Installing your Widder connectors

[Warchild]

Veteran Iron Butt riders know that the best placement of your Widder connector is one where it will easily disconnect when you forget to unplug your vest prior to stepping off the bike. This is a common occurrance after about Day 5 or 6 of the Iron Butt Rally. :lol:

Use the classic BMW-style connectors (also sold by Widder themselves, also PowerLet, Hella, John Deere, etc) installed above the left knee, as seen in these photos below. You wire your Widder controller such that the output of the controller serves as the power source for the female connector below. The male-side is a direct-connect to your Widder vest.

First, *carefully* drill the connector hole, keeping it slightly outboard to take advantage of the strength provided where the fairing turns 90-degrees downward:

This photo shows the clearance of the installed connector with regard to the fairing sidewall:

 

[SkooterG]

Outstanding! Thanks for the info.

But..........you left so much more unsaid.

Like, for instance, where do you have your Widder controller installed?

 

[huron52]

All of the controllers that Widder makes (that I know of) are on the line the runs from the vest to the plug on the bike.

 

[Warchild]

All of the controllers that Widder makes (that I know of) are on the line the runs from the vest to the plug on the bike.

It matters not!

You run 12v switched power to the Widder input side, and run the "output" side - both wires, neg and pos - to the back connectors of the female BMW/Powerlet/whatever connector.

Wired this way, the amount of power reaching the female connector is now regulated by the controller. You simply connect the male side of the Powerlet (or whatever) cord directly to the male banana connectors typically found on Widder clothing, and viola, you have regulated heat! I've been running it this way since the Widder electronic controller hit the market, many years ago.

SkooterG - you mount the Widder controller as close to your left hand as possible. Using a custom bracket, mine is so close to my clutch hand that I can adjust it with my thumb, leaving the other four fingers wrapped around the left handgrip. I use this same arrangement on the Blackbird.

 

[stryg8r]

I mounted my heat-troller in the same spot. It's a perfect spot as the lead from my Kanetsu vest exits on the left side of the vest, keeping the coiled cord out of the way.

The controller leads are long enough to mount quite a distance from the socket, but I chose to mount next to it as its easily reachable and once set doesn't require much fiddling. There have been some pretty creative mounting locations for the controller, including one where it's mounted inside the left switch housing.

 

[Tinker]

Widders will be my next purchase. This is a very timely find. Do all Widder cords exit from the left?

 

[Rogue]

Widders will be my next purchase. This is a very timely find. Do all Widder cords exit from the left?

Good question!

Another question.....

I'm looking at getting heated gear (Like I need it in So.Cal , I plan on taking some rides to cooler places), I'm looking at getting the Widder Vest/Sleeves/Chaps and gloves.

Should I use just one control or seperate ones for each?

If its cool enough to plug everything in would I want to use the gloves at 90%, Chaps at 75%, vest at 85% and sleeves at 50% or run at everything at the same setting?

I don't want to have to install a bunch of un-needed jacks and controllers and have 200 wires to plug in every time I get on the bike but don't want to have my hands sweating and my chest freezing.

 

[Warchild]

Do all Widder cords exit from the left?

Yes, they do.

 

[Warchild]

If its cool enough to plug everything in would I want to use the gloves at 90%, Chaps at 75%, vest at 85% and sleeves at 50% or run at everything at the same setting?

The sleeves (or "arm chaps", as they are called) connect together with the System II vest, so whatever you set your vest to, the sleeves follow suite.

The System II vest w/ sleeves run at 57 watts total when in their highest setting.

The Widder chaps cost 33 watts at it's highest setting. So... 90-watts total, from ankle to neck.

Me, I only use one connector for my System II vest and leg chaps. I do have the Widder gloves (which are excellent), but I fine that I do not to use them much since installing the V-Strom Hand Guards (unless I know I'm doing an extensive ride in the freezing cold.)

Others, however, do have duel Widder controllers, one for their upper body, one for their legs. Whatever makes you the most comfortable, that's the way to go....

 

[easyman05]

What was your reason to choose a BMW connector? Is it specific 2-way/reliable/or else?

