mickrichardson
Jul 16th, 2006, 1:17 pm
Hi Folks - new to the K1200 LT, I upgraded from an ST1100 Pan about 2 weeks ago and have enjoyed every moment since.
As usual with a new bike, I like to look for mods to make it that bit more comfortable and / or safer.
I have ordered a Laminar 'Lip' (http://www.baehr.fi/B1166.html) to get rid of the windlash that my pillion suffers, and Ive ordered the run-n-lites (http://run-n-lites.com/run-n-lites/products.asp) to make myself more visible, but one thing I though I could do for myself so to speak was to wire in some internal lighting to the two saddlebags.
I started by finding some white light LED re assembled on EBay - this bloke sells on EBay, but can be found at ralph_barton_@hotmail.com and will make to order for you.
Next I got hold of some micro switches - make sure that they close when the switch is depressed. I got it the other way around, but thankfully, it's only a matter of prising the switch apart and moving one of the spades to the opposite internal position.
Next, I needed some sort of bracket for the switch to operate against - and found some block joiners left over form an old DIY project.
Armed with some 5amp wire and pliers and scotchlocks - a page printed off to identify the fuses, the experiment began.
In one saddlebag, I had previously drilled holes for the siting of the transceiver fitted to the Autocom - and a second hole to cater for a wire from the autocom to my phone.
First job was to find the best place for the switch and bracket. I settled for the spot right underneath one of the lugs to mates the pannier / saddlebag lid with the body. Using 'blue tac' I positioned everything for some dry runs of closing and opening the panniers to make sure the switch would function in situ. Once that was sorted, I found that i could take a power source from fuse #1 brake lights etc. My aim was not to have power flowing without the ignition energised just in case of a malfunction at some time that could otherwise mean that the lights would be on for days at a time if the bike was unused for a period. Whilst I appreciate that LED's use precious little energy, I just didn't feel comfortable able the possibility of something going wrong in that regard.
I decided to tap into the wire behind the fuse as the rubber boot covered up the connection nicely.
I ran an earth cable direct to the battery after I found that most other earth sources easily available didn't carry sufficient current to allow the LED's to work.
After routing and hiding the cables amongst existing the loom, I copied the work to the opposite pannier, but spliced into the cables from the fuse and to earth.
I used superglue to position the switch and bracket - and to help the bracket blend in, coloured it with a permanent marker pen.
Given that I already had some cable (about a metre of red and black), the entire project cost less than £12 ($21) - and unless you get on your hands and knees, the only visible bits are the switch and bracket. I may even use the black marker pen on the switch housing!
As usual with a new bike, I like to look for mods to make it that bit more comfortable and / or safer.
I have ordered a Laminar 'Lip' (http://www.baehr.fi/B1166.html) to get rid of the windlash that my pillion suffers, and Ive ordered the run-n-lites (http://run-n-lites.com/run-n-lites/products.asp) to make myself more visible, but one thing I though I could do for myself so to speak was to wire in some internal lighting to the two saddlebags.
I started by finding some white light LED re assembled on EBay - this bloke sells on EBay, but can be found at ralph_barton_@hotmail.com and will make to order for you.
Next I got hold of some micro switches - make sure that they close when the switch is depressed. I got it the other way around, but thankfully, it's only a matter of prising the switch apart and moving one of the spades to the opposite internal position.
Next, I needed some sort of bracket for the switch to operate against - and found some block joiners left over form an old DIY project.
Armed with some 5amp wire and pliers and scotchlocks - a page printed off to identify the fuses, the experiment began.
In one saddlebag, I had previously drilled holes for the siting of the transceiver fitted to the Autocom - and a second hole to cater for a wire from the autocom to my phone.
First job was to find the best place for the switch and bracket. I settled for the spot right underneath one of the lugs to mates the pannier / saddlebag lid with the body. Using 'blue tac' I positioned everything for some dry runs of closing and opening the panniers to make sure the switch would function in situ. Once that was sorted, I found that i could take a power source from fuse #1 brake lights etc. My aim was not to have power flowing without the ignition energised just in case of a malfunction at some time that could otherwise mean that the lights would be on for days at a time if the bike was unused for a period. Whilst I appreciate that LED's use precious little energy, I just didn't feel comfortable able the possibility of something going wrong in that regard.
I decided to tap into the wire behind the fuse as the rubber boot covered up the connection nicely.
I ran an earth cable direct to the battery after I found that most other earth sources easily available didn't carry sufficient current to allow the LED's to work.
After routing and hiding the cables amongst existing the loom, I copied the work to the opposite pannier, but spliced into the cables from the fuse and to earth.
I used superglue to position the switch and bracket - and to help the bracket blend in, coloured it with a permanent marker pen.
Given that I already had some cable (about a metre of red and black), the entire project cost less than £12 ($21) - and unless you get on your hands and knees, the only visible bits are the switch and bracket. I may even use the black marker pen on the switch housing!