Installing power sockets

[Yowie]

Planning on installing a heap of power outlets to power cameras, sound recorder and various other gadgets. Pretty much all of these things can be powered with USB cables (have done it on other bikes recently) and I want to make it as neat a job as possible (UNlike some previous instals on other bikes).
Also intend installing a number of RAM mounts.

Before reinventing the wheel I thought I'd ask what other riders might have done to their bikes to accommodate such fandanglry.

Two obvious and very accessible places would be the cover over the battery and the same spot on the left side of the bike. BUT installing in these places would mean cutting holes through the plastics UNLESS there were available some very low profile outlet box which could be double-sided taped there.

Anyway, if other folks have some good ideas/experience please let me know.

Cheers

 

[Yowie]

Just found these. Might be modifiable for the job. Will keep looking.

 

[rbentnail]

You need to keep looking b/c if it ain't waterproof you don't want it. Until recently I thought nothing about it until a trip where it rained horribly and I put my phone away but left the usb cable plugged in. Water grounded the plug and burned the end up. Luckily the usb adapter survived.

 

[RossKean]

You need to keep looking b/c if it ain't waterproof you don't want it. Until recently I thought nothing about it until a trip where it rained horribly and I put my phone away but left the usb cable plugged in. Water grounded the plug and burned the end up. Luckily the usb adapter survived.

Agreed! In terms of waterproof USB outlets, most I have seen are surface mount round plugs with two outlets. Some appear to be more waterproof than others - many just have a flexible rubber flap with two nubs that fit into the outlets. less commonly, you find one with a spring-loaded cover and gasket that I would expect to be better at preventing water ingress.

 

[CollingsBob]

I use a powerbank located out of the weather in the tankbag…

 

[Oldjeep]

I don't think that there is any such thing as a weatherproof USB connection. If you want to turn the bike into a circus wagon I would consider weather-pak connectors.

 

[sapest]

The only USB products I have ever seen that are truly waterproof are marine grade, like this. Not really motorcycle oriented, perhaps one could be fitted inside the ‘glovebox’.
-Steve

 

[Ignacio]

I installed a single Powerlet to the fairing wired to the battery and then a pigtail to my tank bag for a powered bag. I have an Anker USB plug with four ports including a higher wattage USB-C, plug for my electric clothing, a lead to charge my phone, etc. 15 amps was more than enough to go around. It's the only thing I've wired to my battery directly...with a fuse of course.

 

[Yowie]

You need to keep looking b/c if it ain't waterproof you don't want it. Until recently I thought nothing about it until a trip where it rained horribly and I put my phone away but left the usb cable plugged in. Water grounded the plug and burned the end up. Luckily the usb adapter survived.

Yes, whatever is used needs to be fused and have its own isolation switch.

Agreed! In terms of waterproof USB outlets, most I have seen are surface mount round plugs with two outlets. Some appear to be more waterproof than others - many just have a flexible rubber flap with two nubs that fit into the outlets. less commonly, you find one with a spring-loaded cover and gasket that I would expect to be better at preventing water ingress.

View attachment 2889

Those units do work quite well. They are what I have used previously, fused and isolation switched. BUT I want to try to come up with a way to do things that doesn't require modifying the bike's panels.

I use a powerbank located out of the weather in the tankbag…

There's a lot of merit in that, or a sililar, way of doing things! Would keep everything COMPLETELY independent of the bike, which seems a very good idea!

 

[sapest]

Those units do work quite well. They are what I have used previously, fused and isolation switched. BUT I want to try to come up with a way to do things that doesn't require modifying the bike's panels.

If you can source one of the dashboard shelves that used to be for sale here, you could mount whatever you want without touching any tupperware.
-Steve

 

[Oldjeep]

The only USB products I have ever seen that are truly waterproof are marine grade, like this. Not really motorcycle oriented, perhaps one could be fitted inside the ‘glovebox’.
-Steve

Waterproof when not in use. My comment was directed to the pile of stuff he wants to have plugged in, and the lack of waterproofing then.

