Wiring


The explanations below may make this less confusing.

I used TR6Ray's original wiring charts used for the early Triumphs and my 1966 Bonneville and had to change some of the wiring to fit the ignition and light switches that had been moved up front on this 1969. I thought it might be too tough but it was not. Confusing if you do not read the charts (at the end of this page) and imagine moving the switches. It just means you have to run a few more wires forward from the side panel. I will explain some of the issues in these pictures. This is a long page but should help with some of the descriptions.


Triumph 650

1. This first picture is looking forward behind the headlight where you can see the ignition switch on the left. The BLACK-WHITE and GREEN-WHITE wires can be seen going into a black TechFlex wiring harness, which is braded wire loom, running to the fuse buss in the back explained more in the picture of the wiring harness a couple of pictures down. This TechFlex harness is the one running along with the original harness.


2. In addition, the original WHITE ignition wire and the BROWN-WHITE and WHITE-BROWN wires are going into the original harness under the TechFlex. The WHITE-BROWN wire goes into the main harnass and goes forward to the headlight bucket. It is taped off there and not used. I may be able to use it for some lighting there (possibly turn signals?) in the future. I did not use it because there was no room for a fuse for it. I may re-route the TechFlex to run on the other side of the original to make more room. The next picture is the reverse of this picture.


Triumph 650

1. This picture is looking from the front at the ignition switch where the two regular BROWN-WHITE wires stop on their way to the back through the original harness. This is really only one BROWN-WHITE wire from the ammeter stopping at the ignition switch and then continuing all the way back in the original harness. The first picture can be a reminder. The BROWN-WHITE wire travels back where it meets up with a three way with one branch to a capacitor (blue can) and is left unhooked until needed using a BROWN-WHITE wire, (which will be shown later on that photo) and one connecting to another three way.


2. (Note: This next info will be repeated later.) At this other three way two BROWN-WHITE wires are added to go to the fuse buss. These two wires will mate up with a fuse each, and the wires coming off these fuse connections will be PURPLE and a PURPLE-BLACK wire. These will go into the TechFlex and run forward to power the two light relays in the headlight bucket. One is for regular headlight beam and the other for high bright. Use whichever one you want as the fuses are the same. See next picture.




TechFlex including the PURPLE wires for the lighting.


Triumph 650

1. In this picture the GREEN-WHITE and the BLACK-WHITE were entering the TechFlex from the first picture . The BLACK-WHITE wire is the one added to the ignition switch on the last free spade connector and is activated by the ignition switch and is a runner back to the fuse buss where it comes out as black from the other side of the fuse for the lighting switch activation (it is seen going forward in the TechFlex and the BLACK-WHITE is going back to the fuses).


2.The GREEN-WHITE wire returns to the fuse buss to mates fuses up with the WHITE wire OF THE ORIGINAL HARNESS and goes forward to the coils. So, naturally after the ignition switch is turned on the coils are activated. NOTE: It may seem confusing but if you look at the picture and study the original wiring as well as look at where things are on the schematics it will start to make sense. The next picture is of TR6Ray opening the TechFlex to show how runners in or out can occur.


Triumph 650



   TR6Ray, from the Brit Bike forum has, as I said before, an excellent write up there. In fact, I haven't found as good a write up for a T120R anywhere else. His story about the restoration of his 1964 TR6R Triumph covers everything. There is no way I could duplicate his technical knowledge. Please visit his wiring page and link to all the other great write ups:


TR6Ray's Triumph (link courtesy of TR6Ray on Britbike.com).


His pictures and description are much better than what I can present here. His is the guide. My pictures only represent what I did and hopefully the pictures will help you understand his wiring diagrams at the end. These can be copied at the end of this page or on TR6Ray's Brit Bike page. NOTE: There are several pictures that follow with explanations before the gallery pictures and wiring diagrams. This is a long page that may make clear the wiring, which is difficult anyway.


PLEASE NOTE: to review go back to the 1966 link on the Homepage or the first link here which takes you to the wiring of the 1966. There are pictures of relays and brackets and other areas of wiring the bike that can be useful. To wire this bike is actually simpler but it has some modifications that we will look at.




Single Point Ground and Fuse Buss

SPG

The tab on the back of the battery box makes a great place for a single point ground as can be seen in the white box. The battery terminal wires have been cleaned up since this picture was taken. The negative wire to the battery should have two leads from this post. This was a revision by TR6Ray: "I deduced that I had used too small a wire for my -ve battery lead. The original harness had two leads (in a common crimp) emanating from the -ve battery post. One went to the horn and stop lamp (neither of which were supplied with power passing through the headlight ammeter). The other lead went to the headlight ammeter and then to the rest of the bike. I opted for only one lead on the battery, and that was a mistake. I took this single lead to a 4-way bullet connector and split it there with one lead to the horn/stop lamp circuit and the other to the ammeter. While it is more convenient to have only one lead at the battery post, I had effectively cut the ampacity of the wire in half. All this would be okay if I had used a larger conductor from the battery to the snap connector, but what I used was a piece of wire from the original harness. So . . . one more order to British Wiring to get some Brown/blue 28/.3 (rated for 17.5A) and replace that smaller lead."

