Installed Denalis - what to do with excess wiring?

[dcstrom]

The Denailis come with generous lengths of wiring. Not a complaint, but I guess, like most readymade kits, they are made for bikes with batteries further away from the lights. I'm not really up for cutting the wiring and rejoining plugs cos I know it would take me too long and I wouldn't do as nice a job. Maybe eventually I'll get an expert to do it...

I'm just about done with all the electrical stuff now, but the area under the right panel is looking pretty chaotic, and the extra length of the Denali wiring is going to be the icing on the cake. Who's got Denalis and what did you do with the wiring? I know I've seen pics of some really nicely done setups under there - Firefight911 was one of those yours?

Please help me with my tangled mess!

Trevor

 

[RogerJ]

Just gathered up the excess and zip tied the artfully arranged bundles to the inner sides of the tank making sure that nothing (like the forks) touches or abrades when turning the bars fully side to side. You don't even notice it is there. Have had no problems at all with it this way after a lot of kms. All works fine.

 

[BWC]

Trevor, I hear you on the excess wiring. Another option. I installed the D2s on my bike by fastening the "box" near the bottom part of the main wiring on the RH side of the bike under the tank. In that area and forward of the rear shock is lots of room to gather the excess. Bundle ties are your best friend. ;D
Ran the two output leads from the box to follow the same main wiring to the front and ended the connectors to LEDs on the LH&RH sides, at the front edge of the cam cover. LEDs mounted on Givi bars. Wanted to be able to reach the plugs at the front to easily disconnect and remove the bars with LEDs attatched.
Sounds like you have the high/low tie in to stock wiring thing sorted.

 

[Tremor38]

All good suggestions. I will ususally leave the excess bundled and spot tied against a wiring loom until I'm satisfied with the routing of the wires and the location of my lights or whatever I'm installing. After that, I usually shorten the wires to the appropriate length. The tidiest and easiest way Ive found so far is using regualar Posi Locs with evirionmental heat shrink around the outside of each one. I stagger the position of the Posi locs so as not to creat a bulge from them being right next to each other. The only tools needed are a wire stripper and cutter.

The earlier posts had good advice about bundling against the main harness on the RH side, so if you're still adverse to cutting and rejoining, that's an excellent alternative.

 

[tubebender]

I going to shorten mine one of these days.
But until I do, I just bundled everything up under the RH panel and ty-wrapped it down. Even used the the toolkit rubber strap to hold the control box.
If they had put a male and female plug on the entire center wire section it would have been easy; I'll just have to do it myself.

 

[dcstrom]

Ah yes, I hadn't thought of cutting and rejoining. Something about wanting to retain the integrity of a single piece of wire, but I need to get over that! I really am a dufous with electrical stuff, so the thought of messing with something that is made by somebody who knows what they're doing doesn't appeal to me. However I've used the posilocks with good success on the Vee in the past so will probably go that route, once I have all the "kinks" ironed out with the routing.

Tubebender - I don't have any free space where the toolkit used to go - I have the stebel horn compressor there, along with associated relay and wiring which (come to think of it) is also too long. It was one of Easter Beaver's kits for a V-Strom. Looks like i'm going to have a party with cutters and posilocks! Should make a good deal of space there. Stebel loom will be the first to go, it's been there taking up way too much space for a while now.

thanks!

Trevor

 

[limey]

I am with Tremor on this one, that is what I did shortened the wires with Posi Locs and heat shrink.

 

[Tremor38]

I am with Tremor on this one, that is what I did shortened the wires with Posi Locs and heat shrink.

This isn't @ you limey, since you've obviously 'been their and done that' just amplifying a bit for others 8)

The connection is already pretty secure with the Posi Locs. The heat shrink adds additional moisture protection and strain relief.....and if you get the black, enviomental grade of heat shrink, it really looks the part 8)

Guess I should have added 'hot air gun' or 'blow dryer' to the required tools, athough I've use a micro butane torch to great effect as long as you're careful not to overheat any areas. In a pinch a cigarette lighter will do the trick.

 

[EricV]

In a pinch a cigarette lighter will do the trick.

That's our Tremor, playing with fire again. ::003::

No real issues with shortening the wires boys, go for it. Posi-locks or solder or just crimp with a good tool and you'll be fine. The waterproof crimp/solder connectors are pretty cool and you can just use the trusty heat gun on them. I don't think the blow dryer will get hot enough, but if your Sister allows it, give it a try. ;D Fire works too, but be careful, eh. Crispy S10s are not fun!!

 

[sportrider]

I wire tied them in a loop under the tank closer to the right side and made sure there was no contact with hot engine parts.

 

[elizilla]

I put the wiring harness in a ziplock bag labeled "Denali wiring harness" and put it away in the garage. The Denalis (mine are the previous gen) also came with a pair of plugs that plug into each light and have a foot or so of wire on them, and nothing attached to it, just bare ends. I used these, and made my own wiring harness to connect them to my Fuzeblock, in just the right size to fit the bike without having to pack a bunch of extra harness somewhere.

Because really, that harness they come with? It's fabulous. The best possible thing. But it's overkill for my use, and if I cut and splice it I'll be letting the corrosion in, which takes away half of its fabulousness. Maybe someday years from now I'll move the lights to another bike, and I'll find that harness is just the thing in the next application. So I've preserved it. But I'm not using it now.