibration is present , I have seen many wires broken at the end of the solder when the terminal is connected to something solid . Could be the low temp solder won't make the wires brittle at the solder joint but don't know . I use solder in a wire to wire connection but never in a terminal or a battery cable application . It's just too **** easy and quick to make a permanent connection with a good crimping tool .
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that's part of what the shrink tube is for, it supports the wire either side of the solder and keeps moisture away.
 
Solder or crimp the wire should have a loop if possible AND ALWAYS support the wire run. Tie wraps or lacing.
 
focus frenzy said:
received mine and gave it a try.
lets see if this amazon prime pictures works or not.

https://www.amazon.com/photos/share/HJQlnrA9qp6LTWWawAD2KcHC3bIjQMef5G2dNIj5Ho7

why the heck is this not working?
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Because that link does not point directly to an image file. Amazon is doing the same thing as Google and other sites that want you to visit their site to see the image. They are preventing you from embedding via a direct link. If your link does not end with ".jpg" or some other legit graphics file extension, it will not work with the IMG tags.
 
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After taking the bike down the Dempster I had few connection problems to my aftermarket lights and aux plug. Could be the solder cracked as mentioned above. I haven't tore it all down to look . I did order the Eastern Beaver tie in harnesses for switched power and extra tail lights. I figured one day I would get motivated to tear it all down.

I was recently tasked with building a wire harness for work. I needed to install my product and use existing sensors , power, and switches with out damaging the existing harness in the military vehicle. There were over 15 connectors. I had no clue. I have sense become very educated on building harnesses. Most connectors have a part number on them and can be referenced at Mouser or digikey. My company bought the crimpers needed for various brands of connectors. Moving forward I will be building my own harnesses for a few dollars and then just plugging them into the factory wiring.
 
Over my lifetime I have built compleatly wire harnesses for off road machinery on several occasions , the most interesting was a 24 volt machine with 12 volt accessories the factory had put a resistor in line to each accessory that failed regularly and cost way more than it was worth since it was a caterpillar I installed a heavy duty relay to draw power from one battery only , the switch was on 24 volt power but all the low voltage stuff drew power from the first battery only thru the relay that was powered up when the switch was turned on giving them 12 volt . That job was probly 15 to 20 years ago , that machine is still going strong with only a couple minor electrical breakdowns . No solder , all crimp and quality marine grade wire with metric pak harness plugs and loom on all harnesses . since this is not a garage queen , also no square crimps . Everything is stake crimp . And wont pull apart . The biggest break down was when vandals trashed the dash board because the operators didn't lock the vandle proof dash cover one night . I had to build a dash board with gauges from scratch since the dealer wanted hundreds of dollars for one because they would have to have it special built .

Dell city is my source for all low voltage supply's , I don't buy ready made fuse panels , just make my own . I kinda like to use old school SAE glass fuses blocks and just cut them the size I want and add jumper strips on the power side . One fuse block can have switched power and battery power that way . The Bosch type 5 terminal relays are fine for bikes and cars but I don't use them on heavy equipment , too fragile and you can't test it in place .
 
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Similar to the OP, I want to add a 12v power source to run GPS or charge my phone. I just have no idea what to get. Should I get the cigarette lighter port or USB only? I like the idea of one with voltage output shown, but I'm not wanting to spend 100 bucks on it. There's tons of stuff on Amazon and such, but I was hoping someone had a recommendation with personal experience on how it works for them.

links would be appreciated as well.
 
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