Article Farkle/Accessory Wiring Primer

[Louie Louie]

Vote For Curt!
Great STuff!

 

[crazykz]

Thakns for the info. Excellent stuff. I consider myself to be a pretty competent mechanic, but have always been 'electrically challenged'....not that its hard, just that I didn't understand it (and still don't, really). I've found it easier to jet carbs than tackle fuses, wiring junctions, etc. And with the ST, I don't have a carb to re-jet!!

Well I realized some of this stuff is pretty long winded but if you have a generic question feel free to ask. Half the reason for writing this up was to give people more confidence to at least be able to do some basic wiring.

Sometimes it's hard to ask a specific question because the whole thing just doesn't make sense and I can understand that also but if you have a question to ask please do so. You can bet there will be 6 other people that need the same question answered. Of course they won't look here for the answer but at least I can get and paste.

Curt

 

[jgilmore]

For me I use the Centech because it is the smallest one I've found that also has a ground bus on it. The great thing too is that it has screw down connectors so all you need is a bare wire to connect it the fuseblock. Curt

Curt,

Way back when I did my aux wiring, I opted for the Blue Sea w/ground bus because I didn't think the Centec AP-1 had a ground bus (didn't say in the description on their website that I saw at the time). From your posts I see it does.

There are 8 connection points on the power side. From your images, it looks like there are 8 ground connection points on the "back" side that they don't show in their images.

If so, are 3 of the 8 connection points common (5 fuses with 8 connection points)?

Just curious how that is configured.

-John

 

[racer1735]

I thought I was just beginning to figure it all out, then he started talking about amperes and voltage...now I'm confused again. No wonder I never passed 12th grade trigonometry!

 

[crazykz]

If so, are 3 of the 8 connection points common (5 fuses with 8 connection points)?
-John

I included all the pics I took of it before I stuck it on the bike and yes some of the inputs share inputs. You can see if from the back of the circuit board.

The first and last connections on the block have their own fuse but the center 3 share are paired. So you can hook up 5-devices independently but if you need 6-8 hook ups, those 3 will have to share a fuse.

For me I hooked up 2 LED lights on one.

Maybe I'll email Centech and let them know that they should at least mention the ground bus.

Curt

 

[jgilmore]

The first and last connections on the block have their own fuse but the center 3 share are paired. So you can hook up 5-devices independently but if you need 6-8 hook ups, those 3 will have to share a fuse.

Curt

Got it, Thanks!!!!

-john

 

[crazykz]

I thought I was just beginning to figure it all out, then he started talking about amperes and voltage...now I'm confused again. No wonder I never passed 12th grade trigonometry!

Well I don't expect anyone to figure it all out here and you have to start somewhere right?

Unless you have a lot of things to connect and have no expierence you can bet that someone has done the wiring job that you need to do and you can ask questions about your specific application. Do I think anyone is going to whip out a calculator and starting punching in Ohm's Law while they're wiring the bike? No. But if you set up a simple rig to do some testing with you can play with maybe a device that you don't care if you ruin to learn some things.

The most basic thing you can do is wire up a power cable for a device an use the little multimeter to measure the voltage on the power plug. If you have something north of 12V you're pretty much set in 90% of the cases. A few devices use less than 12V so you do have to look at the documentation to make sure but again other people have probably mounted the same thing so ask questions if you don't know.

Voltage is a difference in potential, which is how is was described to me years ago, but even after years of doing this that description still seems vague. But think of it this way (and for those of you that know this I know there's an equal and opposite explanation) voltage rolls down hill. I have a postive 12V at the battery or on a wire from the bike but that 12V doesn't do any good with a ground. Why? Voltage is only a difference in potential and doesn't do us any good. It's comparable to a faucet that isn't turned on. Sure there's the potential to make water flow because there's pressure behind that faucet but unless we turn the knob the water isn't going anywhere. So unless you hook up something to that 12V it's not going to do anything. A discussion about voltage is useless though because current is what makes things happen.

Now I know there's 4 items but here we'll just talk about voltage which can be measured easily with a meter and current which makes things work. We said that voltage is a difference in potential like a bowling ball sitting on top of a hill. It has the potential to do work but in order for the work to be done you have to push it (flip a switch) so that it does useful work. That work of the ball following a path down the hill is similar the current. (science alert) Current is the flow of free electrons in a conductor. That flow is what allows a device to operate. You can stick 12V on a device but with no path to ground current cannot flow and no work is done. Once you hook up ground to let that 12V flow through the device to ground you've completed a circuit and sent the bowling ball rolling down the hill or allowed the water to flow from the faucet to the drain.