On my bike I opted to use the thicker wire instead of two leads from the battery as explained.




The TechFlex Harness Wires

SPG

1. We are now coming to the back and the BLUE-BROWN wire coming from the the TeckFlex is going to a three way connector where it splits off, with one going to the fuse buss for the horn, stop light relay and where the other to the negative terminal of the battery. Look at TR6Ray's schematic Page 2 of 4 at the end for this to see it clearly. It can also be traced in the pictures below as labeled under the battery box. It is evident that the BLUE-BROWN wire hooks to the battery.


2. The BLACK-WHITE is coming from the ignition switch to the fuse buss and then switches to BLACK on the other side of the fuse and goes into a three way connection with one BLACK wire returning to the lighting switch for the energy to the pilot and tail light (seen here with a black covering behind the blue brown wire coming out of the TechFlex) and the another BLACK wire going to the relay that sends power through the brown blue to the horn and brake light. This is described again later under the pictures of "Under the Battery Box"


3. The two PURPLE wires to the headlight relays can be seen. One for the high beam relay in the headlight and the other for low beam relay.


4. Again, the GREEN-WHITE wire returns to the fuse buss to mate up after the fuse to the WHITE wire OF THE ORIGINAL HARNESS and goes forward to the coils.




Points Plate

Updated

I upgraded the points plate. I found that I could get a cheap rivet gun and some rivets at the hardward store. I have made a few sets with the dark brown bakelite type points. They last a lot longer. Hard to do !




Front Brake Switch Area

Triumph 650

This shows BROWN wires coming through the headlight bucket from the main harness for the front break light switch. The hot wire lead to the switch is coming from the double lead (BLUE-BROWN) that goes to the horn and them to the switch (in the black covering and also shown in the next picture). This hot wire comes through it's own relay near the fuse buss underneath the battery box. That is the relay for the horn and brake light. The two BROWN wires are coming out of wrap where the zener diode connector for the zener is located. It is not hooked up at this time. With a capacitor in the system it may have to be hooked up.




Below the Brake Switch

Triumph 650

It is clearer to see the lead from the horn to the brake switch here (covered in the black sheath). The RED-GREEN wire is to the oil pressure switch from main harness which is grounded, of course, to the engine. Running up and down next to it is the leader for the BLACK-WHITE and BLACK-YELLOW ignition wires on the way to the points. The two BROWN and BROWN-GREEN wires were originally to the horn. They are taped off now because new lines from the horn, stop light relay in the back need their own leads now.


Same Area Left Side

Triumph 650

This side should be fairly obvious. RED is ground to the condensors. The ignition wires have not seated in the bullet connectors until the sides get figured out from the point plate. I have the coil wires separated from the others by a twist tie. The TechFlex harness can be seen running along over the original harness. There is one black tie already on the left. When finished it will be joined by other ties.




Under the Battery Box - Two Pictures

Triumph 650

1. The BLUE capacitor is there if needed. The power to it is the BROWN-WHITE wire in the lower right wrapped around a RED GROUND wire reminding me to make one for it. The BROWN-WHITE wire comes from a FOUR way with one BLACK lead going to (or coming from) the Podtronics Unit.


2. As in the first and second picture the two BROWN-WHITE wires from the FOUR way are going away for the viewer to the fuses producing PURPLE wires for the headlights.


3. The YELLOW, BLACK and RED wires on the right are from the Podtrionic attached to an aluminum plate (for heat dissipation) which is attached to the bottom of the battery box. The RED wire at the left is going to the engine for a ground. The dirty RED wire crossing the aluminum plate of the Podtronics is a ground from the horn, stop light relay, to the common point ground (CPG) behind the battery box. To the right of that there are two RED wires, one ground for the capacitor, and one for the Podtronic.


Triumph 642

4. The BLUE-BROWN wire (barely seen at the top of the first picture) that comes from the TechFlex goes into a four way (better shown in this picture) with one lead to the horn-stop light relay under the fuse buss and the other to the black sheath to the brake light switch.


5. This BLUE-BROWN wire that powers the horn relay and the black lead to brake light switch pick up power from the next wire at the fuse buss. This is the BROWN-BLUE wire (near the bottom) that comes from the main harness (and needs to be DISTINGUISHED from the BLUE-BROWN. It also drops out of the second picture at the bottom of the picture for a second before reappearing to the right, sorry!). This BROWN-BLUE wire comes from the ammeter, runs to a four way connection and FROM THERE to the fuse buss and powers the horn-stop light relay. The other BROWN-BLUE wire from this three way goes to the negative terminal of the battery.


