The problem with buying non-running, old junkers is you never know quite how bad something is until you rip it apart. When you buy them unseen, it's worse.
I must admit, the wiring loom left a little to be desired when I removed it. In fairness it looked as rough as fu... I'd seen anywhere.
- Insulation tape covering a myriad of twiddle joints (hate those).
- Wires chopped off and left exposed (woohoo).
- Multi-plugs missing and a different set of clocks wired in (aargh!).
But nevertheless, I labelled various wires that went to the regulator/rectifier, coils etc. just in case I needed it for future reference. I'd already worked out we had no functioning charging system, oil light, gear indicator or fuel gauge when I'd fired it up previously, so repairs were definitely necessary. (The gauge was actually connected up to a brake light switch circuit if I remember rightly.)
So, yesterday I decided to pull some stuff out of boxes to see what else was hidden away. There was the loom covered in dust, mud, road grime and black paint. Out it came and straight into the sink with a dose of washing up liquid, Jif, scourers and a brush. After a bit of scrubbing I could actually tell the colour of the remaining multi-plugs, the wiring colours and, as I pulled away the torn insulation tape, I came across more cut wires. Oh joy.
With it dried out in the sun, I pulled it back inside to further inspect. It's no problem to tidy up the wiring with solder joints and heat shrink (although you do need to be careful when soldering because the vibration on a bike can crack them) but, because I'll be moving the position of some of the electrical units, I'll need to wait until the bodywork is complete.
