Best method for tapping into electrical system?

[Texfire]

I'm adding a Zumo 450 to my Honda VLX 600. It's got a fused power cord that came with the unit, it needs to be wired into the electrical system somewhere. Where would be the best spot to do so? At the battery? Fuse box? Ignition circut? Somewhere else? Are any of these locations better or easier? Is there something I should do at the same time to make it easier to go back and install an intercom if that's what I decide in the future to manage my audio inputs?

I'm humble enough to throw up my hands and have a professional install it if it's going to be beyond my current ability, but have no idea how complicated or difficult it would be.

Tex

[ofblong]

if its fused chord you should have a negative and positive wires. The "red" side should have the fuse on it. Just connect red to the red part of the battery and black to the black part of the battery. However im not exactly sure what you have looks like what im describing.

[mydlyfkryzis]

What I have done is added a relay that is controlled by the ignition switch. The relay switches the connection to the battery. This way when I turn off the key, my accessories go off. I can't accidentally leave something on and kill the battery.

On the line to the relay (from the battery) I have a 20 amp fuse. , then I hook up the accessory to the relay using its fuse. My GPS has a 1 amp fuse on it, for example.

This protects the device and the 20 amp protects the whole thing.

[Texfire]

if its fused chord you should have a negative and positive wires. The "red" side should have the fuse on it. Just connect red to the red part of the battery and black to the black part of the battery. However im not exactly sure what you have looks like what im describing.

It is how you described. There's the hot side with an inline 2 amp fuse, which I hope to locate somewhere somewhat accessible for future replacement. The ground side runs with the hot under common insulation until the fuse location.

I'm fairly comfortable with electric wiring in general and even vehicle wiring in specific. I was just at a loss as to the best location to tap into the hot and ground. I also don't know if there is an easier way of routing the wires that don't involve disassembling my bike. For instance I am inclined to run the wires down the centerline with the rest of the wiring bundle but don't know how much disassembly that would require. Looking at the wiring bundle I think making the connection somewhere near the left sidepanel/ignition area is going to be my best bet assuming that there isn't already a switched fusebox somewhere else.

Tex

[ofblong]

well you can do it the quick easy way where you dont remove much and risk crimping/stripping/shorting out the wiring on/in something or you can just remove things to make sure that wont happen. I took my seat off to run the wiring for my heated gloves and used the existing wiring as the running path. Used a couple zip ties and all is good. I also connected the wires right to the battery because it is fused. If you plan on running many accessories I would do as mydlyfkryzis said. I have a shutoff for my heated glove line but I dont use it cause I dont leave my gloves on the bike when I go in.

[Texfire]

Did the install at work today. After looking high and low for an easy way to do it that wouldn't look cheesy, I ended up taking off the seat and tank and running the wire through the frame parallel to the existing wiring. I used cable ties to secure it to the frame, and gathered up the extra wire under the seat just in case I want to run it differently in the future. The ground was run to a screw into the frame and the hot was spliced into the switched side of the ignition wiring harness under the left sidecover. I used electrical tape to seal up the splice and cable tied it to the wire harness to secure it. It should be pretty weatherproof and I used connectors at the splice so I can add on later if I need to. A pretty slick install for my first one, and looks good with it all buttoned up.

One minor problem, I already have my next project lined up. Touching up the paint where a bolt on the underside of the handlebar scratched the tank, three times...

Tex

[ofblong]

good job. better to make it look good and do it right the first time than to have to spend 2x as long fixing it the second time around.