There's more obviously because there's still the 4 components of basic DC theory and they are all have a linear relationship to each other basically.

The hardest part about understanding the theory is making the jump from theory to practical applications which to be honest is all anyone here is interested in, including myself.

I probably won't be able to teach you everything you need to be comfortable with wiring but it is a goal of mine to at least give you a place to start. The problem with that is everyone wants to start in a different place. If I know where you want to start I may be able to help. If you start thinking about this stuff in general then you're trying to grasp the theory and that's hard to do all at once. However if you think about what's the first question that goes through your head when you take the first step to wire something to the bike. If that's your starting point then voltage is your first concern. Current is a by product here and it's going to happen whether you worry about it or not.

Here's an idea I just had. To worry about all this crap at once will cause a conniption fit every time so maybe here's a way to approach it.

What are you worried about? What DC component do you care about?
Wiring up a device: Voltage (volts, E)
Do I have 12V or what ever the device requires on the power cable I just hooked up to the bike.

Fuses: Current (amps, I)
Do I have a big enough fuse to handle the device I'm hooking up. Or I'm blowing a fuse. Is there something wrong with the device or do I need a bigger fuse. Is the fuse located very close to where this power cable connects to the bike/battery to protect the bike. Do I have a short (12V touch direct ground/frame) somewhere in the cable?

Connections: Resistance (ohms, R)
I've made a wiring harness to go to a device and how do I know it's good. Is the ground wire grounded and is the 12V wire hooked to 12V. I've powered up the device but it turns on and off by itself when I ride/sit on/look at the bike.

Charging System (battery charge/discharge): Power (watts, P)
I'm going to or have a bunch of stuff wired up the bike and now I'm worried about there being too much stuff and I don't know if the bike can handle all of it or not. If there's too much stuff that requires a lot of power then the battery won't get enough juice from the alternator to keep it charged. Now you can look at voltage here but knowing the total power consuption of your devices is what you need to learn so you can eliminate ones that aren't as important as others or learn what you can have turned on at the same time. Power consumption is only going to be an issue really if you are using heated clothing/grips and/or additional lighting (HID/Halogen). LED lights a VERY low power consumption. That's why they are great for bikes.


Am I getting warmer here or is it still in the state of don't know what to ask?

Curt

 

[STeve1300]

Hi Curt, I have one quick suggestion. When I needed help installing my fuseblock, I already knew all I needed to know about electricity. I wanted specific info on what, where, and how to mount the stuff on the ST1300. Where to run the wiring etc. Perhaps this will be covered in the next exciting episode. Thanks for putting this complex theory into simple terms.

 

[Mark]

Curt,

The only mention of wire guage in your write-up :bow1: is:
"Remember also that 15 Amps is the max you should pull through 18 gauge wire."
This is not really a reccomdation for 18 as far as I can tell...
So; what would be the best wire guage to use? And should the ground wires be the same guage?

Thanks,
Mark

 

[crazykz]

Hi Curt, I have one quick suggestion. When I needed help installing my fuseblock, I already knew all I needed to know about electricity. I wanted specific info on what, where, and how to mount the stuff on the ST1300. Where to run the wiring etc. Perhaps this will be covered in the next exciting episode. Thanks for putting this complex theory into simple terms.

Hey Steve,

I have been thinking about that one and that is a really tough one to answer. The reason is that running wires is more of an art than a straight forward procedure. It's still a valid point though and maybe listed some common ones would be good to note. The biggest PITA on the ST IMO is running wires from the front to the rear or vice versa. I have yet to find an efficient noise free un impeded path to that. It keeps me up at night sometimes. My desperation for a reliable switched 12V source at the rear of the bike is my biggest challenge which is why I wanted to see your solution for the accessory circuit tap. Now maybe there's a feature to ask for in the ST and future Honda bikes is a simple plug in the rear of the bike with ground, 12V switched/ACC, and 12V constant, turn signals, and brake lights. It would save you from having to tap every friggin wire to get what you need. Oh a boy can dream can't he.

Now if you think about what, where, and how to mount stuff there is just a limitless amount of mounts and methods to do that. It would be great to do it but it would be so vast and dynamic that it would be tough to maintain, I think. I have consider it though and I think it would probably cover the most common places people mount these things, which of course is the way I mounted my stuff.

The other trick is pictures on it. I haven't ripped the bike apart yet because I'm still waiting to see if I'm headed to Alabama in a week but after that I can tear off the plastic and freeze my butt of getting some pictures. I really want to work on the wiring but it's a huge PITA unless you can take all the plastic off and work in warmer temps since everything is so brittle and stiff when it's this cold. I need a heated storage facility where I can work on the stupid thing in comfort and take my time to get it right. Of course it also has to have wireless internet access and a coffee shop too.

