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Running wires for accessories.

8K views 21 replies 15 participants last post by  OneGun 
#1 ·
I know this is probably the simplest question ever but I'm going to ask it anyways.

I did do a search but didn't find the answer in it's simplest form.

I just got my bike a couple weeks ago and its been cold and my garage is not heated so I haven't done much other then look at it.

It's finally nice out so I plan to ride and do some work on the bike.

Looking to install a 12volt/usb port onto the bars and am trying to figure the best way out.

How do most people run their wires back to their batteries.

Whether it be to a fuse box or just directly to the battery.

Remove the tank completely to run the wires under the tank?

Remove some of the fairings and just lift bottom of tank and fish wires through with coat hanger?

Run wires along same bundle as other wires?

Along the frame?

Thanks
 
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#2 ·
I run them along the same bundle as the other wires.

Always use a negative wire back to the battery on our bikes with their bolted-together part steel & part aluminum frame.

There is nothing wrong with running both wires to the battery. If you have a lot of devices, it is neater to used a fuse panel. Be sure you put a fuse in the positive wire pretty close to the battery. It'll protect the wire from melting in case the wire chafes and grounds to the chassis. You can use longer screws in the battery terminals if the thickness of the ring terminals adds up...your power outlets, connection to a battery trickle charger, connection for heated gear, etc.
 
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#3 ·
Its easy enough to fish the wires back to a fusebox (recommended) without completely removing the tank but this leaves the wires unsecured.

Since removing the tank is a step in so many maintenance procedures, and only takes a few minutes to remove with practice, I would suggest removal to run the wires. I didn't see new or used in your post, maybe the tank needs to come off for air filter cleaning or replacement or a host of other issues and you can multi task this project.

My tank has been off more times than I can count for wiring but always there were multiple other issues to address such as fuel filter bypass, TBS, valve adj., new plugs, air filter, etc. but mostly, MORE WIRES!
 
#4 ·
I like routing wires back to the battery or fuse box with the bike fully assembled. That way I am sure they are not being pinched where they are routed. I secure them immediately before and after they disappear under/behind body work, so the unsecured run is very short. When you have the tank off for maintenance you can add a few more zip ties if you like.


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#5 ·
I put in a 12V power port on my bike that was easy peezy to put in (well lots of little things but not too difficult).

I took off all the plastics, removed the tank, airbox and found the plug for the optional heated grips. Wiggeled and moved the connector to the outside left hand of the bike and cut the connector off and put in a new wire to go up and under the fairing to the handlebars.

Everything is soldered and shrink wrapped nicely, and ran the new line with the wire harness to the dash and electric taped it to the harness like a pro. Everything looks stock (I hate messy setups), everything is as waterproof as possible. I even put in a 5 amp fuse.

I have my two small lights on my forks running on this (1 amp maybe total) and my GPS or cell phone charger. Never had a problem (so far)
 
#7 ·
I run the wires from the front to the fuse box in the rear. Did not take anything off. I ran a stiff wire from the back to front, taped the wire I need to the stiff wire and pulled it back and then took it off the stiff wire and hooked to the fuse box.... Did it a few time and I have to do it again.... don't ask..
Pretty simple compared to my ST 1300. That needed a Tupperware removal for any little thing.. ugg
 
#9 ·
I have threaded the wires thru without removing anything in the past. Then re-routed, cleaned up, and added additional wires when I had the tupperware and tank removed for maintenance and farkling. I have to add another set and will remove the tupperware and lift the tank at least. Just make things easier for me.

YMMV
 
#11 ·
Zombie thread back from the dead.

Does removing the tank require disconnecting the fuel pump or fuel line? It isn't that I really mind doing that, but it would be nice if the tank could just swing up and allow new wiring to be run beneath it.

I actually like the idea of just fishing the four wire sets I'll need beneath the tank which, as mentioned, will prevent them from getting pinched when re-installing the tank. I'll have to runs for two powerlet outlets, one for a rocker switch that will connect to a voltmeter and the fourth to power a GPS that will also run through a rocker switch. I thought about a fuse box which will be tidier than four stacked ring connectors but if that fuse box dies, everything downstream loses functionality. I can fuse each of the four leads as appropriate to minimize overload but then each run has to fail and the likelihood of four failures is pretty remote.

