Read where Greywolf used a grounding lug attached the the cowling frame up front under the fairing, I have a question I will be installing a 12 v power outlet by the dash can I just run a #12 wire back to the battery or the fuse panel and the ground wire to the grounding lug,

2nd question can I get by with a 5 amp switch to turn off a headlight, I can wire a relay if it is needed

3rd question, can I use the heated grip wire under the tank to power my volt meter

Chet

Sure to all three.
Best bet is to take the ground to the battery. Then you don't worry about poor connections.
The 5 amp switch is good if you are operating the coil of the relay and not the contacts.
The heated grip is that good source to switch the relay. Then it's a keyed device and will not remain on when the bike is shut down.

That's exactly what I'm doing, Chet. The relay allows me to use a 5A switch; without the relay, I'd need a switch with a higher amperage rating.

__________________
DL1000K9
YW125A

Glad I checked in, I meant to use the 5 amp switch to shut off one headlight without a relay, so I need to get a relay and a socket.


thanks
Chet

A 5A switch can handle a headlight with no relay. Headlight relays are a good idea though because the stock wiring can develop problems with the headlight load over time.

__________________
Pat- 2007 DL650A was ridden to all 48 contiguous states. 2012 DL650A is just getting started.
Nicknames for posting ease on my part, Vee = all DL1000s. Wee = 2004-2011 DL650s. Glee = 2012+ DL650s

Watts = volts x amperes
Amperes = watts ÷ volts

So, a 60 watt headlight bulb on a 12 volt circuit draws 5 amps.


Watt is the unit of electrical power
Volt is the unit of electrical force
Amp is the unit for the rate of flow of the electrons (6.241 × 1018th power per second), named for André-Marie Ampère

__________________
2007 DL650A Whee! (SV cam transplant)

Manage the unavoidable.
Avoid the unmanageable.

The voltage is somewhat variable. 13.8 volts is typically used to approximate vehicle voltage when the alternator is running.

__________________
-Tom (DL650AL2) (KA1TOX) (E-I-E-I-O)

This message and images are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. http://creativecommons.org

Is the switch 5 amp AC or DC? Sometimes the DC rating is less. Personally I'd want a bigger margin, so I'd look for a 7 to 10 amp switch. And, personally, I'd avoid the relay and use a higher-power switch, unless I was rewiring the entire headlight circuit. I know (from personal experience) that the connectors are barely adequate, and too much current is going through the switches as wired stock. But adding extra connectors and parts just adds more things that can go wrong, and will make it harder to trace if/when they do.