Where is the best 12v place

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xxervio · #1 Unread post by **xxervio** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 1:41 pm

well after doing one motorcycle and having good reviews a friend of his has come to me wanting his done. The motorcycle i did before was a 3 wire system setup. So i tapped into one of the front turn signals that was constantly on. Worked out great.

The guys i am currently working on has a GSX-R 600 which runs on a 2 wire system so no turn signals stay on constantly. I was thinking of tapping into the low beam of the headlight but if he uses high beam the lights will cut out. Anyone have a suggestion on where the best place is to tap into to draw 12V of power???

Joe Mc · #2 Unread post by **Joe Mc** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 3:20 pm

What are you installing?

I'd just probe wires in the main loom until you find a contstant 12V supply.

xxervio · #3 Unread post by **xxervio** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 3:37 pm

i installed about 70 leds so far. with more to come.

mswarrior · #4 Unread post by **mswarrior** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 4:30 pm

As a RV Tech I've installed hundreds of these tail light converters. 2 to 3 wire or 3 wire to 2 wire, both are available. Go to your nearest RV dealership and talk to the parts dude. They'll fix you up quick, these parts are always in stock. There are several different manufacturers out there some even have powered units but you will not need one of those.

Personally I prefer to use "Diodes" especaily in tight areas. If you want to use diodes I can draw you a diagram of how to do it. The diodes are available from any radio shack.

This is the diode you'd need 6Amp should handle the LED'S but if you need more all you do is twist them together.

iwannadie · #5 Unread post by **iwannadie** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 6:25 pm

ive been wanting to install some accent LEDs on my bike but have had no idea how to do it ha. i assume its fairly easy to to just hook up the wires and a simple switch. just a matter of finding the right hot wire to tap on to.

mswarrior · #6 Unread post by **mswarrior** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 8:37 pm

iwannadie wrote:ive been wanting to install some accent LEDs on my bike but have had no idea how to do it ha. i assume its fairly easy to to just hook up the wires and a simple switch. just a matter of finding the right hot wire to tap on to.

What ever you do you should solder your connections then use a heat shrink on them. This will prevent corrosion faults down the road. Those quick connectors that cut into a wire are fast and handy but cause many problems.

iwannadie · #7 Unread post by **iwannadie** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:54 am

mswarrior wrote:
iwannadie wrote:ive been wanting to install some accent LEDs on my bike but have had no idea how to do it ha. i assume its fairly easy to to just hook up the wires and a simple switch. just a matter of finding the right hot wire to tap on to.
What ever you do you should solder your connections then use a heat shrink on them. This will prevent corrosion faults down the road. Those quick connectors that cut into a wire are fast and handy but cause many problems.

are those quik connectors that bad? i used them on my speakers and they seemed to be very solid when crimped down then heat shrunk. although they were in my doors with no chance of getting wheathed. but under the seat of my bike seems very very water tight i dont think water is a problem. is there something else about the quick connectors to worry about?

TechTMW · #8 Unread post by **TechTMW** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:04 am

I'm with the Warrior on this one. A simple soldering Iron costs next to nothing, and so does a few feet of practice wire, solder and flux to practice with.

Quick type connectors are handy and have a place in home applications (like speaker wires and the like) but in a car or on a bike there are too many dynamic factors (like vibration and weather) to guarantee that the cheapie connector won't fail on you down the road. A good soldered connection will last a lifetime, even under these conditions. Under the seat mayseem like a good place, but if the wire gets jostled or pinched (When you remove the seat or tank for instance) you could pull the connection apart pretty easily. I've had more than one acquaintance chasing his tail over a break in their wires because often with the heatshrink wrap you can't see where the connection pulled apart.

mswarrior · Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:31 am

iwannadie wrote:
iwannadie wrote: are those quik connectors that bad?

In one word YES, where there is moisture they will corrod (copper will turn green). If they vibrate they will break (and you won't see it). On top of this these quick connects cut into wires which will add more resistance to the circuit. This will not likely affect LED'S but many system that you may tap into use and may require a set resistance.

As Tech said there are too many dynamics to mention so why wouldn't you do it right the first time.

When I was a noob my first year in the RV Tech field I was quikly taught about this. And if you ever see an RV Tech use a quick connect or but connector where it will be wheathered... Go somewhere else or slap em, your choice.

I can go on about the $hit I've seen come into the shop but we would need another forum.

iwannadie · Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:39 am

very good info, i will stay away from the easy connectors then for bike stuff.

man if you guys could see the battery cables inside my car youd die ha. the guy i got it off tried a ghetto repair and has the battery cables spliced together(twisted) then electrical tape around that. so much bare wire exposed now all corroded. im Trying to rewire them, but im no expert so its a work in progress even with a simple battery cable ; \

all a learning experiences though i see it.