Electrical question, setting up a fuse block.

[doug of so fla]

have two questions:

1. Where do I buy those fuse blocks?

2. Where and how is it recommended that I mount them?

1. Napa has fuse block There are also others I think "Amazon" also has them. Google "Accessory Fuse Blocks, They are available in 4, 6, Terminal, Fused
2. It mounts on the top of your computer which is mounted on top of your air cleaner (right hand side) Not a good idea the way you have it now. There are photos on this board and Abbikeboard of the instalation.. Try a search or someone will find & post..

[Muleears]

The pic in the first post shows where I mounted mine. It seems to be a good spot as long as you don't connect any audio components to it as the igniter is nearby and can cause interference (thanks suzib6sw). Just my $.02

[Chris near Kansas City]

Zip tie to the top of the ignitor is the most common place. I also have seen guys mount a second Voyager XII fuse block to the right of the battery on the frame.

I mount my relays to the 3 studs where the cruise module bolts to the front fairing sub frame. Pic around here somewhere.....



If you use the 8 hole fuse block, you should run the post towards the rear. The height of the fuses can possibly interfere with the faux tank cover if they are towards the back.

[Bill O]

I've just come across this topic lately, but it seems the right place to look for advice on a problem I've been facing. With the addition of Hiway horns, grip heaters, running lights, power outlet for a GPS, and an alarm, (all fused, and with relays where required) the area between my air filter cover and faux tank is a rat's nest of wiring, with very crowded battery terminals. I have two questions:

1. Where do I buy those fuse blocks?

2. Where and how is it recommended that I mount them?

I presently have the relays attached to the battery retaining bar, not a very elegant solution, but it keeps them from rattling about . Any advice, or better yet photos would be greatly appreciated.

I picked up an Aux Fuse Block from my local Auto Zone. I mounted with double sided tape to the top of the Igniter. Ran the main positive for the AUX to the battery. Each tap-off from the Aux Block has fused outputs. Do a search for Aux Fuse Blocks and I'm sure you'll find many post with photos that will show the way.

Bill O

[Muleears]

OK, next hurdle... I know I need to get to the wire behind the headlight so I can tap the high beam wire. What's the easiest way to get to this wire? Remove the headlight? If so, how do I go about that?

[vxiirider]

There are two phillips head bolts under the head light that hold the frame around the light. Be careful when you remove the frame as there are two short tongues on the top of the frame that secure the frame top to the faring. With the frame removed you will see 4- 10mm bolts that hold the headlight in. Remove the bolts and pull the headlight assemble out through the faring. The accessory leads should be visible when you look in where the headlight was.

[Muleears]

There are two phillips head bolts under the head light that hold the frame around the light. Be careful when you remove the frame as there are two short tongues on the top of the frame that secure the frame top to the faring. With the frame removed you will see 4- 10mm bolts that hold the headlight in. Remove the bolts and pull the headlight assemble out through the faring. The accessory leads should be visible when you look in where the headlight was.

Thanks! Even I should be able to follow those great instructions.

[Muleears]

Red/Yellow and Red/Black are the two colors involved with the beams.. Black/Yellow is , of course, Ground/Chassis.

Looking at the diagram. Im pretty sure the Red/Yellow is the High beam. I would use this to trigger a relay for the driving lamps ..

Pete

In checking with my little test light, the Red/yellow lit only with the low beam, the Red/Black lit with both, but was brighter when high beam was on. The Black/Yellow appeared to be the ground as you said. Should I then use the Red/Black as the trigger for my "high beam only" lights?

Thanks in advance!

[ekap1200]

Red/Yellow and Red/Black are the two colors involved with the beams.. Black/Yellow is , of course, Ground/Chassis.

Looking at the diagram. Im pretty sure the Red/Yellow is the High beam. I would use this to trigger a relay for the driving lamps ..

Pete

Pete looking at the R/Bk line it also goes to the high beam indicator lamp . Would that not be the high beam feed ?
Also another question ' would you suggest diode/clamping the field coil of his relay.. I had wondered if a spike on the high beam line could zap the reserve lighting circuit. Here in New Jersey we don't have a M/C inspection and I always field the relay from a switched feed from the acc lead behind the headlamp . I always thought that if the lighting system had a failure while I'm rolling down some mountain road in your state that I would have at the least the lower lamps to see the road. Just In case someone wants me at some point to connect a set that way , I won't have to eat a reserve unit.... I know I'm getting old, but seem to remember working on a Yamaha reserve unit years ago that had issues from being spiked .... Your electrical experience is always worth listening to.... Gene Kap.

