Vintage Connections Electrical Repair Kit | MC Tested

Ever peered into the headlight housing of a vintage bike and discovered that horrible things had been done to the wiring? Electrical tape, wire nuts and sloppy soldering are just a few examples. We can sympathize with the shadetree mechanic that did the work. After all, it's hard to do a good job without the proper equipment.

What is the proper equipment? If you're working on a Japanese bike from the 1960s-'80s, you can't do better than what comes in the CK-2 Professional Kit from Vintage Connections. The set comes with a case full of OE-style connectors plus a set of ratcheting crimping pliers. Supply your own wire strippers and you're ready to make professional-quality repairs that will blend right in with your bike's original connections.

While soldered joints are often susceptible to vibration-induced fatigue, crimped barrel connectors create a durable coupling that's easily separated. We've used the kit to rewire a vintage bike and install electrical accessories on modern bikes. Although using the pliers and connectors would seem self-explanatory, there is some technique involved and we botched a few crimps before figuring it out. Subsequent projects went much smoother. The kit's many different connectors are all made from brass and the vinyl sleeves fit snugly. Dab silicone on each one before pushing them together to ease future separation and seal out water.

The CK-2 kit is somewhat specialized, but if you work on old bikes or just want to make quality electrical repairs, then the Vintage Connections set is indispensible. Save the electrical tape and wire nuts for turning your old helmet into a lamp.

Vintage Connections Electrical Repair Kit
Price: $80
Contact: Vintage Connections
www.vintageconnections.com
**Verdict: ** 4 out of 5 stars

The only option for OE-quality electrical work on older motorcycles.