Anyway it's in the plan in some form or fashion so I'll work on it over winter here and see what I can come up with.

Thanks,
Curt

 

[racer1735]

Curt,

Having re-read this tutorial several times, I'm begging to get the picture of how it all works, and much congratulations and thanks to you for taking the time to post this thread.

To make sure I'm not going about this incorrectly (and keeping in mind that there may be more than one way to do this), I have the Blue Sea fuse block with negative buss and am wiring driving lights which contain a relay in their wiring harness.

I believe you show a relay placed BETWEEN the fuse block and the battery. Would this be advisable even if the lights have a relay between the fuse block and the lamps themselves?

Also, I've been told I should not draw primary power from the quartet harness (thus the fuse block). But can I still tap into the harness for my 'switched' power?

Thanks again...its beginning to make sense (I think!).

 

[crazykz]

I believe you show a relay placed BETWEEN the fuse block and the battery. Would this be advisable even if the lights have a relay between the fuse block and the lamps themselves?

Also, I've been told I should not draw primary power from the quartet harness (thus the fuse block). But can I still tap into the harness for my 'switched' power?

Thanks again...its beginning to make sense (I think!).

Leave all the relays alone and just concentrate on the end of the harness where it hooks to power. Put the positive lead of the harness on your fuse block and the negative lead somewhere (perferably on the battery negative terminal, but since it's lighting you could safely go to the frame if you wanted). Your lights have relays built in so you don't need to add any more.

Do NOT draw power from your quartet harness for the lights. I know you said that but I'm just restating it. Yes, you may used the switched power from the quartet harness because that just runs to the switch that goes to the relays that came with your lights.

If you want the fuse block to be used for things that are only on when the bike is on then you should put a relay in between it and the battery. If you don't care if it has power all the time because the things you have worked to it have their own relays then it's not a big deal and you could leave it as constant power. It really depends on what else you are going to hook to that fuseblock.

I writing that post I tried to capture a lot of stuff. The issue is weeding out just what you need to get your job done. Post over on your other thread everything you plan to hook to the fuse block, now and in the future, if you know) and I can suggest the way to do it.

Basically if want something to be on when the bike is off you need to have constant power to the fuseblock. If you don't think you need that then put the relay in. You can always remove it later provided the things you want switched have their own relays which appears to be the case right now. I always like to plan for future upgrades so I try to keep my options open. Like I added a power filter this weekend but if it blows I have a quick way to bypass it.

Curt

 

[CrashTestDanny]

Curt,

I've seen some guys post the garage-door-opener farkle in which they attach 12V power to a garage-door-opener that normally runs off a 1.5V watch battery. Is this as bad an idea as it seems? I've been working on building a small voltage-regulator circuit for mine...

 

[crazykz]

Curt,

I've seen some guys post the garage-door-opener farkle in which they attach 12V power to a garage-door-opener that normally runs off a 1.5V watch battery. Is this as bad an idea as it seems? I've been working on building a small voltage-regulator circuit for mine...

1.5V is 1.5V so long as you do it right. Since it's a momentary thing it isn't going to build up any real heat although I wouldn't hold the button down too long. Again it just depends on the wiring.

Curt

 

[NCrider]

Put a resistor in series with the remote. If you can give me current draw, I can calculate you a size.

 

[crazykz]

Curt,

I've seen some guys post the garage-door-opener farkle in which they attach 12V power to a garage-door-opener that normally runs off a 1.5V watch battery. Is this as bad an idea as it seems? I've been working on building a small voltage-regulator circuit for mine...

Actually are you sure they are supplying the remote with bike power. I thought they just left a battery in the remote but solder in a momentary push switch as a second way to activate the opener.

That's the way I would do it. The batteries last forever so I would just wire into the switch to add the push button.

Curt

 

[Rolling Thunder]

STarCom & Blue Sea (6 fuse)

Let's just say that I understand all that Curt has said to educate us (and thank you for that effort Curt!) so far.
Has anyone reading this installed the Blue Sea fuse block & the STarcom in the tail of the bike? If so, any pictures and/or tips for doing so?

 

[ccryder]

RT:

I have the Starcom mounted in the tail section but the Blue Sea aux box on top of the battery. If you want some picts let me know.

Neil S.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

Pix

Neil,
Yes - let's see pix. I have factory electrical stuff on top of my battery (2005 w/ABS)?
Thank you!

 

[ccryder]

RT:

I'll post them tonight when I get home.

Neil S.