98 Sportster Removing handlebar housings and cleaning bars

[Chopit1963]

I want to remove my hand controls the left side is the headlight,turn signal and horn I am removing my turn signals I already removed my horn my question is if I cut the wires all the way at the loom will my headlight still work I no I will lose the option of high and low beam but that's fine ? Also on the right side handlebar control. You have the push button start which I don't need because I have a push button starter on so I don't need any of them I was told cut all the way at bottom of loom and just loop the on off switch so it will always work then I can remove the whole housing. Just want to make sure before I break my bike in the last week of summer and I'm horrible at electrical thank you guys !!!

[Tattooo]

I want to remove my hand controls the left side is the headlight,turn signal and horn I am removing my turn signals I already removed my horn my question is if I cut the wires all the way at the loom will my headlight still work I no I will lose the option of high and low beam but that's fine ? Also on the right side handlebar control. You have the push button start which I don't need because I have a push button starter on so I don't need any of them I was told cut all the way at bottom of loom and just loop the on off switch so it will always work then I can remove the whole housing. Just want to make sure before I break my bike in the last week of summer and I'm horrible at electrical thank you guys !!!

Your fixing to break your bike..........

[Chopit1963]

Lol you know what I mean I don't want to break it, I'm the worst with electrical

[Tattooo]

Lol you know what I mean I don't want to break it, I'm the worst with electrical

LOL I know exactly what you mean..... If you just start cutting wires it won't run without hooking wires together and if you leave some loose it will either kill your battery or even worst start a fire.....
Get you a Harley Manual before you do anything......

[Chopit1963]

Dam I better start researching this thanks just can't see spending money to get it done.

[Tattooo]

Dam I better start researching this thanks just can't see spending money to get it done.

That's a smart idea..... Get a wiring schematic and study it over and over..... It's not that hard don't make it that way... Ask questions if you get stuck........

[DrFxr]

Do what Tattoo says, get a manual and study. And you don't have to cut anything, all of those wires have a plug on the end of them. Take the extra 10 minutes to remove the tank and unplug the controls. Then figure out what you will use for a headlight switch, and refer to your manual for the correct wires to use. Buy 3 deutsch pins, crimp them on the wires for your new switch, and replace them into the correct slots on your old control plug. The plug is disassembled by gently prying off the orange cap. Then the wires can be removed by gently prying each tab inside the plug towards the center and pulling the wires from the back (one at a time).

[Sky]

Left side
16g blue wire is power to the hi/lo switch
16g suite and yellow are from the switch to the headlight bulb
(16gauge is thicker than the the other 18g wires in there)
Put a on/off/on toggle in the clamshell or wherever...

Right side
Grey is power into the kill switch
White/black is power out to the coil and ignition
Be aware there is a bank angle sensor integrated into this gray wire on a stock harness
Some people have had trouble with this...

Still on the right.
Orange/white is power to the front brake switch
Red/white is power out to the brake light
Try one of those banjo bolts with the integrated switch if you are keeping the front brake(s)
Of just rely on the rear light switch.

https://www.google.com/search?q=98+sportster+wiring+diagram

Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.com/itm/231141384195

[Chopit1963]

Thanks for all the help I appreciate it I guess a few beers and I will get to it

[farmall]

Beer and wiring (or wrenching) mix poorly. Much love for beer on my part but I never met anyone it made smarter.

Study, work, then reward your success with a frosty libation.

Choose to stop sucking at electrical. It's much easier than wrenching if you read first, take your time, and use proper wiring techniques and parts. There are plenty of useful threads on doing it right, it's cheaper to do it right, and can get expensive if ya do it sloppy and wrong.

[thecarfarmer]

...Choose to stop sucking at electrical.

X2!

The kind of electrical work you're gonna' run into on a chop ain't rocket surgery. But it takes some thinking to learn.

The suggestion was made to get a FSM - super good idea (kinda like having a parachute is a good idea for skydivers). I'll also suggest you photo copy the wiring diagrams for the areas you're working on. Then, take color pens and color the wires for the circuit you are gonna' work on.

My eyes tend to skip a lot, and I found this helps. Plus, by the time I get to actually digging in to the bike, I already have a pretty good idea how everything is gonna' look.

Also, my '02 manual shows which pin on the Deutsch connectors the wires go to - you can see very small #s molded on the connector bodies... they match up. Which is a real plus!

You can get little plastic pins that fit where wires have been removed from Deutsch connectors, this keeps them sealed (and your wiring corrosion-free).

-William

[RickG61]

I'll also suggest you photo copy the wiring diagrams for the areas you're working on. Then, take color pens and color the wires for the circuit you are gonna' work on.

My eyes tend to skip a lot, and I found this helps. Plus, by the time I get to actually digging in to the bike, I already have a pretty good idea how everything is gonna' look.

Plus the added benefit of having the original clean and grease free if ever needed again. I do the same thing with photo copies and colored highlighters. If those pages survive in decent shape, I file them away in my SM for future reference if need be. If they get torn or greasy, they get tossed and the manual survives for the next go around.

[bfarrell]

Photo copy, tape together as one page. Go to office supply store, have a master 11x17 produced, full color. Laminate it. Best wiring schematic ever.

[Tattooo]

Photo copy, tape together as one page. Go to office supply store, have a master 11x17 produced, full color. Laminate it. Best wiring schematic ever.

That's what I have been posting and doing for many years now...... It's works even better when you can blow it up when your getting older......... LOL