How to Redo the Wiring Harness of your Café Racer?

Simplify the motorcycle Wiring Harness with the Motogadget Mo.Unit

Depending on the age of your basic motorcycle and the preparation envisaged for Café Racer, it will be necessary to work on the electrical harness . However, faced with the tangle of cables and electrical wires of a motorcycle and the connections to be made, the question of feasibility will undoubtedly arise. The task will be all the more difficult if the previous owner(s) have made their personal contribution in more or less successful DIY mode.

Installing a speedometer , indicators and any accessory requiring an electrical connection will be a fortiori easier on a clean and optimized installation. This is why it is strongly advised to equip yourself with the appropriate equipment, to organize your workshop and to anticipate the different steps to follow.

To the question, how to redo the wiring harness of your Café Racer , Blackpines offers you a solution that has proven itself, simple, functional and secure: the Motogadget Mo.Unit .

Before detailing the characteristics and advantages of installing the box of the German manufacturer, a brief overview of the feasibility and the necessary equipment.

Go through a professional or modify your motorcycle wiring harness yourself

Dismantling the old meter and installing a new one, changing the indicators, the front and rear lights and all the other accessories requiring an electrical connection can legitimately cause concern. However, depending on the condition of the basic motorcycle , redoing the wiring harness may prove to be imperative. For a recent or new motorcycle, the complexity of electronics requires solid knowledge.

Thus, apart from installing the elements seen above, if you are considering major modifications, going through a professional will save you from any unpleasant surprises.

In the case of a Café Racer preparation , the approach is different. The motorcycle used will generally be an older model and therefore more accessible. But beware, if renovating the wiring harness of an old motorcycle, replacing it or simplifying it is clearly achievable yourself, dismantling and reassembling the connections requires careful and orderly work.

It is enough to study the electrical diagram of the technical manual to appreciate the job to be done. Also, plan to work quietly, in a well-lit and well-equipped workshop and to have the necessary equipment available:

• technical review of your motorcycle with the electrical diagram;
• multimeter;
• soldering iron + tin + holding clips;
• male and female lugs, sealed sockets ;
• electric wires of several colors and of different diameters (respect the original diameters to prevent the risk of overheating and fire);
• heat shrink tubing ;
• stretch nylon sheath or natural rubber adhesive strip ;
• wire stripper ;
• cutting pliers (small model);
• cutter ;
• heat gun for the thermo or, failing that, a lighter.

The quantity and complexity of your work obviously depends on the transformations envisaged. Most motorcycles from the 70s to 80s have a large volume of cables and equipment, even useless for some, which you will have to remove. Obsolescence or previous changes made by previous owners, perhaps risky, are all reasons to put everything back together.

Don't doubt it, modifying your own wiring harness is within your reach and will also offer you substantial savings . In addition to the satisfaction of having carried out your project, you will have a perfect knowledge of your assembly and will thus gain in autonomy in the event of problems. To further optimize its installation, Motogadget's Mo.Unit boxes (Mo.Unit Basic or Mo.Unit Blue) are the most effective current solution.

How much does it cost to change the wiring harness of a motorcycle?

As you can imagine, estimating the budget to plan for redoing your motorcycle wiring harness will depend on your preparation project. In order to help you estimate the price of a complete installation, Blackpines offers you to discover, for information purposes, an estimate of the cost to be expected:

1. Have your motorcycle's wiring harness redone by a professional : depending on the amount of work to be done and the parts to be installed, count between €500 and €1,000 (with or without Mo.Unit).
2. Redo the wiring harness of your motorcycle yourself :
   1. Without the Motogadget solution : plan a budget between €100 and €300 depending on the elements to be replaced (excluding the battery);
   2. With the Motogadget solution : The Mo.Unit box will cost you €269 in its basic version or €329 in its Bluetooth version; to be completed as an option with the cable kit at €59 and the Mo.Button at €49. (See description of the Mo.Button further down in our article.)

Count around €30 to €50 for consumables (lugs, solder, adhesive tape, sheath, rilsan, etc.).

Tip : for even more simplicity and significant time savings, don't hesitate to order the motorcycle wiring harness kit provided by Motogadget for the Mo.Unit. By equipping yourself with this kit, you make sure you have the right number of wires and the length necessary for each type of cable according to their colors and diameters .

How to make a wiring harness with the Mo.Unit?

The electronic box developed by the German manufacturer Motogadget is a compendium of reliable and efficient technology. It will allow you to considerably simplify and significantly reduce your beam. This is the assurance of a significant space saving in the search for a sleek design specific to the Café Racer.

Indeed, the Mo.Unit measures less than 10 centimeters in length and 53 mm in width. These particularly small dimensions allow it to be discreetly placed at the place of your choice, generally under the saddle. You will only have to focus on routing the cables along the frame or even inside, because for the connection to the case it will be child's play .

The M.Unit Basic and M.Unit Blue electronic enclosures are made of high performance ductile plastic. They are resistant to heat, humidity, cold and vibration. They take over almost all tasks of the motorcycle electrical system and offer many functions.

Consult our technical sheet : Mo.Unit Basic

Namely : the box receives a 12 V power supply plus ground, all the other wires are control wires for the various equipment. The harness becomes very simple: all the commands arrive and leave from the same place, with a single wire for each element.

In addition to simplifying the wiring harness of your motorcycle, the Mo.Unit avoids assembly errors and controls the entire electrical system completely and in total safety. Each of the 10 circuits is controlled independently of the others and has its own fuse . (Separately from the main fuse max. 40 A protecting the case.) In the event of a problem, only the circuit affected is cut and identified by a diode.

For technology and connectivity aficionados, the M-Unit is available in a Bluetooth® LE (Low Energy) version: the Mo.Unit Blue .

Similar to the Mo.Unic Basic, the Mo.Unit Blue also allows a connection to the Mo.Ride application from Motogadget. From your smartphone you supervise the entire installation and the alarm system of your motorcycle. (The M-Unit Blue includes an “alarm” protection system with notification alert.)

Getting started when you approach, failure detection alert transmitted in real time directly to your headset, information management (battery charge, alarm, circuit failure, etc.) and many other configurable features to discover in our technical sheet.

Simplified motorcycle wiring harness with the Mo.Button

Whatever the preparation chosen, Café Racer, Tracker, Scrambler, Bobber or Chopper, the common point is a personalized and unique aesthetic . Hiding the electrical harness is often complicated, especially at the level of the stalks .

While the Mo.Unit box already provides an important ergonomic solution , the addition of the Mo.Button connector drastically reduces the clutter caused by cables and further simplifies your installation.

Its tiny size (25 x 12 mm) allows it to be mounted very discreetly inside the handlebars for a neat finish. All controls, headlights, indicators, horn, starter, etc. are connected to it and the Mo.Button transmits the signals to the Mo.Unit via bus technology via a single cable . You will thus have a simplified motorcycle electrical diagram. Difficult to offer better!

Consult our technical sheet : Mo.Button

Change a motorcycle wiring harness by taking advantage of cutting-edge technology

To redo your motorcycle wiring harness by installing a Mo.Unit Basic or Mo.unit Blue electronic control unit, you benefit from the solid and recognized experience of Motogadget . For years, the reputation of excellence of the Berlin manufacturer has been clearly established in the world of two-wheelers and particularly in the world of the Café Racer .

Acclaimed and sought after for the quality and aesthetics of their accessories, the German manufacturer is today a must in motorcycle preparation. This high-performance equipment will help you efficiently when installing and setting up your motorcycle's wiring harness.

The Blackpines team is at your service to advise you, so do not hesitate to contact us . We will be happy to answer your questions.

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