I picked up new 2015 V-Strom 650 XT today and the 580 mile and bike delivery took 13 hours. I am beat but looking forward to farkling the new machine.

NC
 
#15 · (Edited)
You don't have to remove the fuel line unless you take the tank completely off. When I wired all my outlets I took the tank off. It was good practice to learn the particular techniques necessary to remove all the tupperware, and it allowed me to put the wire runs where I wanted them, rather than where I was able to reach.

I've never heard of a fuse box "dying". There isn't much in a fuse box to die; they're just basically fuse holders soldered to a circuit board. If you have one set up on a relay so it only switches on when the bike is switched on then it's possible the relay could fail, in which case you'd just replace the relay the same way you replace a fuse when it blows. Or you jump it with two wires to the battery, in a worst case scenario. Neither of which will probably ever be necessary, since relay failures aren't all that common.

Your car already has a fusebox incorporated into its electrical system, that isn't any more likely to fail than an auxiliary one that you install yourself on your bike. You can wire your bike any way you choose, but if your reluctance to use a quality fuse box (like a PC 8 or a Blue Sea) is because you think it might fail, you can probably move that into the "not likely to happen" category. A power distribution box makes for a nice, organized way to add electrical accessories.
 

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#12 ·
The tunnel

When I first got my 07 650, I ran the acc wires along the sides, securing them when I could. When I had to do a Regulator/Recitfier R&R, and removed the Air Box, I discovery a tunnel entering in the ctr front behind the radiator. I used round, plastic conduit and routed all wiring through that to a point hear the battery and then routed the wires left and right around the battery box to the tray aft of that point where I have a fuse panel. I used Anchor wire purchased from West Marine and only used Posi-Lock connectors. After a couple years, there have been no problems. Now that I know about this tunnel (which is actually the intake for the Air Box) I could probably do all this gain with out Air Box removal. I agree with others that as tank removal is really quick and easy, I do it all the time.
 
#22 ·
I ran the wires for my handwarmers up along the existing wiring without removing the tank, no trouble at all.

This. Take a length of bailing wire and loop both ends, then fish it to/through the tank to the battery area. Once the bailing wire is in, attach your wiring to the end at the front and carefully pull it through.

Just did this tonight installing a 12v/USB socket. Easier than falling off a log.
 
#14 ·
It can be handy to fish a length of clear plastic tube under the tank from the fork stem back to the battery area. It makes a good shield and easy to add wires for the next device you can't ride without.
 
#18 ·
Okay electricity 101 question.

I can tap into, say the rear tail light, to get the power to "switch" my components from off to on. My concern is that the fuse box will actually draw it's power from that location. Is that not the case? I can't see it being safe to draw 30 amps from that line. I must be missing something here.

Not trying to be stupid here but electrical matters are not my forte and I don't want to screw this up.

NC
 
#19 · (Edited)
Maybe I understand it properly now. In this image, I can see a "hot" red wire going to the PWR connector and a second "hot" red going to the BAT connector. I assume the battery connector is where it draws real "power" and the Pwr connector is where it get's triggered by a running light or wherever I tap into. This kind of, sort of, has to be right, but I have said that before and been wrong.



NC
 
#21 ·
Both Eastern Beaver and Blue Sea make a very nice product. The Eastern Beaver is, if I'm not mistaken, a smaller package compared to a Blue Sea of the same capacity. Centech also makes a fusebox for motorcycles, though I've read reviews in the past that said that the fuses in the Centech box tended to get loose. There also electronic power distribution boxes that don't use actual fuses, but they're pretty expensive compared to the standard fuseboxes.

Eastern Beaver makes a plug and play wiring harness for their PC8 fusebox. The harness has a relay and a plug and play connector that plugs into an existing connector near the rear of the fuel tank. There's no splicing or cutting involved. The plug and play connector is for the trigger wire to the relay. The relay allows certain circuits to switch on only when the bike is on. The PC8 also includes two "always hot" circuits.
 
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