Wiring?

[Monkeyman]

I'm hoping to install all 3 gauges (water temp, oil press and volts) this weekend as well as wire up the entire fairing (ending with the 4 way plugs at the fairing/bike). This way, once I get my main bracket, I can bolt it together, plug stuff in and be done.

I've read Gadgets write up about wiring up the gauges but want to make sure I'm doing things correctly. It would be nice to only have to do something once this time.

For the voltmeter...I understand it only needs power and ground. I'd like to keep the wires from fairing to bike at a minimum. Can I take power/ground from anywhere or do they need to be dedicated to this gauge? Do they need to run from the battery to the gauge or can they be combined with other power/ground wires? Is there anything that CAN'T be between the battery and the gauge (switches, relays, lighter, etc)?

For the oil press/water temp...all they need between the sending units and gauges is the sending unit wire, right? Do they also need some sort of power (other than the back light) or do they get that from the sending unit?

I know I can daisy chain the back lights (power and ground) for the gauges. Do these wires need to be run straight to the battery or can they be branched off of something else?

Like I said, I'm trying to have as few connections from the battery to the fairing as possible. I've run a pair of hot and a pair of ground wires from the battery to the front of the bike. I'll need to wire up these 3 gauges, run power to a switch/flasher for 4 ways, power to a lighter (to charge my phone) and run constant and switched power to the stereo. Will these be enough wires? I thought I had it figured out but then I added these gauges to the mix and I got cornfuzzled all over again.

I'd like to get my wiring diagrams solidified this week so I can start on this when I get off work Friday.

[ringadingh]

You should probably run a small fuse panel that is mounted inside the fairing. This would be for your radio,& cigarette lighter, as well as anything else you have in your fairing.
The voltmeter could be connected to the power coming in to the panel, and the negative side goes to ground. You can install a terminal strip so all your grounds are neatly connected together. You don't need to keep running wires back to the battery for the ground, any bare connection on the frame will work.
Connect the three negative wires from the gauges and ground them, connect the three wires from the backlighting and connect them to a switched power source, this could be in the fuse panel if you mount one.

[Monkeyman]

Thanks. I was trying to avoid spending another 100 bucks on a fuse block but it appears I might have to after all.

[ringadingh]

You should be able to get a fuse block for about $20.00 or less.

[Monkeyman]

Hmmm....All I could think of was the one from Eastern Beaver. Guess it's another $20 then.

[sly]

The eastern beaver is more expensive, but very easy to install and everything you need is there. Great service, recieved mine in about a week after ordering...

[ringadingh]

You can save a lot of cash by wiring it in yourself, use a relay to make it become switched.

[Monkeyman]

I need at least one constant lead for the stereo. Everything else can be switched I think. With 2 hot leads from the battery, one could be for the constant to the stereo and the other to a fuse block. Hmmmm....

[ringadingh]

You have a constant fused power wire under the tank or in the headlight bucket that you can use for that.

[cnc]

Originally Posted by sly

The eastern beaver is more expensive, but very easy to install and everything you need is there. Great service, recieved mine in about a week after ordering...

The Eastern Beaver is very desirable, oh right were not talking women here, carry on.

[Monkeyman]

Much more so than the Western Beaver. You're funny, Betty.

[Bdog]

Originally Posted by cnc

The Eastern Beaver is very desirable, oh right were not talking women here, carry on.

Actually it is the Northern Beaver that is the most desirable..very rare..hard to find..and crafty as hell..and costly to get a licence for.

[Monkeyman]

Originally Posted by ringadingh

You have a constant fused power wire under the tank or in the headlight bucket that you can use for that.

That's a constant lead? I assumed it was switched. Hmmm... Still, a wire straight to the batter for constant power then one to a relay that went to a fuse block might keep things a bit tidier? Especially if I'm trying to connect everything between the fairing and bike with 4 pin trailer connectors.

I figured I'd need (3) 4 pin connectors. One for the whole headlight wiring thing (from Eastern Beaver, no less), and a total of 2 for the other misc stuff. I was thinking about connecting the turn signals through another connector for ease in removing the fairing (in the event of an accident or for when I need to paint). Perhaps I can just plug those in to the OEM connectors. I'll have to lengthen the wires anyway.

[Monkeyman]

Originally Posted by Bdog

Actually it is the Northern Beaver that is the most desirable..very rare..hard to find..and crafty as hell..and costly to get a licence for.

I had a Northern Beaver once. I wasn't all that impressed. Found her at a truck stop...nevermind.

[collinr]

You might be better off yanking the PDC from a basic junked car. Maybe a VW bug or something.

You only really need 1 direct to battery + connection.

You can probably use the brackets from the highway bars as a ground path, inside the fairing you simply need a bolt and nut to connect them all together.

Although there may be an unswitched hot in the headlamp it may not have the capacity to run a power outlet.

If you swipe a PCD from a modern car it will have plenty of relay and fuse locations prewired, these are basically dirt at boneyards.