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installing handlebar risers, removing wiring harness plug?

3K views 7 replies 3 participants last post by  dotnetman 
#1 ·
I am trying to install the Kuryakyn handlebar risers and am having an early problem. I was able to loosen the meter panel (steps 1-3) but at step 4 it wants me to disconnect the wiring harness plug. I can see the plug easily enough but it appears to be a solid piece. I know this is not the case and it is a connector meant to be disengaged or separated. But it is not obvious to me how to grasp or squeeze the connector such that it will disengage.

This is my first service attempt on the wing.
I would not be surprised if these wiring harness plugs are used elsewhere on the bike.

Can anyone explain how this connector separates?
 
#4 ·
progress and then stuck again

I was able to remove the meter panel, in hindsight it was not hard to do.
Actually the Fred H dvd #15 showed how to do this.

But now I am stuck again.
The next step is to remove the handlebar center cover.
However the 2 phillips head screws holding the cover in place are directly underneath a bracket used to secure the instrument panel. The kuryakyn instuctions appear to show a wing model without the navigation system. The nav system panel is larger and obscures these 2 screws ever more than the non nav unit.

I tried to insert a normal phillips head screwdriver onto the heads but the angle of incident is too high and I will likely strip the heads if I attempt this.
Next I tried an offset driver and was able to barely insert the driver into the head. But I was unable to rotate the driver at all.

Then I actually drove the bike, minus the meter panel, to my dealer and asked if the goldwing mechanic would look at it. He also failed to extract the screws. He said we would have to experiment with various levels of further disassembly in order to get to these screws.

At this point I am stuck again and will probably reinstall the meter panel and maybe try again at a later date.

If anyone has installed risers on the 2006+ wing model with NAV unit, I would like to hear how you get access to these 2 screws holding the handlebar center cover.
 
#5 ·
Can't be that hard! I don't remember it being any issue. How about turning the bars left and right to gain access? You do have the meter assembly lifted up and out of the way?

I'm talking about the two screws in the plastic cover on top of the tree that also covers the top of the forks. Same thing?

I also leave that cover off after I install risers. It serves no purpose I can see unless you don't like the looks of the top of your fork tubes! LOL..

After reading your post again it sounds like you haven't moved the meters yet. Remove the 4 8mm bolts and washers. The meter will lift up out of the way! You have to remove the meter panel cover (plastic). You also have to lift the meters up out of your way.

Here's someones pic with the meter assembly moved. You can see where the plastic cover has been removed. It's right there in plain view and so are the handlebar bolts. :?
 
#6 ·
4 bolts?

You mean the meter panel removes simply via those four 8mm allen bolts?
Wow, I will try that again tomorrow now that I can remove the meter panel in a few minutes (experienced now :)
Thanks!


Red said:
Can't be that hard! I don't remember it being any issue. How about turning the bars left and right to gain access? You do have the meter assembly lifted up and out of the way?

I'm talking about the two screws in the plastic cover on top of the tree that also covers the top of the forks. Same thing?

I also leave that cover off after I install risers. It serves no purpose I can see unless you don't like the looks of the top of your fork tubes! LOL..

After reading your post again it sounds like you haven't moved the meters yet. Remove the 4 8mm bolts and washers. The meter will lift up out of the way! You have to remove the meter panel cover (plastic). You also have to lift the meters up out of your way.

Here's someones pic with the meter assembly moved. You can see where the plastic cover has been removed. It's right there in plain view. :?
 
#7 ·
You mean the meter panel removes simply via those four 8mm allen bolts?
That's not what I said! And they aren't allen heads. :evil: I'm starting to worry about some of you Buckeyes since I left. LOL... Are you sure you're not a Michigan football fan that has tears in his eyes because they got beat by Appalachian State?


You remove those 4 bolts and you will be able to lift the meters out of your way. The wiring will still be attached to the back.

If you would've checked out the link I gave you on my first post above, you could've been done with this project last week. ROFL.... Some of us have BTDT a few times.


And if your dealer didn't know what to do, I wouldn't allow him to check the air in my tires!

Disclaimer.....
I am not responsible for anything you might destroy using my advice or instruction.
You are on your own!
 
#8 ·
Making progress but still could use some advise (Red?)

I finally got back to this today and was able to remove the 2 screws securing the handlebar center cover. It helped unbolting the meter panel and pulling it away as much as I could. However I cannot seem to pull the panel out far enough to then fasten your jury rigged coat hanger to it and then dangle it from the windshield.

I have pulled the panel out as far as the connected electrical cables seem to allow but it is not enough to swing up and out of the way. I am still waiting for my Honda GL1800 Service Manual to arrive, otherwise I would have read this first.

Red, do you have a picture of your coat hanger in position holding the panel up by the windshield? I also have the NAV unit and there seems to be very little slack in the harness to the panel.
Did you do anything special to obtain more slack in the cables so you could swing it out of the way?

I suppose I could go ahead and attempt to disconnect the panel connectors but would rather try this swing out method first.

PS I also have pictures I could upload of my setup but have not figured out how to reference the uploaded pictures on bigbikeriders.com. I will research this some more.
 
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