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Bit off more than I can chew - Wiring Harness

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jdonovan26
  • Start date Start date
J

Jdonovan26

Guest
1980 gs1100e

i bought a bike at what seemed like a great deal. Got taken apart to thin out the wiring and redo some things the po didn't like. He lost interest and many things were left undone...including the wiring harness that was taken out and "chopped" a bit.

So here I am. I bought a harness from an 82 gs1100e. I wanted an 80 gs1100e for more piece of mind however searching and calling junk yards I couldn't find one and settled with the 82. From what I could see and the people I talked to there weren't any changes from 80-83 so I should be good, right? Maybe, maybe not. I'm trying to find out now.

Ive vey started with the headlight and directionals and began working back and have had some trouble. Some plugs don't appear to match up and some of the component wires seems to have single connectors where the harness has multi wire plugs. I've tried to use the old harness the best I can to see differences between it and the new harness I got but the new harness is taped and the old is tangled wire and zip tied ends that don't lead in any definitive direction. Did I get in too deep? Is there a write up that's already need discussed and completed I need to check out? I'm looking for a hand, a pointer, a "don't worry man you'll get through it" or a good luck pal, you should've left it with a professional to begin with!

thanks for the help and hopefully kind words. I've been a part of many forums with varied results. I hope to help others as I learn.
 
There WERE changes from '80 to '83. Mainly between the '81 and '82 years, so your harness is going to be different.

There were a few features added in '82, like a light to show the side stand was down, but that won't affect anything else.

With some creativity, you should be able to adapt, but remember that YOU might end up being the dreaded "previous owner" if you sell the bike.

.
 
I think the gauges and idiot warning box are the biggest issue. It seems to be integrated into the gauge pack on 80-81 and is external on 82-83. That will make a whole much of changes.
 
I'm not worried about being the dreaded previous owner. At least when I sell it I'll be able to say what was changed and tell the life of the bike while I had it. As far as adapting the wiring I think I'm going to reach out to some electrical savvy guys in the area and ask for some hands on help. Might be better off using the old harness and just taping it up for a cleaner look. It ran with the old harness at some point. Have to guess with a little know how it'll work again!
 
Im not using the oem gauge cluster. I have an small speedometer with similar warning lights. What does it mean to be integrated or external and do I care if I'm not using the stock cluster?
 
Jdonovan26 said:
Im not using the oem gauge cluster. I have an small speedometer with similar warning lights. What does it mean to be integrated or external and do I care if I'm not using the stock cluster?
Click to expand...

One problem with some of those units is that they require an "active hot" to turn on the light. Suzuki did a lot with "active ground", you will have to do a LOT of adapting to make them play together, if that is what you have.

Example: the stock gear position indicator fed a 'hot' wire to one lead of each of the indicator bulbs (on the bikes that had separate bulbs), then ran separate wires from the other leads down to the selector switch by the gear shift lever, where each one would be connected to 'ground' as its gear was selected. That is an "active ground" system.

Your speedo likely does not have a gear indicator, but the other lights will have to be determined whether you feed them a 'hot' signal to make them light up or if they get their 'hot' from the speedo and need a 'ground' to make them work.

Good luck. Simplifying a modestly-complex harness is not always as easy as you might have hoped.

.
 
I have a buddy coming over this weekend to give me a hand with it. He insists its easier to run new wiring ourselves but Im overwhelmed enough with the task at hand. I didn't think it'll be easier to rewire the whole bike.
 
That looks very helpful! I'll update over the weekend with progress and additional questions
 
Don't rely too much on people. They often find something better to do.
 
Are bike sizes interchangeable in regards to the wiring harness? Will a 1980 gs750 work on my 1980 gs1100?
 
What if I'm not planning on running the stock cluster? Just a speedo with warning lights
 
Jdonovan26 said:
What if I'm not planning on running the stock cluster? Just a speedo with warning lights
Click to expand...

If you are going to hack up the harness then almost anything will work. If you put a schematic of the two harnesses side by side and start numbering the ones that are likely the same you should be better idea than I can ever answer given I have no idea what you really plan. If it looks close enough for what you plan to use, then go for it.

You can always buy replacement connector shells for most of the connectors and cleaning and replacing connector ends will get you a long way to restoring the harness whether you replace or refurb the existing.
 
(You can always buy replacement connector shells for most of the connectors and cleaning and replacing connector ends will get you a long way to restoring the harness whether you replace or refurb the existing.) Can you recomend a vendor for the connectors that are usually used on the GS/Jap motorcycle electrics?
 
Try Z1 Enterprises. They have a listing of the color coded wiring and connectors.
 
I will only chime in to say take your time, its not as hard as it seems if you take one step at a time and realize you may have to take one step forward and two back once in a while?patience is the key
Also Im stealing your previous post, don't know where your got it from but its spot on!

"Don't rely too much on people. They often find something better to do."
 
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