Wire Your Chopper in 10 Minutes (How-To)

[Greasesgarage]

If you’re tired of sorting through wiring diagrams (or don’t know how to read them properly yet) I’ve put together a full video tutorial for wiring up the SIMPLEST chopper wiring you can imagine.

Kickstart only, points ignition, headlight, taillight and charging system for an Evo Big Twin.

This is designed to be plug and play, so head out to your garage with your materials, and do exactly as I do. 10 minutes to a fully wired chopper.

Enjoy

[TriNortchopz]

Thanks GG, that was a well spent 10 minutes.

I like the way you broke it down into separate circuits – looking at it all – especially when faced with a stock wiring diagram – can be confusing and intimidating.

You made it simple. The job needs to be tackled in stages as you have done.

The builder needs to remember the importance of a electrical tester, a multi-meter, so they can check all systems - for power, continuity and resistance, and even as simple as determining which posts on the ignition switch are powered when the key is in the different available positions.

It looks like your grounds need a bit of help though; I always remember being told years ago:
'there is no power without a ground',
and so often a bad, poor or corroded ground wire is the issue with many intermittent or un-traceable faults.
The ground to the frame needs to be clean, no paint, primer or rust – as you noted, the whole frame becomes ground.
The headlight also needs a good ground – grounded to the frame – not the front end... if it is grounded to just the frontend, the ground will then be through the steering bearings to get to the frame, which can cause pitting of the bearings, or at least a poor ground.

For further reference, here is a link to a 12-page CC thread from 2011 – 2022:

2011 Thread: Evo Sporty Rewire (Reduced to Essentials Only)

https://www.chopcult.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12086

Get Wired!

[TriNortchopz]

from CC member bpeak; "a series of 3 videos"; wire your Ironhead chopper in "just over an hour":

"Hey CC. So I've had a number of questions online about my build (thread titled "1971 Sportster Ironhead Chop - Redo it Right") specifically regarding the electrical and wiring setup...
(see 2018 build thread here: https://www.chopcult.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50933)

I decided to do a series of 3 videos.
The goal was to break it all down and outline what worked for me. I know there are a million opinions on wiring do's and don'ts.
I'm positive that even my job could have been done better or cleaner. Point is - this design and installation works.

So check it out. It's a 3-part series and they are long (just over an hour all together).
So if you are planning on wiring up an ironhead chopper... grab some popcorn and sweet tea and enjoy. Hope this helps one way or another. Here's part #1, 2 & 3:

Thread: Ironhead Chopper Wiring Diagram EXPLAINED

http://www.chopcult.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52686

[TriNortchopz]

remember this from Street Chopper, Dec. '72:

Vintage Tech — Wiring Your Chopper

All you wanted to know about wiring your chopper but were too SHOCKED to ask!



"Wiring a chopper has long been a source of nightmares for the average bike builder. This has come about because of a lack of knowledge or background in electrics...

No matter what has happened in the past, if you want to enjoy your bike and not spend the weekends patching it together, you have to wire it right the first time.
Wiring your chopper is not hard. Take a simplified diagram and some basic tools and you’re in business.

In this story the simplified diagram has been provided, all you have to provide is the bike and some wire cutters, crimpers, electrical tape, wire lugs, screwdriver, and a soldering gun..."

NOTE: this article includes a poor recommendation for headlight grounding:
"Let’s say you have a two headlight system...Both should have a good ground wire. Connect ground wires to the front end which serves as a good ground..."
No, not a good ground - ground your headlights to your frame; you don't want your frontend ground to go through the steering bearings.

This article includes charts for wire size,(and recommended wire size for each part of the electrical system) as noted, "Selection of the proper gauge wiring is very important. A specific gauge wire is designed to handle a certain amount of current..."

"Inspect all wiring when completed, looking for connections that were not made. Trace all wiring making sure each is hooked up where it belongs. All that remains now is to fire it up and enjoy the weekly or daily ride."

https://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/story/tips-and-tech/wiring-your-chopper-get-wired-vintage-tech/

[Greasesgarage]

This is a great reminder, thanks man! Will find a new spot for that headlight ground so I don’t run into any issues with it down the road.

Glad to hear you found the video helpful! I know when I was getting started I knew literally nothing about wiring or diagrams and this video would have been big for me to figure it out and get my bike running for the first time

-Grease