[Muleears]

Thanks for the help Gene and Pete. I hope when this is sorted out someone can tell me in language I'd understand how to set this up! At the moment I have no idea what "would you suggest diode/clamping the field coil of his relay" means! I have the utmost confidence in that the two of you will see me through to the end. Thank you.

[ekap1200]

Thanks for the help Gene and Pete. I hope when this is sorted out someone can tell me in language I'd understand how to set this up! At the moment I have no idea what "would you suggest diode/clamping the field coil of his relay" means! I have the utmost confidence in that the two of you will see me through to the end. Thank you.

Any coil of wire can become a magnet, that's how a relay works. But when the relay coil power is opened; a high voltage spike of electricity is generated, Just like an old car ignition coil works. ie points open, magnetic field collapses, High voltage is generated...This can be a hazard to some of today's electronics, and having a diode across what triggers the relay in a certain way will short out that spike.
Do you need to have this connected to the high beam because of state laws, or is it just the way you want to do it ? I know some state's require this but not sure if it applies to your state. Let's wait for Pete to read this post and give it some thought, In the mean time maybe someone here will chime in and say that they have connected a relay to the high beam without any issues. In most cases the electronics may be protected from this spike. If so then your just back to connecting the relay to the high beam wire. But better to be safe than sorry. And I would hate to have you on a mountain road some day and burn out a bulb on a curve, just to find out that the reserve module will not switch to the other beam. We all know seconds count when it comes to reacting on a bike.

[ekap1200]

OK , I have just spoken to Carl to confirm what I believed, Do not connect any devices to the high beam wire. ie. added relays. this will indeed damage the circuit . Use your keyed acc wire behind the headlamp and install a switch between your relay. Gene Kap.

[ekap1200]

If I had a spare reserve lighting unit to reverse engineer I would more than likely use a (optio-isolator ) and a transistor to make this circuit work the way you would want, But for what its worth just follow what Carl has seen not work. It's not worth the trouble involved.

[Muleears]

If I had a spare reserve lighting unit to reverse engineer I would more than likely use a (optio-isolator ) and a transistor to make this circuit work the way you would want, But for what its worth just follow what Carl has seen not work. It's not worth the trouble involved.

Thanks for all the help Gene. To answer your question about the way I plan to wire (high beam only), it is both, that's the way I want it and I suspect the way the state would want it too. Their primary purpose is to keep me well illuminated during daylight driving and to illuminate my surroundings in my deer infested back roads (where I live) at night. I agree completely, I do not want to switch on my high beams and suddenly be in the dark

To make sure I understand, I should NOT use my high beam wire as the trigger for my lights. Correct?

Use your keyed acc wire behind the headlamp and install a switch between your relay. Gene Kap.

I'm not sure I understand this (remember, I'd rather be holding a wrench, not a meter!). So far I have it wired like the diagram back near the beginning of the thread, where I would be using the high beam wire as the trigger. Since I shouldn't do that, you are saying I need another switch? And install this switch between the relay and what? I should use the acc. wire (behind the headlight) as the power source for my relay (attach this wire to post 30 on my relay, instead of directly from my battery?) Will I not be able to control my accessory lights with my high beam switch? Please bear with me! I think I'll understand this when !

[SgtSlag]

Muleears, I apologize if I offered this already -- posted on it a few times, don't remember who/what/where anymore. To understand bike electric circuits, this book is excellent at explaining it all, including troubleshooting techniques, and simple tools you can make yourself: Motorcycle Electrical Systems: Troubleshooting and Repair (Motorbooks Workshop), ISBN-10: 0760327165. Check your local library for a copy; check if they use inter-library loans, you might be able to get it from another library in your State.

Hopefully, this book will help de-mystify the electrical systems for you. It does an excellent job of explaining how electricity works, and more specifically, how it works on motorcycle systems. Cheers!

