Do I really need a fuse block or just KISS

[dasadab]

I want to wire to my beautiful '09 three farkles:

1. Auxiliary lights up front, in my case a pair of motolights on the brake calipers. These should be run on a switched circuit with a separate on/off switch. I will have to research where to tap a switched circuit up front.

2. A dual Powerlet kit mounted at the seat key. There is a nice FJR specific kit for this. This should be unswitched so it can be used for charging the battery.

3. A Datel meter.

Do you think I need to get a fuse box or can I just keep it simple and run everything to the battery with a relay for the switched circuit? Thanks. Dean

 

[FJRBluesman]

The fuseblock is also considered a farkle. I would do this. You may want more things later, so start it off right, plus it makes sense.

 

[Geezer]

I have a bunch of farkles and did not install a fuseblock. Each of my electrical farkles has it's own inline fuse right near where it attaches to the battery. I shared a couple of the ring connectors with two farkles, so two wires go into one connector so that I don't have too many ring connectors on the battery. I did, however, add a simple terminal block for all the ground wires.

 

[FJR Flyer]

I was going to do the fuseblock, but did a fused relay with barrier strips and inline fuses instead. Just as good, not quite as neat and tidy.

 

[Texan]

I put terminal blocks under the seat (one positive and one ground.) The terminal blocks are fused to the battery with a 30A. Some components (GPS, Radar) have smaller inline fuses.

 

[2006FJR]

You want to add three farkles now. You will want more later. Adding a fuse block is too cheap and easy not to do it when you have a new bike. I would suggest the Blue Sea if you want to run the powerlett through it. Run one directly to the battery so you can charge the bike in the off season and pump your tires on the side of the road without the bike on. The 5025 is only about $35 if you look around. LINK

 

[FJRGuy]

"Need" is a funny word! In the sense that you 'need' the moto lights and 'need' the Datel, then I'd say "You tell us is you 'need' it!"

That being said, I have less use for a fuseblock than you (at this point) but it is high on my 'want' list. For little cost and effort it can keep your electricals neat and tidy and save effort when adding new farkles.

If Blue Sea stuff weren't so darn big (for our application, they're fine for their intended use on boats) I'd be looking at a fuse panel. Fuzeblock, Centech, Eastern Beaver all, IMO, make better solutions for the FJR.

 

[2006FJR]

"Need" is a funny word! In the sense that you 'need' the moto lights and 'need' the Datel, then I'd say "You tell us is you 'need' it!"
That being said, I have less use for a fuseblock than you (at this point) but it is high on my 'want' list. For little cost and effort it can keep your electricals neat and tidy and save effort when adding new farkles.

If Blue Sea stuff weren't so darn big (for our application, they're fine for their intended use on boats) I'd be looking at a fuse panel. Fuzeblock, Centech, Eastern Beaver all, IMO, make better solutions for the FJR.

I agree that all of those units are better but I would not run my Bill Mayer heated seats into any of those fuse panels and the Powerlet for heated gear and the bi-xenon lights are debatable too. For pretty much everything else I think they are the much better option and having the ability to switch between powered and non powered on the same unit is a great perk. I think it all comes down to what mods or farkles you are planning on adding.

 

[HaulinAshe]

I opted for a fusible link on the battery end of the #10 hot wire, and wish I had NOT used a fuse block on the load end. One of these days I hope to get around to eliminating it and simply using auto fuses near the loads. The fusible link at the battery is a big must-do in my book. You have to consider what might happen in something as simple as a parking lot drop if that #10 wire was shorted.

 

[Aasland]

I would argue that a fuseblock is effectually the KISS method. It provides one path to the battery and makes it much simpler to troubleshoot and add new farkes in the future.

 

[flapsup]

Do you have to have a switched fuse block? No.

Can you remember to turn your moto-lights off EVERY time you stop? I can't.

Can you bump start an FJR? Yes, you can. But you really need a little downhill to help.

So, your choice is easy. Don't put one in and keep it simple, or remember to choose your parking places carefully, 'cause one day you will forget to turn something off. I'm just saying......

Besides, you are just beginning to farkle. Where are you gonna put the power leads for your GPS/Ipod/cell phone/power plug/comm system/cruise control/sound mixer/hyperlites....etc.

You know you want to. You can't help yourself. You've got FARKELITIS and there is no cure! First you'll run out of places to put the new wires on your battery terminal. You'll start wondering if a slightly longer bolt on the positive terminal on your battery will make it easier to work another wire terminal in. You will pull off the panels so many times you'll have to get replacement body panel push pins by the dozen. You start to dread when the new catalogues show up because you know you're gonna have to take another hit in the credit card. Go ahead and buy the big package of wire ties of multicolored that has four or five different sizes, cause you know you'll use them.

Oh yes my friend! You've got the disease.

Oops. Wait a minute! We were talking about you!.

 

[2006FJR]

Do you have to have a switched fuse block? No.
Can you remember to turn your moto-lights off EVERY time you stop? I can't.

Can you bump start an FJR? Yes, you can. But you really need a little downhill to help.

So, your choice is easy. Don't put one in and keep it simple, or remember to choose your parking places carefully, 'cause one day you will forget to turn something off. I'm just saying......

Besides, you are just beginning to farkle. Where are you gonna put the power leads for your GPS/Ipod/cell phone/power plug/comm system/cruise control/sound mixer/hyperlites....etc.

You know you want to. You can't help yourself. You've got FARKELITIS and there is no cure! First you'll run out of places to put the new wires on your battery terminal. You'll start wondering if a slightly longer bolt on the positive terminal on your battery will make it easier to work another wire terminal in. You will pull off the panels so many times you'll have to get replacement body panel push pins by the dozen. You start to dread when the new catalogues show up because you know you're gonna have to take another hit in the credit card. Go ahead and buy the big package of wire ties of multicolored that has four or five different sizes, cause you know you'll use them.

Oh yes my friend! You've got the disease.

Oops. Wait a minute! We were talking about you!.

Now that was a funny post! No truer words have been spoken.

 

[Patriot]

I want to wire to my beautiful '09 three farkles:
1. Auxiliary lights up front, in my case a pair of motolights on the brake calipers. These should be run on a switched circuit with a separate on/off switch. I will have to research where to tap a switched circuit up front.

lights best to directly to battery for power; use the headlight relay wire under the dash for switched circuit so the lights can only be on with the engine running just like the headlight

2. A dual Powerlet kit mounted at the seat key. There is a nice FJR specific kit for this. This should be unswitched so it can be used for charging the battery.

Again, directly to the battery for power as unswitched

3. A Datel meter.

here use a relay harness with the meter directly to the battery and the coil switched with the key - many disconnect the windshield auto retract plug under the dash and use one of the wires to it as a switched power tap; you can also do what I did and add a small toggle in the black horizontal panel near the battery to light up the datel at rest - connect the power wire to the voltmeter to unswitched power

Do you think I need to get a fuse box or can I just keep it simple and run everything to the battery with a relay for the switched circuit? Thanks. Dean

Actually, no need IMHO

best search function to find info on your needs is ?????? site:fjrforum.com

if you'd like some help finding info or doing what I suggest (I did all that on my '04 plus have a fuzeblock fz1, but like the new eastern beaver pc-8 with two more switched circuits available

 

[dasadab]

Thanks to all. Lots of good, and even funny!, suggestions.