[ferocity02]

Q: What is the “kill switch” and why is it included?
The “kill switch” simply provides the means to turn the bike off. The “kill switch” can be anything from the stock handlebar switch, key switch, toggle switch, pushbutton, tether, or YZ kill button. You can use your own or buy one from me.

Q: I already have a kill switch/capacitor/resistor, should I send it with my harness?
If you are sending me your harness, you have the option to send your accessories along with it and I can hardwire them into the harness, or use connectors, your choice. Or, I can leave wire leads hanging out of the harness and you can wire in your accessories when you get the harness. The latter option is preferred since it gives you the flexibility to cut the wires to the exact length that you desire.

Q: What is “plug-n-play”?
This means that it comes with the correct connectors so that the stock harness does not need to be cut or spliced for installation.

Q: What are plug-n-play kits for factory components?
Lets say you already have a gutted harness, but now you want to add headlights, TPS system, etc. I can usually make a mini-harness for you that will plug into your existing harness without any cutting or splicing. If cutting or splicing is required, I will reduce it to as few as possible and give you detailed instructions on how to hook up the harness.

Q: I want headlights, but want the ability to remove them?
I can make you a mini-harness for the headlights that will plug into the main harness using a single plug. This way you can remove the connectors for the headlights and a bit of wiring all at once. I can also make you a blank plug that will plug into the connector and seal out dirt and water when the headlights are removed.

Q: What is a capacitor kit?
The capacitor basically acts as a small battery. When there is excess charge in the system, it will store it, and when the system needs charge, it will release it. A small battery can be used instead of a capacitor and is sometimes a better option. Capacitors also have the ability to regulate voltage in the system since they absorb and release excess charge. This makes for more "reliable" voltage in the system, but is something you will not notice while riding.

Q: Do I need a capacitor kit:
This question is difficult to answer due to the temperamental nature of the YFZ electrical system. Usually, if your stator is in good condition with relatively low hours you will not need a capacitor kit. But here are my recommendations (these are not guarantees):
- Basic drag harness with no extras… usually no
- 04-05 with cooling fan… usually yes
- 06-08 with cooling fan… usually no
- Electric start harness… never

Q: What are the symptoms of needing a capacitor kit?
A: When the cooling fan turns on it tends to draw a lot of power to spin up to operating speed. This takes power from the CDI and can cause bogging, backfiring, spitting and sputtering, or can even kill the engine.

Q: What is a resistor kit?
The 04-05 bikes had charging problems when the headlights were removed. The resistor kit essentially replaces the headlights allowing the battery to properly charge. With a gutted harness however, enough garbage is removed so that the battery usually charges fine without a resistor or headlights. If you find that your battery is dying, a resistor might be what you need, but this is VERY rare. If you are running a kick start harness w/o a battery a resistor is rarely needed.

Q: How does this core charge thing work?
You may choose to not send me your wiring harness. This has many advantages including no down time and having a stock harness as a backup. For the price of the core charge I will build you a harness from scratch. I get the parts for these both from Japan and used harnesses that I purchase. Any used parts are thoroughly inspected and cleaned. Unfortunately, some of the stock wire colors w/tracers are hard to come by, so I will use something similar or a solid equivalent. For example, instead of a white/black wire I may use a white/blue or solid white wire. Similarly, if I am out of a certain color of connector, I may use a different colored equivalent. I will let you know if this is an issue. You may send me back your stock harness in good condition for a refund of the core charge (in reality, I only need a few connectors from the harness, so you can send me just these too for the full refund, please ask though).

Q: What is “wiring loom”?
Wiring loom, also known as convoluted tubing, is a flexible plastic covering that goes over the wires to protect them. It also makes the harness look very neat and professional. I do not reuse the stock covering because it is heavy and looks like garbage.

Q: What’s different about running a Trail Tech stator?
The TT stator is a DC conversion so it uses a jumper wire to provide DC current to the electrical system. I will hardwire this connection in to eliminate the jumper. TT stators also require the use of a capacitor or battery.

Q: What’s different about running a Dyna CDI?
Dyna CDI’s are picky about the power they receive, and they typically need a constant 12V source to even be started. I highly recommend the use of a small battery with a Dyna CDI, although some have gotten away with using capacitors or nothing at all. If running a battery, you will need a power switch to cut power to the Dyna CDI when not riding.

Q: What is the TORS system?
TORS stands for “throttle override system” and is a safety feature on the YFZ450. If the thumb throttle is at 0% throttle and the carb is not, the CDI will kill the motor. If your bike is well taken care of, this system is not needed and it bypassed when gutting the harness.

Q: What is the TPS system?
TPS stands for “throttle position sensor” and lets the CDI know how much throttle is being asked for. With the system, the CDI varies the spark timing between an idle map and a full throttle map. Without the system, the CDI will give full throttle timing for any non-idle throttle. Some claim improved power without the TPS system, even Sparks makes a block off for it. In a gutted harness, I remove the TPS system and set it up to give idle timing at idle, and full throttle timing everywhere else. If you are running a Dyna CDI with programmable timing and you plan on dyno tuning, I suggest leaving in the TPS system.

Q: Do you send back what you remove from the harness?
No, to be able to provide free shipping, I do not send back the wire and connectors that I remove from the harness. If you would like me to send back the leftovers from your harness, just need to pay for the extra shipping, which is roughly $6 more.

Q: Why does it cost more to keep components?
When I gut a harness, I start by removing all of the stock connections, which are crimped, not soldered. I then also remove all of the unneeded wires. In doing so many of the stock components are cut out. In essence, the extra cost is to put the components back into the harness.

Q: What is the difference between 04-05 and 06+ harnesses?
In a fully gutted harness, absolutely nothing. In a stock harness however, there are some differences:
- Resistor: The stock 06+ harnesses came equipped with a resistor that powered on when the headlights were turned off
- Headlights: The 06+ headlights utilized relays to turn them and the resistor on and off
- Handlebar switches: The 06+ bikes have different handlebar switches due to the use of the relays for the headlights. You cannot use 06+ switches on an 04-05 without modifying the harness, and vice versa
- Tail light: The 04-05 tail light has a male connector while the 06+ has a female connector. The 04-05 running light uses AC voltage, while the 06+ running light uses DC voltage

Excluding these things, the rest of the harness is virtually identical between the two types including connectors and wire colors.

Q: Is this your full time job?
No, this is just a hobby of mine. I have two other jobs and I’m a full time aerospace engineering graduate student.


PM me if you have other questions!

This post has been edited by ferocity02: 31 August 2010 - 09:47 AM