GL1800

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TECHNICAL REPORT:
          CB Antenna Tuning

> Special Report: Apr 2001
by De Witt Morgan KM6UK

Hello everyone,

Today Wednesday, I took the 1800 to Huntington Honda to have the cabling run for the installation of my ham radio. I had decided that since there was no information available on installing a ham radio on an 1800 that I had better have a little professional help. Boy am I glad I did. Ray, KD6FHN met me at HH and watched as Neil First removed the seat, not as easy to get off as the 1500. The back portion is harder to get loose. The basic principal is the same, take out the hand holds, and lift up from the rear. Once the sear was off, he began to try various things to get the cabling from front to rear. First we/he tried the old wire up under the skin........

Well there was the first change, the faux tank, the shelter, or called any number of things, is now called a "skin." Good name, because it literally is, and fits like a skin over a bunch of stuff. A very tight fit. Although Neil could get the wire up through the skin after many tries, when he tried to pull the wires through it was bound up immediately. That is when he determined that the skin had to be loosened up to allow the cabling to be pulled through. This was about the time that Ray discovered that I was missing a cable. A quick search of the storage box produced it and it was pulled through too. The cabling could not be pulled directly through the middle of the skin, it had to be off to the left side of the middle. The ends were catching on the bike radio and could NOT be pulled through.

We were told by both the mechanics that the 1800 is no more difficult to "un-skin" than the 1500, just different. There are lots of snaps used on the 1800 that the 1500 does not have. And they are unique. You use a center punch to push in a small "pin," in the keeper for the pocket, release the pins, then......... this is IMPORTANT, place your fingers over all four pins and lift out the pocket(s). If you do not, Neil says that the pins will go flying. The skin was never completely removed, just loosened, and the wires came right through. Well the "dash" cover did have to be taken off but that is relatively easy too. One has to remove the speaker grills, remove I think 4 screws and it lifts right off..... It allows for easier access to the handlebar area.

It actually is not too hard since I have seen it done. As they say, it is not hard, it is just different. I have nearly all the wiring in place now, in the trunk ready for connecting to the radio when all is ready. I just have to run the antenna leads into the trunk, through the hole which is already bored through, connect it all up and then get the control head mounted, and the PTT switch mounted, and I will soon be M/C mobile again.

I did take a bunch of pictures but I haven't had a chance to check them out yet. If they are good, and if I can add suitable text we'll get them mounted on the web page. Read on...

The thing that is holding up the finish of the installation is there is no trunk rack yet for the 1800. It is supposed to be here in the next few days. When I can finally mount the antennas, the rest of the hook up is an easy do. If anyone has questions, contact me off-line and we'll talk it out. Again, as they say, it isn't hard, it's just different.

I cannot complete this posting without thanking Ray, KD6FHN for being there to watch and learn too. If he had not been there, I would have missed one wire and would have had to open the skin up again to place that wire. THANKS my friend.

Here Goes...

Seat removed, Remove the handles, then work UP at the rear to loose the seat rear first, more difficult than the 1500, then pull out as with the 1500

Side panel has to be removed ( I forget why). It's easy to carefully snap back in.

Trim removed, The trim must be removed to loosen the skin. IMPORTANT, (no vital, if you start at the top you'll break the top tab,) start the removal at the bottom, replace it from the TOP first, get the top tab into place and snap the rest in

Dash rem, We had to remove the dash to gain access to the pull wire. First remove the grills for the speakers, then release the dash and carefully lift it out, then release the skin enough to get the wires through, and to pull the connectors back through

Won't go, you have to pull it through the left center, you cannot pull it straight through, the radio stops the connectors.

Move the wires to the left side and the wires will then pull through the loosened skin, I pulled gently up while Neil pulled the wires through.

Pulling wires, Tape the ends carefully, then pull through gently front to back

Thru skin, You must release the skin, otherwise it seems to be too tight to pull the connectors through

Power, I had the power connected directly to the battery. I sometimes want to use (listen to) the radio with the engine off

Power2, just a closer view of the hookup

Into trunk, with the seat removed the hole was bored into the trunk on the left side, shorter power run, and the holes will be sealed after all the wires are in place.

Once all this is done, and the bike is back together it is just a matter of connecting all the parts together, and attaching the antennas. I don't know yet where I am going to mount the remote control head, and exactly where I will mount the PTT switch. Minor problems after getting the wires through the skin. I have to wait for the trunk rack to come in before I can mount the antennas.

Hope this helps,
De Witt Morgan, KM6UK.