 

[RiderJoe]

Oldjeep has a good point. Most USB plugs I see on the market advertised as "waterproof" are so while their caps are closed - therefore not in use. As soon as you raise the waterproof caps to plug in your standard USB cable, the power/data connection to your device is no longer waterproof. Placing the connection into a tank bag is better, but in a very heavy downpour stuff in there can get wet too (most likely not to a degree to short out though).

 

[Yowie]

If you can source one of the dashboard shelves that used to be for sale here, you could mount whatever you want without touching any tupperware.
-Steve

I did a search on the site for those and YES, they look like a great idea!
A couple of questions;
Are they still available?
What do they bolt to?

Failing availability of the 'dashboard shelf' I'm leaning toward powerbanks. Wouldn't be too hard to make them detachable using some of the readily available camera-mounting stuff you can get for peanuts. Some come ready for use using 18650 cells.
These ones are cheap and let you use the cells of your choice (lolol in other words you just get the battery-less cases and have to solder in your own battery cells )
https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesal...ell+powerbank&spm=a2g0o.productlist.1000002.0

 

[Yowie]

These ones might be even better.
They have four outlets each, and good reviews. Just ordered three - two for up front and one for the back.
Off to look for good qual. batteries that don't explode now.

 

[Ignacio]

They have four outlets each, and good reviews. Just ordered three - two for up front and one for the back.

So, you're going to add relatively heavy packs of batteries that will discharge....on a sport-touring bike....when it already has an alternator with hundreds of spare watt-hour capacity in it?

That's a weird turn from your original question about power outlets, but whatever floats your boat I guess..

 

[Yowie]

More enjoyable to have a bike that does what you want it to do than to keep it 'purist' for the sake of doing so.
Having said that, I prefer not to butcher bikes to get 'em to do what I want. The extra batteries really won't add much weight and will leave the bike the way they designed it and the way future users might prefer it.
And in terms of power outlets, these things have them built-in!!! A total of sixteen, in my case. Bit of a completely unexpected surprise bonus eh!

 

[torch]

In 2003, I bought a spiral cord 12v adapter for my GPS. Removed the circuit board from the plug, soldered on some supply wires and sealed it all into a film canister, then hard-wired that to the bike under shelter of the fairing, powered by the front marker lights. The coiled cord hangs unobtrusively secured by the stock wire guides.

320,000kms later, I transferred it to the 2006. Still works fine.

 

[Bounce]

I installed a single Powerlet to the fairing wired to the battery and then a pigtail to my tank bag for a powered bag. I have an Anker USB plug with four ports including a higher wattage USB-C, plug for my electric clothing, a lead to charge my phone, etc. 15 amps was more than enough to go around. It's the only thing I've wired to my battery directly...with a fuse of course.

Me too. I have the socket in the right-side, black trim around the fork tubes. I then pigtail into the tank bag where I can put any electronics I need (including a DC battery charger for AA, AAA batteries for accessories).

My heated gear is through another Powerlet down in front of the left saddle bag.

Heat, rain, snow, sleet... no matter the weather, it always works a treat! (Berma Shave)

 

[keithq]

Planning on installing a heap of power outlets to power cameras, sound recorder and various other gadgets. Pretty much all of these things can be powered with USB cables (have done it on other bikes recently) and I want to make it as neat a job as possible (UNlike some previous instals on other bikes).
Also intend installing a number of RAM mounts.

Before reinventing the wheel I thought I'd ask what other riders might have done to their bikes to accommodate such fandanglry.

Two obvious and very accessible places would be the cover over the battery and the same spot on the left side of the bike. BUT installing in these places would mean cutting holes through the plastics UNLESS there were available some very low profile outlet box which could be double-sided taped there.

Anyway, if other folks have some good ideas/experience please let me know.

Cheers

If you want to add electronics that need power, you should consider a power/fuse block under the seat. I currently run my Denali lights, Garmin GPS, heated clothing and a radar detector with one. Here is a video showing the install and wire routing if you are interested.

 

[Yowie]

Great work, Keith.
4AM here and I have to get off to work, but checked the start of the vid. Looking forward to watching properly tonight.
Thanks for putting it up.