The original build synopsis of this bike is here, and the previous round of pre-vacation maintenance is here. Now I'm getting the 450 ready for another week of vacation this spring along with a few changes, some minor and one a couple of them not so much. When I first built the bike I wanted to use something a little different for the headlight and though I rarely ride at night, the brightness of the LED was more than adequate (and excessive in the mirror of my favorite mountain riding buddy, @12ozPBR). After over 6 years of use I thought I'd go a different direction, so I posted a parts wanted ad and bought a CB77 headlight and gauge pair from VHT member bilbikek411 and plan to adapt it.
That means a serious change to my main harness wiring and connections. Since the off-road single beam LED was self-contained with nowhere to hide the wiring, I chose to run the right handlebar switch, illumination and indicator connections back under the tank. While it looked clean enough when fully assembled, it created a wad of taped-up main harness and connectors for the basic functions with a harness cover over it.
So it's time to unravel all that and go back to an original main harness arrangement. The only wires shortened and covered from the original harness were the turn signal and starter solenoid wires and with no need for a left handlebar switch, I used the starter button for the horn. So with this arrangement I have to extend the light green horn ground trigger back into the CB77 headlight case and create an extended handlebar ground wire since the stock gauges will no longer be mounted on the top bridge with the handlebar ground going to one mounting stud on the gauge bracket. I'll pick it up at the green ground multi-female connector from the main harness.
Coming apart...
Meanwhile, I put multiple coats of paint remover on the CB77 headlight case. It was blue when I got it and didn't look original, and it turned out there were a few layers beneath it as well. Hard to be sure what color it was originally though it might have been blue based on the darker shade underneath.
After the second coat
After the third coat
While it was soaking loose as much old paint as possible, I worked the remaining wires needed into some vinyl sheathing for the journey back into the headlight case.
The view from the front now. Some relocation of things will be necessary, and I have a couple thoughts about what I might do to improve the appearance of things.
That means a serious change to my main harness wiring and connections. Since the off-road single beam LED was self-contained with nowhere to hide the wiring, I chose to run the right handlebar switch, illumination and indicator connections back under the tank. While it looked clean enough when fully assembled, it created a wad of taped-up main harness and connectors for the basic functions with a harness cover over it.
So it's time to unravel all that and go back to an original main harness arrangement. The only wires shortened and covered from the original harness were the turn signal and starter solenoid wires and with no need for a left handlebar switch, I used the starter button for the horn. So with this arrangement I have to extend the light green horn ground trigger back into the CB77 headlight case and create an extended handlebar ground wire since the stock gauges will no longer be mounted on the top bridge with the handlebar ground going to one mounting stud on the gauge bracket. I'll pick it up at the green ground multi-female connector from the main harness.
Coming apart...
Meanwhile, I put multiple coats of paint remover on the CB77 headlight case. It was blue when I got it and didn't look original, and it turned out there were a few layers beneath it as well. Hard to be sure what color it was originally though it might have been blue based on the darker shade underneath.
After the second coat
After the third coat
While it was soaking loose as much old paint as possible, I worked the remaining wires needed into some vinyl sheathing for the journey back into the headlight case.
The view from the front now. Some relocation of things will be necessary, and I have a couple thoughts about what I might do to improve the appearance of things.
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