Moespeeds
Well-Known Member
If you want one, run the extra wires and switch. Not worth it in my opinion. If you gotta have one for inspection, clamp on a switch temporarily then take it off. I haven't had a horn on a bike since 2004.
If the cost was all the same, Wire Plus, PDM, or rewire the whole thing?
- Thread starter Moespeeds
- Start date
TapioK
Well-Known Member
Heck, I can fart louder than Big Dog horn!
Other thing I never understood is run/stop switch. Is the key really too far away to turn off the bike?
Moespeeds
Well-Known Member
I think some states require a run/stop switch on the bars for inspection. I was never one to get my bike inspected, and NJ has recently done away with inspection for motorcycles so it's not an issue here. I don't like a run/stop switch on the bars because it's a long wire run under the tank and through the bars that will shut you down if it fails.
Jwooky
Well-Known Member
Moespeeds
Well-Known Member
It's easy to get wrapped up in solid state this or that, relays, etc. BUT the whole point of rewiring the bike from scratch is to make it STUPID SIMPLE. This makes it reliable, and easy to troubleshoot. On my Redneck I pinched a wire and it grounded out a few weeks ago. Engine quit while taking off from a light. I had the whole thing tracked down in less than 5 min on the side of the road, and got it going with some electrical tape and a new fuse. No relays to doubt, no solid state anything to check, no worrying if it's a bad run/stop switch, no need for a voltage tester. Some guys have great luck with their EHC's, many guys have hand controls that seem to last forever, but I've got a junk drawer full of EHC's and Hand controls with burn marks on them. Want it to really, truly be 100% electrically trouble free? Want a bike that any mechanic will work on? Wire it simple, period. There is nothing more reliable.
Jwooky
Well-Known Member
I completely understand.
Ultimately what we all want is reliability. No one would care how complex it was if it worked 100% of the time.
EE systems in cars these days are extremely complex, and in large reliable. If quality highly developed and robust components are used ( unlike EHC), weather pack connectors etc, and great care was taken to install and route wiring, there would be not be any issues.
Unfortunately for us, that was not the case. That is why I feel this is a good topic to lay out all the options we have to fix these otherwise extraordinary bikes.
Ultimately what we all want is reliability. No one would care how complex it was if it worked 100% of the time.
EE systems in cars these days are extremely complex, and in large reliable. If quality highly developed and robust components are used ( unlike EHC), weather pack connectors etc, and great care was taken to install and route wiring, there would be not be any issues.
Unfortunately for us, that was not the case. That is why I feel this is a good topic to lay out all the options we have to fix these otherwise extraordinary bikes.
DRBarnhart
Insert title here...
Fat_Bastard
Active Member
If the cost/price was the same then "Harley Harness" but then: controls, switches etc... would make it more...
Just got my Wire Plus Kit and Ignition Key Switch (after a Loooooooong Wait, 3 months!)
It has fixed all my problems, bike runs great now even seems slightly stronger at low rpm and idle --perhaps the failing EHC was not allowing strong voltages and current to other areas...
All in all I feel a strong Nuetral to the whole Wire Plus Solution. My 2004 Chopper had no PDM alternative product offering. Third choice was to rewire Harley style -- out of the question for me, too much money. Had no other reasonable choice; So for $500 and change I expected more from Wire Plus -- a "plug and go" solution.
Pro and Con:
Con:
Installation instructions are very poorly written and lack enough proper helpful photos.
(youtube video helped, showed me the wrong way to mount the modules backwards blocking view of LED's; and they probably thought they were showing you the right way, LOL) Many things omitted... -- and all wires and connectors should have come as more of a "plug and go" set up for the $500 plus... I felt they just built two modules and let you build the rest supplying a few pieces of wire and bunch of connectors. Very expensive and they took my money upfront, pretty much ignored my requests for updates and status and a 3 month wait for fabrication WTF!!!
Pro:
It worked.
Nuff said.
Just got my Wire Plus Kit and Ignition Key Switch (after a Loooooooong Wait, 3 months!)
It has fixed all my problems, bike runs great now even seems slightly stronger at low rpm and idle --perhaps the failing EHC was not allowing strong voltages and current to other areas...
All in all I feel a strong Nuetral to the whole Wire Plus Solution. My 2004 Chopper had no PDM alternative product offering. Third choice was to rewire Harley style -- out of the question for me, too much money. Had no other reasonable choice; So for $500 and change I expected more from Wire Plus -- a "plug and go" solution.
