Wiring Your Bike For Accessories

WIRING YOUR BIKE FOR ACCESSORIES

TOURING

Zap Taps Made Easy and Safe

Len Vucci

Two-wheeled motorists have, in increasing numbers, been utilizing their vehicles' electrical systems for accessories. Everything from trouble lights to electric shavers to radar detectors and other electric and electronic devices can easily be adapted. Some riders have in stalled automotive cigarette lighter receptacles on their bikes as means of harnessing power, in addition to using them for their original purpose.

Although some accessories (trouble lights and radar detectors, for example) come equipped with cigarette lighter-type plugs, most simply have bare leads and instructions for hookup, usually directly to the battery or spliced into a hot lead. By utilizing a plug instead of simply splicing in the accessory wire, connection and disconnection can be accomplished with ease.

For each accessory, a separate electrical connector is necessary. Two-conductor trailer-type connectors are probably best, as they are well insulated, polarized to prevent reversed hookup, and will have the capacity to handle most any accessory. Once the connector is wired to the bike, it can remain permanently, allowing the accessory to be removed at will.

If the accessory itself is a permanent or semi-permanent fixture, i.e. a clock or fairing-mounted radio, an in-line fuse holder may be used in lieu of a plug-type connector. If the accessory need be removed, it is electrically disconnected by separating the two-piece fuse holder.

Hooking up the power tap is easy, and it can be wired independent of the ignition switch (electric hot-suit use, for example), or switched by the key (radar detector use).

For unswitched hot taps, the best and easiest point at which to draw power is at the battery itself. As shown in the photo and diagram, connection may be made at each of the battery terminals using crimpor solder-on connectors.

Switched hot taps require a splice into one of the ignition primary wires. You can use a service manual to find the appropriate wire, or just trace the hot side of the ignition coil, using wire colors, back to a convenient point, such as inside the headlight shell. Or, using a test light or voltmeter, find the wire connected to the ignition switch which is energized when the ignition is on.

If you have a late-model bike which has an always-on headlight, you can wire the accessory into the headlight circuit. But you must tap in on the hot side of the dimmer switch. Otherwise, you'll have accessory power only during highor lowbeam operation, but not both.

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Regardless of the type of accessory you'll be hooking up, each add-on circuit must be fused, and the fuse rating should be in accordance with the stated requirements of the accessory.

If this rating is not specified by the manufacturer, install a fuse which is 25-50 percent higher than the current draw of the device. For example, a radio which is rated at 2 amperes should have a fuse rated at 2'/2-3 amps. How do you find out the current draw? Simple. Convention, if not law, requires most electrical devices to state maximum current rating.

When wiring electrical connectors or plugs which have one or more exposed contacts, do not wire the exposed contact to a hot lead. If that contact touches ground, you'll have, at the least, some burned and stinking wiring to replace. See the wiring diagrams for clarification.

For accessories which are not permanently and electrically fastened to the bike, such as electric clothing, a ground is mandatory for a complete circuit. Again, see the diagram.

And. finally, after you get all your technological wonders wired, start the engine, turn them on, turn the headlight on (if it isn't already), bring the rpm up to the point where you'd most often be running the bike, and watch the light's brightness. If it seems considerably dimmer than usual, and/or the battery's output drops below 13.6-14 volts with the engine at cruising speed, you're exceeding the charging system's capacity. Cut back on your energy consumption when possible, to allow the battery to receive an adequate charge.

By using multiple accessories such as a hot suit, radio, and extra lights, you may be severely over-taxing the system's charging capacity. For short-haul use, a trickle charger may be used to keep the battery in a high state of charge. But. for longer runs, you'll have to determine, by experience, just how much extra power your charging system will produce. n