FH - wiring the dashboard

 This will be the first time that I've wired up an Ariel with the separate instrument panel fitted to the swinging arm frame bikes with the headlamp nacelle. Looking at the wiring diagram it makes sense to wire up the panel separately from the rest of the bike, to be fitted later.

As you've seen, and in line with the wiring diagram, I have fitted a 5-way bullet connector between the main harness and the front end. Some of the cables from the instrument panel will go into this multiple connector, and others will stay on the panel whilst further connections will go into the headlamp. 

I made a start on the panel by fitting the ammeter and the light switch. I had the speedometer fitted as well, but found that the speedo lamp fitting was loose in the speedo body and the bulb holder could not be removed so I've sent this off for this to be repaired and the speedo overhauled.

Here's the initial layout. I've put all the wires in and crimped the ring terminals; the next step is to try this on the bike and see where the cable is going to route and how I can tie these cables together in sleeving.

This is the result. You can see I've terminated all the wires now, and added some sleeving and routed some of the wires around the top of the speedometer. I can't do much more until the speedo is back from Russell.

I need to clip the switch in and add the rubber ring around the switch and the ammeter, but it does work and I have both a rear lamp and a stop lamp. For some reason the horn doesn't work? 

It's alive!

Next stop on the wiring list is to add the combined horn button and dip switch. This is the original one and I have just removed the old wiring and clean the switch up with degreaser. More of that later.