Relocating ignition barrel

[nikosg]

Hey guys

I am trying to relocate my ignition barrel to under the seat next to the airbox side... as it is right in the way of where my new digital speedo shall sit.

My question is, is there anywhere i can cut/crimp wiring closer to this new location, rather than undoing the whole wiring main harness to separate the ignition barrel wiring?

Has anyone done this before?

any tips/tricks would be great

 

[koolaid_kid]

Fortunately, you have fairly simple ignition switch wiring.
4 wires:
Headlight
Tail light
Battery
Ground
Since it was originally near the headlight, that would be an easy move; the wire is very accessible. A new ground wire would also be easy, as would a new wire to the battery. The tail light would be the only one you would have to peel out of the harness unless you just ran a new wire.

 

[Steve]

I don't know anything specific about your 400 (we did not have there here in the USA), but there are usually four wires that go to the switch. The red and orange wires come from, and go back to, the fuse box, so that will be easy to change. The gray and brown wires come from, and go back to, the instrument panel, and will be easy to just jumper together and not have them switched.

The gray wire is connected to the lights, when the ignition switch is ON, it feeds the brown wire, which goes to the tail light. The tail light is separated from all the other lights so that it can be powered directly by the red wire when the ignition switch is in the PARK position, which is intended to be used as an emergency beacon when the bike is parked on the side of teh road, not for general parking. If you connect the brown wire to the gray wire, the tail light will still come on with the rest of the lights, but not when you use the PARK position.

Please note that if you move the switch, you will also remove the lock function from your forks.

.

 

[Steve]

Fortunately, you have fairly simple ignition switch wiring.
4 wires:
Headlight
Tail light
Battery
Ground
Since it was originally near the headlight, that would be an easy move; the wire is very accessible. A new ground wire would also be easy, as would a new wire to the battery. The tail light would be the only one you would have to peel out of the harness unless you just ran a new wire.

K_K, is the 400 switch that much different than the rest of the GS bikes?

This is what I am used to seeing, I have not inspected a GSX400 wiring diagram:
Red wire - hot from battery, via MAIN fuse
Orange wire - switched hot wire that goes back to feed the rest of the fuses
Gray wire - feed from the headlight and instrument lights
Brown wire - switched wire that feeds only the tail light.

.

 

[koolaid_kid]

K_K, is the 400 switch that much different than the rest of the GS bikes?

This is what I am used to seeing, I have not inspected a GSX400 wiring diagram:
Red wire - hot from battery, via MAIN fuse
Orange wire - switched hot wire that goes back to feed the rest of the fuses
Gray wire - feed from the headlight and instrument lights
Brown wire - switched wire that feeds only the tail light.

.

Brown - tail light, and we agree
Gray - headlight and we agree (the lighting switch distributes it to the instrument bulbs)
Red - battery and we agree
Orange - single fuse system, so it just distributes it around the system. I called it ground, and I was incorrect. Thanks for the clarification, Steve.

 

[nikosg]

thanks guys! ill try get a picture of the wiring diagram up...

this helps a lot

 

[nikosg]

ok here goes

i hope my drawings doesnt confuse it more than i already am. wiring diagrams are not my speciality...

Would it be just easier to crimp wire extensions onto the existing bullet?connector and feed them back under the tank to where i want it?
Or would it be just easiest to reconnect new wires to necessary points and leave the existing wiring taped off in the harness? These new points im...unclear about :s

 

[posplayr]

You are correct, the easiest thing is to extend the wiring from where the ignition switch UBS in the length you require. I'm guessing that length would not be more than 3 ft. I know there are some that would cringe to add even more wire to the ignition switch loop but the two primary wires(red and orange) are oversized and the bigger voltage drops are in the switches and connections.
I would caution about adding more contacts though and I would probably make this a semi permanent modification. For example if you added the wire extension to the ignition switch the you would not be modifying your harness at all. If you never do want to actually improve things somewhat cut out the 4 pin connector and solder in wires for the whole extension.

 

[Agemax]

you could always go to a remote control ignition switch and do without the switch altogether. easy enough to wire up..........

 

[nikosg]

hmmmm...

how much would said item cost Agemax?

 

[Agemax]

hmmmm...

how much would said item cost Agemax?

i built my set up from scratch a few years ago now, cost me about ?50. you can buy remote start kits on ebay now for less than ?30

 

[nikosg]

well you sound like you know what your doing! whereas... me......

any issues with it so far?

 

[nikosg]

You are correct, the easiest thing is to extend the wiring from where the ignition switch UBS in the length you require. I'm guessing that length would not be more than 3 ft. I know there are some that would cringe to add even more wire to the ignition switch loop but the two primary wires(red and orange) are oversized and the bigger voltage drops are in the switches and connections.
I would caution about adding more contacts though and I would probably make this a semi permanent modification. For example if you added the wire extension to the ignition switch the you would not be modifying your harness at all. If you never do want to actually improve things somewhat cut out the 4 pin connector and solder in wires for the whole extension.

So if i lengthen the wires, am i weakening the system? I was going to solder the wires together not add more connectors... like you say.

still... will this be likely to cause me any problems?

 

[Agemax]

well you sound like you know what your doing! whereas... me......

any issues with it so far?

no problems at all, but maybe later this year i plan to upgrade the receiver modules for more robust and up to date versions

 

[posplayr]

So if i lengthen the wires, am i weakening the system? I was going to solder the wires together not add more connectors... like you say.

still... will this be likely to cause me any problems?

It wont hurt anything.