6. In the top of this last picture are two four way connectors. The one on the left has the BLUE-BROWN wire connected to the one in the TechFlex harness and connecting up at the relay for the horn, stop light and the wire to the rear brake light for the stop. NOTE: The white wire does not come from the four way, bad picture. It is really coming between the four ways to connect to the white wire back at the harness near the CPG (common point ground) to be fed to the coils.


7. The four way to the right of the first four way has two BLACK wires coming out of this end of the four way, one coming from the fuse buss which connected to the BLACK-WHITE wire coming from the TechFlex on the other side of the fuse and the other black lead to the 86 terminal of the relay. The other end has the black wire going forward in the TechFlex for the pilot and tail light as previously described for the TechFlex harness wires. The BROWN wire coming into view at the top right is going to the brake light. I added a RED ground wire from the tail light not shown here.




The Headlight Switch

Triumph 650

The wire posts for the fuse harness for the 1969 have changed. I may redo this at some point. Right now it functions as it should with all power coming through the ignition switch first not as it was originally. This switch is old and not used on this bike. New switch on bike.


Headlight

Triumph 650

This is a normal headlight with two modifications. The original diagrams indicate to run a PURPLE hot wire from the fuse buss and split it off to the two relays. This is seen here but will change in the next picture with explanation. The other is in this picture there is a BLUE-BROWN jumper wire around the ammeter to prevent the bike shutting down due to a open circuit if the ammeter burns out. Seen here also is the BLACK return wire in the TechFlex for the light switch. The BLUE wire coming from the original harness goes to the headlight switch and from there is sent on the handlebar's dip switch which sends back BLUE-RED and BLUE-WHITE wires to the relays (next picture). The light switch is wired up normally with one change. That is the headlight switch has a BLACK wire from the TEchFlex coming to the light imput terminal which used to have a BROWN-WHITE lead (My black wire was short so I continued with a BROWN-WHITE wire from a single snap connector). The 1969 wiring diagram in the work manual has a picture of the lighting switch and is seen above.


The Headlight Shell

Triumph 650

Looks confusing but it is not. The relays are installed on enlongated bolts for the headlights. The PURPLE and PURPLE-BLACK wires are coming from the TechFlex going into each relay. In the previous picture and in the drawings there is only one PURPLE wire that was split in two in the headlight. By using the extra space in the fuse buss for another wire there are now two wires, one for each relay. Then, at night, if one of the filaments in headlight bulb burns out it is a simple matter of flicking the hi-lo switch on the handlebars and being able to get home. They each have their own fuse. The BLUE-RED and BLUE-WHITE are the wires for the headlight from the dip switch. The instrument lights are wired by the book. Notice the BLUE-BROWN shunt on the ammeter. PLEASE NOTE: the corners of these types of relays have to be ground or filed off to allow the headlight lens to sit safely in the shell. There is at lease 1/8 in of extra plastic on the corners. Also, I was able to leave the nuts a little loose so the relays could adjust their positions.


The Headlight Shell More

Triumph 650

I got very lucky and found an original Lucas ammeter that works great. I know it is original because the besel is not as tall as the replacement items that don't work very long. I wasn't sure it worked until I took a picture with the lights off but ignition on and then switched the headlights on and saw the discharge. Next picture.

Triumph 650


Join along during the restoration!!




The diagrams below can be downloaded and printed from here or TR6Ray's web pages. It takes a bit of reading and thinking about how to go about using the diagrams. If you click the picture it takes you to a larger, clearer picture. If you have a fuse box and get color coded wires from British Wiring web site lay it all out and it comes together. I spent several hours on them.





Per TR6Ray:"Page #1 only shows the tail lamp / stop lamp and the related little harnesses for them. The stop lamp will be controlled by a relay, which is only active when the ignition is on. This same relay will supply the horn as well. Hence the stop lamp and horn will both be dead when the key is off."

Here's Page #1:





Per TR6Ray:"Page 2 has more of the guts of the system, including the battery, alternator, Podtronic R/R, fuse block connections, etc. This is also the start of the main harness, which will run on forward into the headlight. So, where the harness goes off the right edge of page #2, it comes in on the left edge of page #3. Fuse ratings shown here are only a WAG. I'll need to figure out later what is appropriate, but all are of lesser rating than the main fuse between the +ve battery post and the ground stud. Also, the ignition and light switches are the original ones from this bike. I am only showing the pin connections I will be using. They are shown on this page because they are mounted on the left side cover."

Here's page 2:





Per TR6Ray:"Page #3 shows the ignition system connections and the horn."

Here's page 3:





Per TR6Ray:"Page #4 shows the stuff up front. I cheated and left some of the wires off the picture, but covered them in notes on the page."

Here's page 4:





This is a bonus. This is a safety switch. It has to be switched on in order to start the bike. If the ignition is turned on before that then the horn sounds and there is no starting it. Very cool. Again, the diagrams help. Can only find at Land Rover dealer or other English auto dealer. Disregard Fitting Lucar in last picture.







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