Pro and Con:
Con:
Installation instructions are very poorly written and lack enough proper helpful photos.
(youtube video helped, showed me the wrong way to mount the modules backwards blocking view of LED's; and they probably thought they were showing you the right way, LOL) Many things omitted... -- and all wires and connectors should have come as more of a "plug and go" set up for the $500 plus... I felt they just built two modules and let you build the rest supplying a few pieces of wire and bunch of connectors. Very expensive and they took my money upfront, pretty much ignored my requests for updates and status and a 3 month wait for fabrication WTF!!!
Pro:
It worked.
Nuff said.
1goodsinner
Member
I like the look of the BDM bars,and that's pretty much it! The controls are ugly and bulky,the control buttons are big and ugly like stock HD's.I definately want to have the simplified HD rewiring done,with bars similiar to Moe's.I've always had some sort of "apes" on my HD's,and bars like his look killer on the BDM's.Controls and buttons similiar to Performance Machine(w/ small buttons) are cleaner and much more custom looking.There are a ton of custom-looking speedos out there,so that's no problem!
Tim, interesting system didn't know it existed.
Just reading up on it quickly and it states "Requires a separate brake light"
How did you overcome the seperate brake light issue?
Moespeeds
Well-Known Member
Brake light is just a simple wire run from the pressure switch on the rear caliper to the brake light wires under the seat. It would be very easy to do separately. Ditch the front brake switch, you really don't need it, you very quickly get used to touching the rear every time you brake just to get the light.
can i ask you where you got your hand controls ..There will never be a kit. It's not hard at all to do it yourself, but guys are so resistant to get rid of the BD harness and controls, which is the number one weak point on the bike.
Here's a shot of the hand controls I put on when I rewired mine:
And here's a shot of all the wiring when I was done. That's every wire in the bike, right there in that picture. Take a peek under your side covers at all the wires in there to see how Big Dog did it.
Chris.Krash@comcast.net
YELLA FELLA
Member
Hey gents. I have an 07 k9 and dont fully understand the difference between a "REWIRE" & "WIREPLUS". Can someone break this down in plain ol English for me please? Thanks. WOOF WOOF!!!
Moespeeds
Well-Known Member
A complete rewire is extremely simple if you eliminate all the foo foo functions that the bike has, such as the idiot lights, front turn signals, front brake light switch, tach, etc. If you have to have all the bells and whistles, then a PDM or Wire plus is the way to go. I'm not even sure if you can get a PDM anymore. Cost wise if you do it yourself, the Wire Plus and Complete rewire come out about the same once you sell off your stock hand controls. If you have to pay someone, the complete rewire will be slightly more expensive, but not by much. I believe NAMZ quoted it in the $1500-$2000 range for a simple rewire, which puts you right there with the Wire Plus if you gotta pay someone to do it.
The Wire Plus is a band aid that you splice into the stock harness. It's not too hard to do, just tedious and if you have an issue it's an absolute bitch to troubleshoot. I have seen a few Wire Plus modules fail, I believe it's 3 now, all units I installed over the years. At least one was operator error.
Rewire takes every bit of wire out of the bike and make up a simple harness. Depending on how complex you want to make it, the job will take a few hours to a few days. It looks complicated on the surface, but once you dive into it, it's not at all hard to do. You will have to get new bars or modify the existing bars, and get new hand controls. Your Big Dog hand controls are worth big bucks, as they are getting harder and harder to find.
There is a 3rd option that some guys did using relays and aftermarket harnesses, but I know nothing about it. There are a few threads around I think.
The Wire Plus is a band aid that you splice into the stock harness. It's not too hard to do, just tedious and if you have an issue it's an absolute bitch to troubleshoot. I have seen a few Wire Plus modules fail, I believe it's 3 now, all units I installed over the years. At least one was operator error.
Rewire takes every bit of wire out of the bike and make up a simple harness. Depending on how complex you want to make it, the job will take a few hours to a few days. It looks complicated on the surface, but once you dive into it, it's not at all hard to do. You will have to get new bars or modify the existing bars, and get new hand controls. Your Big Dog hand controls are worth big bucks, as they are getting harder and harder to find.
There is a 3rd option that some guys did using relays and aftermarket harnesses, but I know nothing about it. There are a few threads around I think.