Voltmeter install and headlight adjuster relocation

I have bought myself a Honda marine voltmeter to install in place of the headlight adjuster, and I plan on installing this over the weekend. I have bought a small fused relay and will wire the VM through that direct to the battery, triggered off a switched power source. Is there a good reason not to connect the VM light to the main meter feed? All my other lights are permanently on in any case.

I recall seeing a picture where the adjuster had been relocated maybe into the front of the left hand storage pocket? Is that a good place (I rarely use that pocket anyway) that leaves the adjuster functional or is there a better way? I have seen a diagram of the police model where the adjuster is clipped to the right upper frame tube.

If you connect to the main meter feed, you will have a slight voltage drop. I would connect directly to the battery using your proposed relay switch option.

I assume you are using the relay to turn off the voltmeter and vm light when the ignition is switched off? If you don't do this you will be adding parasitic drain to the battery.

Just curiosity, what circuit are you using to trigger the relay to the 'on' position?

I completed the installation this evening, with the meter connected direct to the battery terminals switched via a relay.

I ran a short lead from the battery positive to an inline fuse, and then following the main harness up to the front of the fairing to the relay, then on to the meter with a split lead to the meter light. I then added a matching unfused lead connected to the negative battery terminal going to the meter ground. I have an unused power feed (green and brown wires) coming from the harness in front of the instruments, that was powering an accessory 12v port (I haven't used it) so I connected this to the relay trigger. The relay is attached to the back of the instrument panel.

I decided to set the headlight adjuster cable in the same position as the police model, attached to the right frame tube above the motor. This seems easy to access with the service panel removed.

TerryS said:

I decided to set the headlight adjuster cable in the same position as the police model, attached to the right frame tube above the motor. This seems easy to access with the service panel removed.

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Right frame tube? Picture perhaps?
Mine's just dangling, tucked down in there somewhere on the original left hand side. Never been a problem, and is never used, but interested in seeing just where you (or anyone else) put it.

DeanR said:

Right frame tube? Picture perhaps?
Mine's just dangling, tucked down in there somewhere on the original left hand side. Never been a problem, and is never used, but interested in seeing just where you (or anyone else) put it.

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No picture sorry Dean. I pulled the cable out of the clip on the back of the headlight top, then fed it back along the right frame tube. There is a cable clip for part of the wire harness there and I reused that with the headlight adjuster cable, which was a bit snug but Ok. The cable is bare as removed from the fairing so I left the knob etc off.

DeanR said:

Right frame tube? Picture perhaps?

Click to expand...

See P-spec w/shop manual (item 6, aiming cable).
More fancy however is installing it into the forward wall of the RH glove compartment ;-)

Interesting location guys. Haven't seen that before.

DeanR said:

Interesting location guys. Haven't seen that before.

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Standard on the P-spec setup; officers rarely ride 2-up ;-) thus seldom the need to readjust the headlight, thus the quick and dirty solution of zip-tying it there...

ST1100Y said:

See P-spec w/shop manual (item 6, aiming cable).
More fancy however is installing it into the forward wall of the RH glove compartment ;-)

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I looked at installing the cabe to the left glove compartment but concluded it was a bit too narrow to comfortably fit the adjuster knob. Is the right side a better fit? Got any pictures?

TerryS said:

I looked at installing the cabe to the left glove compartment but concluded it was a bit too narrow to comfortably fit the adjuster knob. Is the right side a better fit? Got any pictures?

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Hi , Ive got a voltmeter fitted where the headlamp adjuster normally fits (ive got a P model), The Headlamp adjuster can be fitted just above the right hand compartment.
I cut 16mm square hole and fitted the adjuster. It has a square nylon type nut (16mm across the flats), which then fits thru. Works well and looks fine. Ill post a pic at the weekend if you like.

Even if the OP isn't interested, I'd like to see it.

Wosmo said:

I'd like to see it.

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Here's mine.

Heres the RHS,
No pic of the voltmeter but its located exactly where the headlamp adjuster used to be.

- al

amackay99 said:

Heres the RHS,
No pic of the voltmeter but its located exactly where the headlamp adjuster used to be.

- al

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Was it easier for some reason to put it on the right side rather than the left, or just easier to use there?

DeanR said:

Was it easier for some reason to put it on the right side rather than the left, or just easier to use there?

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The length of the cable dictates that...

Just for the sake of clarity....
Could you could install a voltmeter on the right hand side then? Do something different about the clock for example?, or could you install the voltmeter somewhere else entirely? Is there something about that particular location that makes it ideal for the voltmeter? Other than visibility, that is.

oh, and thanks for posting the pics!

Can put it anywhere you like.
I like my clock a lot, right where it is.

Regarding the adjuster, I figured since it was originally on the left, the cable would work fine there. But perhaps a little short for the bit lower mounting position directly below the original?