Boxerworks.com

Twist, I agree with you regarding the esthetics of the stock tail light. Check out what Dr. Curve did to his bike:

Definite advantages to frame mounting the S fairing –
and "flush-mounting" the headlight, as well.

However, if using a modified RT or RS bracket to frame-mount an S fairing (btdt) ...
Consider that this bracket is designed specifically to hold the stock H-light bucket
with all of it's stock wiring, circuit boards, fuses, etal ...
(a fairly well engineered and ready-made system that remains easily accessible)
Such that the question to ask becomes,
'why not simply use these stock bits ?'

I'd be inclined to either omit the burden of reinventing an electrical harness –
if I was determined to use a modified stock bracket, H-light and bucket.

Or, and perhaps more likely,
I'd scrap all of that cumbersome stock hardware, redesign the harness,
and build fresh.

the reason to mount the electrics under the tank is so I can go between the S fairing and the Pichler. The Pickler has no place to store the electrics. I thought about mounting a headlight in the S fairing. It seems easier to modify stock parts slightly to accomplish my idea. I don't want the fairing fixed to the handlebars and I want my electrics in a place so I don't need to move them when I switch between fairings. 1/2 hour to swap out the two fairings and have all the lights working.

I do like the idea of starting fresh with the wiring harness. I haven't figured out where and what I want to do about the keyed ignition. Something slick and easy to use.

Could the necessary electrical fit into a box that would be mounted onto the fairing bracket ?
Theoretically the mount and associated E-box could be designed to service both shells.
(still thinking about easy-accessibility, here)
I guess my operative thought is that with all the work involved to make a harness and E-box –
my design sense would want the capability to electrical test / replace / repair
with a minimum of further disassembly – i.e. preferably none at all.

Quick disconnect:
The modified RS braacket / frame mounted S-fairing
that I put together attached the fairing shell at 4 points, 2 upper & 2 lower.
Removing 1 screw at the top of the H-light bucket disconnected the upper support.
The other end of this support attached at the 2 stock upper locations.
2 hitch pins, 1 on each side, placed where the former turn signal stalks exited the shell
released the lower edges.
Remove 1 socket screw, pull two pins – and the fairing shell was off.

"Quick disconnect:
The modified RS braacket / frame mounted S-fairing "

could I ask you for a photo of your design for the fairing bracket?

When I built my last daily rider/cafe bike, I made my own harness. I used wires out of a junk harness. I ended up with only about 1/2 the wires as the original.

Make sure that you understand the difference between what you want on the bike and what is really needed to go down the road. You don't need much.

so...why all the wires and strange combinations of connections?

twist wrote:so...why all the wires and strange combinations of connections?

A "junk harness" as fodder will be the quintessential (and cheapest) method to build a custom replacement.

Functionally speaking, any bike only needs a greatly simplified electrical harness -
Here is a schematic of "the essential" boxer E-schematic, courtesy of Greg Halenda and Team Incomplete:

Production harnesses need to deal with all of those ulterior considerations
which are designed to provide for legal compliance as well as quick and efficient (dealer) serviceability
in order to facilitate diagnosis and component replacement as an easy and forthright (i.e. profitable) task.
This will be the corporate-efficiency reason that gives us "plug-in" electrical connectors vs hard-soldered connections ...
That said, the engineered system works very well for the home-mechanic consumer, too !
Ultimately, though, we might choose to define our own compromise between system efficiency and service efficiency,
even as the specifics of that definition will also re-define the parameters of a necessary level of "personal involvement".
But then you will know that this trade-off / balance is always part and parcel of "hot-rodding", eh ?

I had tried to send a response to this thread. I don't know why it didn't make it. I'll try again tomorrow. It was a picture of my under seat connections on the cafe' racer I made.

Chuey