Hello, I'm looking for some advice regarding the headlight switch and some of the other handle bar headlight bucket wiring. I'm trying to give the CTC-1 some TLC and I want to replace the protective sheath over the wires but it's not so straightforward as the wires don't fit through the sheath with connectors attached.

Here is a video describing my specific question: youtube.com/shorts/SQ72PEvAUEU

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks.

You will replace the grey protective sheathing from the headlight bucket side on all harnesses going into it. The connectors can be pulled out from the rubber ends and plastic connectors. Use a heat gun to soften the rubber and some silicone spray lube and work them out. Or you can just buy new ones and replace them. You can also buy the correct size bullet ends and female connectors if you need them.

You can also just cut the wires about a inch from the rubber or plastic end connector and replace the sheathing then use very small butt connecters with shrink tubing and splice them back together if not doing a show restoration.

Cool, I'll try to work those out of the plugs. I already have new bullet connectors so that would be simple to crimp news ones on.

DEET here on the forum sells top notch replacement silver/grey sheathing.

I cut the old bullet connectors off as near to the metal end as I can and replace with new brass ones once the new sheath has been fitted.

For the rubber covers, push/pull the wires out of the top of the covers and then snip off the old bullets. Refit by first pushing just the wires through the rubber covers, fit the new bullets and then pull these back into the rubber cover. For the males, the fitment hole in the rubber cover is shaped for ease of fitment.

To fit the 4 wires through the sheath, I had to use a combination of lubricant, a straightened metal coat hanger with a small hook on the end and fishing wire! 

Rather than removing connectors years ago (before it was easy to find new "metric" bullet ends of the correct size) I used to unsolder the connections inside the switch and solder them back on.  The first switch I ever replaced sheathing on had a wire that had come loose and had to be re-soldered anyway.  Only could find black sheathing back then.  

I also didn't realize you could remove the bullets from the rubber plugs.  I thought maybe they were "cast in" or something.  

Sure is nice now that DEET bought like a train load of grey sheathing in various sizes and the correct size bullets are readily available these days!  

Cycle terminal has 2 and 3 pin rubber connectors if you end up needing them.

For those of us here in the UK, Kojaycat do repros of the rubber covers. I think that some Kawasakis used the same part for cdi terminals.

Worked like a charm. I just warmed them up with a hair dryer and applied a drop of dish soap and they came right out. I have 1 more to do (the blinker wires) but I need to order the next size up sheath to get 4 wires through it.

Thanks for the back up!

Well, The sheath part of this project is done. However, I don't have a low beam on the headlamp now. I actually don't know 100% that I did before this project but I'll assume I did.

I have checked the switch several times.

- I do not have AC voltage to the green wire with "L" selected on the switch
- I do have AC voltage to the yellow wire with "H" selected on the switch
- I do have continuity between the "pole/contact" in the switch and the headlight plug (both green & yellow)
- I appear to have good contact in the switch between blue/green (low) and blue/yellow (high). Maybe I need to check continuity at the other end of blue/green?

High beam and indicator works fine.

Any ideas?

Did you check your bulb and make sure both low and high beam are good?