About to fit a speed detector, anyone know a good live?

[kawakid]

Hi,

Just bought a speed detector from Argos.

About to fit it, but just looking for ideas on were to get a good live wire from, (I know I can go direct to battery, but then i'd have to fit a switch as not to drain my battery).

Would a good idea be to connect it to the light wiring? (I mean I always drive with lights on). Could I just connect direct in to that, i've heard about relays for having multiple lights, would I need to do that?

Anyone got any other pointers/ideas, its an ER5 I ride.

Cheers.
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I've a twin and a 4.

[stinkwheel]

Wire it direct to the battery through a relay. Use a wire that is live only when the ignition is on (such as feed to the rear brake switch)as your 'switching' current. I would recommend using an inline fues or fused relay too.

4-blade Relay wiring:
30 to Battery via fuse.
87 to Speed detector.
85 from 'live' wire on brake switch.
86 to earth.

This will make it switch off with the ignition. You could fit a switch of some sort in the feed to the detector if you don't want it on all the time.

Don't cut the wire to tap in for a 'switching' current, you should be able to get a 'piggy back' connector which will allow you to connect in without disturbing the original loom.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Gazdaman]

For my heated grips we used the live off the front brake light switch.

Easy to make a little adapter since it's just a spade connector.

Gaz

[kawakid]

[stinkwheel]

A relay is the neatest way to get the thing switching on and off with the ignition without butchering the loom. Using the relay as an automatic 'on-off' switch rather than for its current carrying capacity.

You would just need to earth the detector to the frame or directly to the battery negative, the choice is yours.

If I was doing it for your application, I would probably put the relay under the saddle where it is out of the way and protected from the weather (which is why I said to use the rear brake switch, the input to the flasher relay would be just as good). I would then run a single wire up to the detector from the relay.

You could splice it into another circuit. If the loom is similar to other Kawasakis I have worked on, brown wires are live when the ignition is on. My way you can easily remove the item again without having to 'undo' too much and you have the added benefit of a seperate fuse for the detector.

As I say, that is just my way, not the only way.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[kawakid]

Thanks,

It does look a reasonable way, I take the battery out a lot so I might have to look (ie a take the battery out during the week in winter as I only use it once a week to keep running).

Remembering some of the panels, near the battery, there appears to be a couple of female spade T syle sockets, i'll try them with my multimeter first (you never know).

What's best place for the 4 wire relays? I couldn't see them on ebay.

Perhaps a car scrappers?

The speed detector has its own fuse (car style type) already, so i'm pretty happy about that.


Thanks
____________________
I've a twin and a 4.

[stinkwheel]

Any auto spares shop will have a four terminal, single throw relay. They are pretty universal and inexpensive. Also Maplins if you have one nearby, Radio Shack (Tandy) would certainly have had them a few years ago but maybe not now?

Any car breakers should have a box full, look for the terminal numbers to check you have the correct one.

Obviously, if there is a 'spare' live, use it. All for an easy life.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[samomighty]

hey guy's this may sound a lil dumb but what's a speed detector do you mean a speedometer?

sam

[Gazdaman]

[samomighty]

oh the infarad thingy i knew some1 with 1 on his scooter