[Willie]

I am getting ready to replace the wiring harness on my RE.  I am contemplating ways to label the connectors and photograph and diagram the routing.  I  would appreciate any advice about replacing a wiring harness that any of my fellow forum members would care to give.  I am not bad with a wrench, but have limited knowledge and experience with electrical, and I have never attempted replacing a harness before.  Thanks in advance for your help!

[AzCal Retred]

Why are we replacing the harness? Did it burn up? Job #1 is to find out why it died before cooking harness #2.
Is it just chafed or worn in spots? Shrink tube & butt splices might save a lot of work. Good old friction tape still works to guard against mechanical wear.
Wires on a stock harness are color coded. They really should agree with the wiring diagram, which displays the color code. The local electrical supply has books of "Brady Labels", peelable strips with letters, numbers, etc. if you need to mark further, just make a note sheet of what you did. These label books come in a variety of configurations, pick one you like.

Is this a 1 for 1 OEM swap? If so, get familiar with the appropriate wiring diagram. Remove the battery before you start! ( ) Use a camera to document connections as they come apart, start an electronic folder with labeled JPEGs with titles or numbers, and a text document that explains the more puzzling bits. Note the connections where the wiring color codes change. Start at the casquette or headlight, work your way back. Buy a big bag of 8" zip ties. Clean & grease ALL ground connections. Get some "connector/bulb grease" from the auto supply, use a Q-tip to put a thin film inside every connection you reassemble. Take good notes & take your time, It'll be OK.

[Willie]

Thanks!  Good stuff.  I was going to use file labels folded-over like tags, but the Brady labels sound like a better idea.  As I tracked-down and temporarily fixed my electric starting issues, I did a dissection of the wiring in the casquette I discovered that almost every wiring trunk had been deformed/flattened in places along the wrapping/sheath.  I peeled-back the sheaths, and almost every wire within had several spots where the wire was bare and the insulation had been worn away.  These spots lined-up with areas where the trunks had been randomly stuffed-in together and wrapped around each other.  Friction and wear was inevitable given the close confines and the motion of the casquette during operation of the bike.  Also inside the trunk sheathing the individual wire insulation was often flattened and wrinkled as if it had been ironed.  All the wiring had been stuffed into the casquette without regard for any consequences from the turning of the front wheel or vibrations, etc. from riding.  I could not find a cause for the melting/erosion of insulation other than their tight contact with one another.  I think the bare wires shorted-out intermittently inside the sheathing.  None of the components (solenoid, starter, headlight, signals, horn, etc.) showed signs of malfunction that would have cooked the wires, and the battery output voltage and load readings were all within normal limits.  Nothing appears to have caused the damage except poor wiring technique and shoddy workmanship.  It is chafed, worn, cooked and deformed in so many places that I think the best option is total replacement.  I can locate no similar issues anywhere else along the wiring harness or on/in any connectors, relays, or fuses.  Thanks again!

[axman88]

I have a collection of different colors of electrical tape that I acquired when working as a sparky.  When I tore down my 2012 UCE recently, I just color coded the bits with the tape as I disconnected them, and took pictures with the digi-cam as I proceeded.  Mis-connecting connectors didn't seem like much of a possibility.  It seemed that at any given point, there were never two sets of identical connectors, ... perhaps in the headlight there were two the same, but everywhere else, connector style or conductor counts or both, were unique.

It didn't seem like I needed the color coding, but I used it regardless.  But, I haven't yet re-assembled, so that will be the proof.

The ROUTING of the various bits seemed like a bigger potential source of confusion, so this is where the pictures will be handy.

[Willie]

THANKS!