[Muleears]

Muleears, I apologize if I offered this already -- posted on it a few times, don't remember who/what/where anymore. To understand bike electric circuits, this book is excellent at explaining it all, including troubleshooting techniques, and simple tools you can make yourself: Motorcycle Electrical Systems: Troubleshooting and Repair (Motorbooks Workshop), ISBN-10: 0760327165. Check your local library for a copy; check if they use inter-library loans, you might be able to get it from another library in your State.

Hopefully, this book will help de-mystify the electrical systems for you. It does an excellent job of explaining how electricity works, and more specifically, how it works on motorcycle systems. Cheers!

No apologies necessary! Yes, it was me you suggested it to. Your reminder has just prompted me to buy the book. Hopefully I will have it by the end of the week. Thanks again SgtSlag. Maybe now I won't have to lean on you all so much for my electrical projects!

[ekap1200]

Cal, As for connecting a relay , too the high beam wire, Do not do it.... Carl Leo has seen this cause a failure in the reserve lighting module. Gene Kap

I have seen this failure on a yamaha years ago. Same problem , customer had added a relay to the high beam and the module would no longer switch between the failed beam and the warning lamp stayed on all the time.

What we are trying to say is forget that approach and use a switch to turn on and off the added lights. power the relay from the battery with an inline fuse. and from the keyed acc. bullet connector behind the headlamp , run a wire to a switch and then to the field terminal of the relay to turn it on.

[Muleears]

Cal, As for connecting a relay , too the high beam wire, Do not do it.... Carl Leo has seen this cause a failure in the reserve lighting module. Gene Kap

I have seen this failure on a yamaha years ago. Same problem , customer had added a relay to the high beam and the module would no longer switch between the failed beam and the warning lamp stayed on all the time.

What we are trying to say is forget that approach and use a switch to turn on and off the added lights. power the relay from the battery with an inline fuse. and from the keyed acc. bullet connector behind the headlamp , run a wire to a switch and then to the field terminal of the relay to turn it on.

OK, I have forgotten the idea of triggering my accessory lights with my high beam. I need to just turn them on and off with a single switch. So to make sure I understand. Referring to my little relay diagram at the beginning of the thread, I'll run down my connections. On my relay: spade "85" will connect to a ground. "87" will go to my lights. "86" will go to my switch and "30" will go (via a fuse) to my battery.

The acc. line (behind the headlight) will connect to the "supply" side of my switch? The "load" from my switch goes to the relay (86) and the third connection is to ground.

If this is completely confusing, I apologize. My motorcycle wiring book hasn't arrived yet! I keep referring to my relay diagram because I need to "see" where things go.

Again, I greatly appreciate your assistance in showing me what I need to do. I know you have better things to do!

It's going to be 74* here today I'm going to ride, lights or no lights!

[Turbo4x4]

Folks, I've been watching this thread appear frequently on my "unread" posts list, and finally decided to glance over it. I'll probably tee off more than a few well meaning contributors here by what I'm about to say, but it needs to be said.
This thread started out with a relatively simple question, but with clues which made it very apparent that the poster was in over his head. While I truly belive it is the objective and desire of this forum and it's contributors to assist both members & non members (after all, we're all lovers of the 2 wheeled lifestyle), it is also our responsibility to realize when our well-intentioned advice potentially creates not only a legal liability, but a significant risk to human life. These posts have gone well beyond "basic assistance", and now easily broach the perimeters of electrical engineering. It was obvious from the original post that the poster (no offense intended, simply concern) was a novice, yet with each post the subject matter continued to gain in complexity. Some of the pictures that have been posted clearly show audio cable and solid copper wire being used for power supply purposes, with no one protesting the error, which of course presents concerns for abrasion and flexibility due to the use of an incorrect wire classification for motor vehicle use. This remark is NOT a condemnation of this forums intent, which of course is the assistance of forum members whenever possible. I post this simply to point out that we should be professional enough, if we offer to assist, to realize when the best advice is to refer that person to a trained professional, rather than chance our advice being misinterpreted, and possibly causing injury, or worse, to the person who is seeking our help.

Ok... I'm off my soapbox.

[Chris near Kansas City]

Which pictures have the audio cable and solid copper wire in them?