Heated grips, Where to get the power

[Guest]

Hi guys I absolutely suck at reading schematics so I thought I would pick the experts brains where the best place to tap power from to run the new heated grips on my bike. The grips use a max of 23 watts but I want them to use switched power. So any thoughts (wire colors) would be very helpful. Thanks

[bccap]

I tapped into the wire leading to my tail light. { not brake light } It's pretty easy to find. Then go buy a relay and hook up as shown.........

[posplayr]

If you have a switch to ground that could be configured easily as well. You power 85 from switched o/g and ground the other side at the handlebar on pin 86. Normally these things have a controller though and you go right off of o/g especially if you converted to led signals any brake lights.

In other words there is really not much need for a relay in almost any circumstance unless you have no controller at all.

[Redman]

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..................... where the best place to tap power from to run the new heated grips on my bike. .......

HI,

A good place to "get the power" is on your fuse block probably is an AUX terminals (actually I do not really how they are labeled, the two screw terminal connections). That is powered by the bottom fuse. This is a good place because it has a separate fuse just for that, and will not be drawing that current thru existing circuit/connnections in addition to what is already therre. But it is not switched like you said you want.... so you could swtich it yourself with a relay like others have mentiond.

THe org/grn circuit is a good switched circuit that you can use to operate the relay. It goes all over the place, most notably the brake pedal swtich.

Dave

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[bomber737]

I guess I am wondering why I need to put a relay in the circuit for the grips? It seems that there should be some kind of a switched AUX wiring in there somewhere or some subsystem that has little power demands on it. The wires to run the grips are 18ga so it is not large. I would tap off the taillight but I am going to use those wires to run a micro voltage meter. I wanted to use the lights in the gauge cluster but it was to tight to get those wires tied in. Not to mention Im a dumb a$$ and I forgot to do it when I put the LED bulbs in there.

[posplayr]

I guess I am wondering why I need to put a relay in the circuit for the grips? It seems that there should be some kind of a switched AUX wiring in there somewhere or some subsystem that has little power demands on it. The wires to run the grips are 18ga so it is not large. I would tap off the taillight but I am going to use those wires to run a micro voltage meter. I wanted to use the lights in the gauge cluster but it was to tight to get those wires tied in. Not to mention Im a dumb a$$ and I forgot to do it when I put the LED bulbs in there.

if it was not clear in my post above, I said hook it up to O/G especially if you have done LEDS on the signal lights.

O/G is switched with the ignition.

[bomber737]

I have not done a swap into LED bulbs in the turn signals. For now I am sticking with the incandescent ones. It just dawned on me that o/g is orange/green. Thanks I must be slow today

[posplayr]

I have not done a swap into LED bulbs in the turn signals. For now I am sticking with the incandescent ones. It just dawned on me that o/g is orange/green. Thanks I must be slow today

If you don't change out some of the bulbs you could blow a fuse. Blinkers and brakes comes real close to 9 amps peak. adding the heater full blast will get you to 11 which might blow the SIGNAL fuse.

Again LED's will add all the excess your need and not require and increase in the fuse.

If you are not willing to change to LED's you might use O/W instead. Then the heater will only run when you have the ignition on. It only has a 3-4 amp load and never gets close to 10 amps.