 

[Warchild]

All these connectors are actually made by Hella, not BMW. We use the term "BMW-style" connectors just for nomenclature purposes.... their first wide-spread motorcycle use happened to be on beemers, is all.

These connectors are idea for our use because they are just big enough to handle with winter gloves (and no bigger). and have spring-loaded connections that make them resist becoming loose due to vibrations.

 

[GunMD]

Do most folks run these heat trollers / outlets off of a fuse block? Or right off of the battery?

 

[easyman05]

All these connectors are actually made by Hella, not BMW. We use the term "BMW-style" connectors just for nomenclature purposes.... their first wide-spread motorcycle use happened to be on beemers, is all.
These connectors are idea for our use because they are just big enough to handle with winter gloves (and no bigger). and have spring-loaded connections that make them resist becoming loose due to vibrations.

And can you charge the battery through any connector or only BMW-style one? :huh: I thought only the BMW units have such possibility with the help of optional charger.

 

[Warchild]

And can you charge the battery through any connector or only BMW-style one? :huh: I thought only the BMW units have such possibility with the help of optional charger.

Well, you can, in fact, use this connector to charge the battery (though obviously, the output of your charger must now use the male connector to plug into your BMW-style receptacle).

HOWEVER, if you're going to do this, the female connector should really be a direct-connect to the battery, NOT through an electronic controller as described above, nor through a power strip (typically, power strips are "relayed", so the current would never reach the battery to charge it).

 

[stryg8r]

Do most folks run these heat trollers / outlets off of a fuse block?  Or right off of the battery?

It depends...if you want to use the outlet to charge your battery then a direct connection to your battery is best. I run my heat-troller for the vest outlet and heated grips through a fused/switched power distribution block.

I also have another outlet directly connected to the battery for charging and connecting to my tankbag.

On my other bike I'm using a RCA stereo type connector for the vest and charging. The battery tender has a standard SAE connection that can adapt to either plug.

 

[easyman05]

And can you charge the battery through any connector or only BMW-style one? :huh: I thought only the BMW units have such possibility with the help of optional charger.

Well, you can, in fact, use this connector to charge the battery (though obviously, the output of your charger must now use the male connector to plug into your BMW-style receptacle).

HOWEVER, if you're going to do this, the female connector should really be a direct-coinnect to the battery, NOT through an electronic controller as described above, nor through a power strip (typically, power strips are "relayed", so the current would never reach the battery to charge it).

I see. Thank you!

 

[chipset]

Well, I just got my farkles installed. Well, almost.

I received a number of items this week, including a tool to remove my bar end, so I finished my ThrottleMeister. That was installed Thursday night.

Due to being busy, I didn't even look at my bike yesterday.

Today, after errands, I did my first TBS. Thanks again, Warchild.

As I was working on the bike, my PowerLet was sitting there ready to be installed. So, I installed it today, too.

I have only plugged the V1 in to determine if it was working. Which, it was.

Now, quick question...

If I want to charge the battery, should I route my negative end of the PowerLet back to the battery? It is connected to the point indicated by the instructions (a mounting point for the fairing cover).

Thanks,

Thomas

 

[JimV]

I've been trying to understand how to go about rigging up the power for a Widder System 2 vest. But I've got some questions:

1. Heat-Troller vs. Widder Electronic Controller. Is this just a matter of personal preference or is there some advantage to using Widder's controller with their vest?

2. I don't see a Widder Electronic Controller that looks as if it was designed to be panel mounted the way that the Heat-Troller is. I kind of like the way that Stryg8r shows in his picture. Having the knob next to your thumb ala WC is probably more functional but requires more work and more exposed wiring. Is there a panel mount Widder Electronic Controller?

3. Are BMW/Hella and Powerlet connectors 100% interchangable? I like the apparent indestructability of the Powerlet connector.

Here's how I see this working on my bike, are there any problems:

Powerplate switched 12vdc --> Heat-Troller --> Powerlet jack --> Widder System2 Lectric-vest with coiled BMW switch cord. The negative side runs back from the powerlet to my ground block.

Thanks,

Jim