While staring very hard at the electrical system this morning it occurred to me that it would quite simple to convert my old style glass fuse box to a more contemporary blade style fuse system.

Behind the fuse box are six wires, two for each fuse. Each of of those wires travels up and into a female white plastic connector, which connects to a white plastic male connector and then back into six colored wires. All that bulk can be eliminated and replaced by splicing the wires from the white plastic connector and soldering on blade fuse sockets. The blade fuse sockets wouldn’t need to be mounted to the metal harness like the current fuse box they could simply be tucked away under the seat.

I don’t know what this thing is. I didn’t bother looking it up in the Clymer manual. But, its just kinda floating there, held on by the rubber mount. That piece can also be tucked away under the seat.

Just looking at the electronics under the side cover I realize much of the content can be streamlined in some manner.

Just brainstorming. Too much to do before I start tinkering with hiding the wiring.

My lovely led turn signals are all wired up. I made everything as neat and tidy as I possibly could without the use of heat-shrink tubing. Curious that I couldn’t find any at AutoZone or Radioshack. I’ll have to look elsewhere for the tubing and then rewire the signals sometime later.

This morning I picked up two electronic flashers. One 2 prong, and one 3 prong. Neither of them worked. When activated, the turn signals just remain on, they don’t blink. This is because both flashers are load sensitive. They require the lights to pull the correct current before shutting off and then turning back on. Since LEDs draw less current they will never trigger the load sensitive flashers.

The relay I got from Harrison Specialties didn’t help either. So, since I have no intention of changing out my beautiful LED turn signals, I will have to resort to purchasing a true LED Flasher Relay that is not load sensitive and is built specifically for LED turn signals.

This is the one I’m thinking of.

http://www.customled.com/PRODUCTS/FLASHER_RELAY/flasher_relay.htm

$19 bucks is worth it to keep my turn signals.

Today after work I set up my tools outside, put the ipod on shuffle and started the process of removing the old handlebars. I jumped in and unbolted the front brake and master cylinder. Piece of cake.

Then I removed the electric starter control assembly. It had two screws at the bottom. Easy enough.

Slid off the grip. Easy, but what I didn’t realize was the wiring for the electric starter was strung through the bars. I guess I kinda knew, but wasn’t prepared for how I was going to take the wires out. Eh.. I just moved on to the other side.

The turn signal, horn, and clutch assembly. Three screws. Easy.

Went to work on removing the pilot lights. Four bolts. Easy.

The bars were then off. So I had two choices. I could de-solder the controls and string the wires through the bars, or I could open up the headlight and disconnect the wires from the main harness.

I disconnected the wires from the main harness in the headlight. I didn’t bother writing down where they went. Everything is color coded and it should be relatively simple to put them back where then need to be.

This wasn’t easy. The handlebars had two curves in them. Stringing the wires through was a bitch. I’ll never do that again.

Done.

Gonna ebay the old bars.

The front turn signals were fairly easy to remove… one simple nut to unscrew

But I had to disconnect the wires from the harness which meant taking apart the headlight.

Hard to believe they actually wired motorcycles this way. Kinda looks primitive in a way.

To remove the reflectors I just twisted counterclockwise.

It came right off very easily… but

This one on the right fork wouldn’t twist off. I had to break it.

I used pliers to twist if off.

The forks look much cleaner now.