Draw power to GPS - fusetap?

[HPP8140]

Just open the headlight and find the accessory wire. I think it is brown on my 95 and orange on my 2002.

[dathudo]

There's a wire for that purpose? That seems really smart! Is it just a "dead end positive" lying around in there I am looking for?

[HPP8140]

Not sure about the F models, but behind the round headlight models serves as a junction point for the wiring....just tap into a wire that is live when the ignition is on. Here's my 2002. I've tapped the white wire into the circled brown/black plug.

[twocool]

That gizmo has the power converter...(12v to 5 volt).. inside of it....if you connect it direct to your battery, it will run down the battery...even if the GPS is not connected to it..

There are two types of voltage converters...one is very power hungry and work at like 30% effeceincy...the other type works at 95% efficient...but both types draw power all the time..

Battery pack is not a bad idea, and I did consider that solution at some point, but my Rider 40 comes with a real nice mount
that is meant for powering the device while holding it in place, and I want to make use of that. Its nice and clean when installed, and nothing
has to go on and off the bike, also I don't have to make sure my batteries are ready for whenever I need my GPS next time..


The mount is meant for direct mounting, I am pretty sure, so I don't need a transformer.
Either I mount it directly to the battery with a fuse inline, or I find a sophisticated way of drawing power so that it turns off when I turn the key.
This is why I asked about the fuse tap method. I figure it would be just as easy to connect the positive wire to a piggyback fuseholder at the main fuse,
as at the positive pole of the battery. Also, I wont be altering the harness at all, other than the piggyback fuse, which is essentially the same as splicing the positive lead just before the fuse,
only its very much undoable..

I just don't know if the main fuse is only active with the ignition, and if there is any danger in drawing power herefrom.
The power my GPS can draw is pretty minimal, so I find it hard to believe that it could be a real danger, but then again, I don't know a lot about this stuff.

[barry905]

My thanks to all those who contributed to this discussion. I too have been thinking about putting a power outlet on my GS to run my TomTom GPS unit, but I am much struck by the idea of using a portable power pack instead. I already have a 2600mAhr, but even a 200000mAhr battery pack is a comparable price to a cigar lighter socket for the bike, so I'm preferring the battery pack. solution. All I need to do is to devise the best mount for it. Not too difficult.

I would never have thought of using the portable power pack. Thanks guys!

[dathudo]

@Hpp.. Ah, alright. But this is kinda what i wanted to avoid - altering the harness.
When you said "accessory wire", i thought there was a positive feed meant for accessories.

I don't want this to sound wrong, but nobody has actually discussed the main fuse I asked about. I am still curious to know if the piggyback trick would
work and provide me with a "live when ignition" wire? I bought a cheap voltmeter, so I might try to test if the current is activated with the ignition there, or if
it is always on, meaning the ignition cuts the circuit later on. I still seek you knowledge on weather or not it is possible/safe to draw power here..

The reason I don't want to let it go is because I think it is an obvious and easy solution, providing it actually works.
It would be just as simple to plug in here, as straight to the battery.
End result would also be plug/switch free, clean install, and with no modification to the harness.

[HPP8140]

I did not alter the harness, just wedged a wire into the end, which goes to a 12V socket with fuse. Another benefit here is that it is close to where the GPS and other electronics (phone charger) would be mounted.

https://www.amazon.com/BlueFire%C2%AE-Waterproof-Motorcycle-Scooter-Cigarette/dp/B00ZGDYG7Y/ref=sr_1_29?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1467127260&sr=1-29&keywords=12v+socket+fuse

[dathudo]

Ah, okay, I see that

[lucas]

Looking at the wiring diagram the fuse is connected directly to the positive terminal of the battery so that would be an "always on" situation.

Edit - ok it matters how the piggy backing is done.  If the GPS ends up in "series" with the fuse, then it will be "on with ignition" but if you are connecting to ground using one of the black-with-white-stripe wires it will be "always on."

If you connect it in series with the main power like this you might run into issues.  The voltage available to the rest of the system will drop.  It might not be enough to dim the headlights significantly or weaken the spark, but watch out for that.

It is best to splice into the orange wire and use that as your + wire and the black/white as the - wire.  That way it will be "on with ignition" and also not reduce the voltage to the rest of the motorcycle.