On relays and saving yourself money and headaches.

Just an FYI for those who might not know:

The "standard" Bosch SPDT relay is used (or can be used) in all kinds of places on bikes, cars, and yes, even your lawnmower.

Bosch quit making them, sold the license to TE (now Tyco Electronics). Always check to be sure you're getting a quality relay not the made in China junk. However, you can still pick a good relay up from several internet vendors. Pretty much, quit paying Harley's (or aftermarket) markup for the exact same item. As long as it's a SPDT (single pole, double throw) 30A rated relay it is the same electrically as the "genuine" part. Try to find the ones with the little mounting tab on them, as they will sub not only for the tabbed relays, but the non-tabbed ones. Buying a few of these at a time might save you a ton in the long run. Prices seem to be around $7 each now for quality (Tyco) ones. (I'm still on a sack of 10 genuine Bosch relays I bought 6 years ago for $1 each off ebay.)

Harley gets a bit over $20 for a 31506-79C as a starter relay.
Husqvarna, Sears, Cub Cadet and almost everyone else uses them in all their lawn tractors for starter relays and safety interlocks and gets $13-17 for them.
If you change the socket, it's even a better than OEM (higher current rating) solution for a Chevy fuel pump relay that even the cheap Chinese knock offs cost $30 up.

There are many other standard electrical auto parts that can be subbed in our bikes for far less money: points, condensors and spark plugs. You can make your own plug wires for a fraction of the cost of Harley plug wires.

Oh definitely! But you can save even more by not buying "auto parts". NAPA will still get you for $8 for that Chinese $1 relay, and Standard Motor Parts same thing shows a list price around $15. I worked as a temp in an auto electric rebuilder years ago and the guy had a wall full of Delco to Harley part number cross references.

He always said there was a progression in prices for the same part, depending on how they were marketed: Cheapest was anything but auto/motorcycle, then auto, hi performance auto, motorcycle and hi performance motorcycle.

Back in '77 when I first started wrenching for the local Triumph/BMW shop, I was building an old TR-6 Triumph and became very intimate with Lucas (oh damn, you let the smoke out) electrics. I did some investigating and found I could replace the Lucas junk with Sylvania/ECG commercial electronic parts for way less. Lucas 20A selenium rectifier was $38 from the dealer. 25A silicon block rectifier was $4 and a lot smaller and easier to hide when building a chop. Lucas Zener diode (regulator) was $32, ECG part was $3. Even better, you could order the Zener in a reverse polarity model and convert the old Brit bikes to negative ground. Trash the Lucas coils and use a single Harley coil (or even a Honda CB-750 coil) to clean up the bike a little more.

The things one finds out here . . .

Oh of course it is, and it's mostly Chinese...so you're not paying $18 for an $8 relay, you're paying $18 for a $1 relay.

The "world economy" benefits everybody except Americans.