Wiring harness for 12 V 1954 Panhead

[panhead55]

hello everyone. im looking to get a new wiring harness for my panhead. its a 54 pan but im running 12v and want to stay 12v. do i still get the 48-57 harness or does the 12v change everything and i need a different one. what are your thoughts? thanks, billy

[59Panman]

You can use it. I converted my electrics to 12 volt and used all stock wiring.

[john HD]

billy,

yes you can use nos or repro wiring for 12 volt. it will actually work better because all the wire is gauged for 6 volt. since you will be running twice the voltage you will be running half the amperage. what that means is less voltage drop and very bright lights!

the modern repro harnesses are very nice kits, i got mine from the old dude, hummer emporium makes high quality kits as well. the cotton covered wire in the kits actually has plastic insulation underneath, and the terminals are of top quality.

the only change you will really need to make is in the area of the voltage regulator, probably making the wiring simpler than stock.

also the kits come with a nice instruction sheet with a drawing of the actual components to make it even easier.

the only things i needed to add to make the installation complete was a roll of old fashioned friction tape (ace hardware) and the 5 or 6 frame clips to hold the harnesses in place (also from old dude).

john

[59Panman]

John HD,

I have very bright lights with my conversion to 12v. However, it could mean that the previous owner changed the wiring to 12v rather than OEM 6V?

Is there any coding on the wire to compare?

[john HD]

mark,

there is no coding on it. i do have a duluxe american wire gage, i'll measure some of the extra wires i have and let you know...

john

[FlatHeadSix]

Mark,
As John mentioned, running 12 volts through a 6 volt harness works great. The reason for this is that original equipment 6 volt wire harnesses use heavier gage wire. If you were converting in the other direction, trying to run 6 volt equipment through wires intended for 12 volt applications, you would have problems because of voltage drop and resistence in the lighter gage wires; Ohm's Law.

mike

[59Panman]

John,

After reading your reply, I realized what panhead55 was asking and what you said. I too had a 6 volt system and converted to 12V. And that's what I was trying to say to panhead55 in my message; less resistance. Thanks for the clarification!

[VPH-D]

I have used the V-Twin 58-64 wiring kit for 12volt conversions several times with good results.
VPH-D

[john HD]

had a chance to measure a couple of samples of both nos wire and the repro stuff i had left over. and it is 14 gauge.

john

[Moose]

great info as I'm thinking of going to 12 volt also. still thinking about who to use to convert my 50 stock 6 volt gen. and hearing there is a lot of unhappy people with the v twi** 12 volt coil.

anyone know who has stock looking wire harness for the taillight for a 50 tombstone lite?

[steve_wood]

Moose:

J&P part number 380-865. Better yet, you can buy 25' lengths of black, red, green and yellow wires. They also have 10' lengths of loom in 3/16, 1/4 and 3/8" i.d. I've used this stuff on two different bikes and it's very convenient. Well worth the money.

You can also find bulk wire at magnetoparts.com/wire.htm but I've never purchased from this source so I don't know much about it....

steve

[FlatHeadSix]

Moose,
The stock harness for an OEM Guide R-5 tombstone tailight was part of the light and came already attached to it. There is no disconnect on the tailight end, the wires were soldered directly to the bulb socket and ran continuous to the junction terminals where they connected to the bike circuit.

As Steve mentioned you can buy the OEM cloth insulated wire in bulk and make your own harness. If your '50 still has the stock fender it is a little bit of a chore to pull the old wire out of the boxed in channel inside the fender, after 50-some years the old asphalt coated wire loom glues itself into channel and is usually tough to remove.

Make your wires a little longer than your originals and do the final trim and terminal installation after installing the new stuff in the fender, they will snake through the channel much easier with bare ends.

mike

[59Panman]

Moose,

I suggest Cycle Electric for your generator and voltage regulator. I run spots along with my headlight and run the low output endmount regulator / CE500 on my generator; you can also get the standard regulator. Then get the Yuasa YTZ14S Battery and you won't have any problems with a shorted out battery on the side of the road; check around the internet for pricing as it varies widely. Mount it on end with a block of wood to bring it up to height. Here is the link. If you call them, they will answer all your questions very helpful.

http://www.cycleelectricinc.com/

[bbhf]

I too got my wiring harness from Hummer Emporium: nice quality and very well marked to where each wire goes: bbhf

[Cotten]

A six volt system can be just as bright as twelve.

They even make 6v Halogen headlamps.

The advantage that 12 volts has over 6 is its ability to overcome resistances, like crimped-on connectors instead of soldered, and screw terminals. If a system is full of butt-connect splices, 16 gauge wires, and seasons of corrosion, then the 32E is truly evil.

If a new harness arrives un-soldered, a few minutes with rosin-core and a good gun is in order, no matter what voltage you choose.

....Cotten