Two upgrades I'm making to Project 13 involve the movement of electrons. The trick with electricity is getting those mysterious subatomic particles moving in the right direction while keeping their smoke-producing potential properly confined within the wires. While it's true that basic electrical principles are, well, pretty basic, things can get out of hand quickly when some of us start to get creative. Which is why I stick to the KISS principle and keep it simple.
I'm adding heated grips to this bike along with a SAE quick disconnect for a GPS mount. This requires a power source to the front of the bike, but one that's controlled by the ignition key. We don't want to accidentally leave the grips on while stopping for a coffee break only to find a dead battery upon our return. One solution I've used in the past is to simply tap into a keyed wire under the headlight fairing. Some, but not all, of the second-gen bikes have an unused 2-lead wire (positive & ground) sitting just behind the headlight — it was there for the parking light feature required for other world markets. This makes life much easier, but this '86 model doesn't have that wire. Another shortcut is to simply tap into one of the turn signal running light wires. That's a 10-amp circuit with little else drawing from it, which should also work fine.
I'm adding heated grips to this bike along with a SAE quick disconnect for a GPS mount. This requires a power source to the front of the bike, but one that's controlled by the ignition key. We don't want to accidentally leave the grips on while stopping for a coffee break only to find a dead battery upon our return. One solution I've used in the past is to simply tap into a keyed wire under the headlight fairing. Some, but not all, of the second-gen bikes have an unused 2-lead wire (positive & ground) sitting just behind the headlight — it was there for the parking light feature required for other world markets. This makes life much easier, but this '86 model doesn't have that wire. Another shortcut is to simply tap into one of the turn signal running light wires. That's a 10-amp circuit with little else drawing from it, which should also work fine.
(Above) But on this bike I've decided to provide the required power with a 5-wire relay. The purpose of any relay is to remotely switch power on & off without the need for an additional physical switch, or to switch high-amp devices (like a headlight) using a low-amp (handlebar) switch. The two items needed are a fused power lead and a relay, both available cheaply from various online sellers.
Once I decide on a mounting location, I simply need to solder up wire extensions to their appropriate spots. The power wire (IN) comes directly from a power source, like the battery or the starter solenoid's battery post and is connected to the black wire on the relay harness. The red lead is power (OUT) to the appliance so is extended to wherever it's needed, the headlight area in this case. The relay is tripped on & off by a 12-volt signal through the yellow wire, and so requires a convenient switched (keyed) power source. The tail light or license plate light wires are handy so that's what I used. Finally, a ground is needed so the white lead is connected to a nearby ground — I used one of the regulator's mounting screws.
That leaves the fifth, blue, wire. This particular wire actually performs just the opposite function of the rest of the relay. It's powered on with the key OFF, and powers off with the key ON. So it could be used for an alarm system, I suppose, or in my case I'll connect the battery tender lead.
Once I decide on a mounting location, I simply need to solder up wire extensions to their appropriate spots. The power wire (IN) comes directly from a power source, like the battery or the starter solenoid's battery post and is connected to the black wire on the relay harness. The red lead is power (OUT) to the appliance so is extended to wherever it's needed, the headlight area in this case. The relay is tripped on & off by a 12-volt signal through the yellow wire, and so requires a convenient switched (keyed) power source. The tail light or license plate light wires are handy so that's what I used. Finally, a ground is needed so the white lead is connected to a nearby ground — I used one of the regulator's mounting screws.
That leaves the fifth, blue, wire. This particular wire actually performs just the opposite function of the rest of the relay. It's powered on with the key OFF, and powers off with the key ON. So it could be used for an alarm system, I suppose, or in my case I'll connect the battery tender lead.
(Above) Here, I've mounted the relay on the rear fender near the battery. The power lead takes mini blade fuses and I'll use a 5-amp, as the grips draw only 1.5 amps at max power. After about an hour of soldering and running wires here and there, everything is in place and ready to wire in any accessories you wish to add, knowing that none will be be left on to ruin your day with a dead battery. Next, I'll mount the grip heaters, their switch and new hand grips.
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