lkniess said:
This is a great product to add to any bike when wiring in a lot of electrical accessories. A must for CANbus systems.
Does this mean I have to have it or does it mean it would be good to have this.
What this means is that it is a separate distribution/fuse box that cleans up your wiring.
The reference to CANBUS** only refers to the fact that the most common way of bypassing the CANBUS network to add farkles --
on bikes that already are designed and equipped with this network system -- is to wire a separate fusebox directly to the battery (and therefore not have to figure out a way to tap CANBUS-related circuits).
Because no K12LT has ever been equipped with a CANBUS system, this comment is irrelevant to you.
However, the idea of adding a separate fusebox is a good one, regardless of bike type, if you plan on adding a lot of electrical accessories. I used/like the FuzeBlock because you can switch between ignition-switched and unswitched power simply by repositioning a fuse.
www.fuzeblocks.com
** FWIW, The key to understanding CANBUS is to understand that
a CANBUS doesn't control anything.
A CANBUS (Controller Area Network bus, or similar name variations) is a communications protocol and network wiring which allows various devices on a vehicle to share data between one another. This permits the use of fewer wires (because multiple devices can take turns and share the same wire for inter-device communications), saving weight, complication and cost, and opening the door for many more user-benefiting features (from the trivial, such as a K16 being able to send a low fuel message from the computer to the GPS so the GPS will display the nearest gas stations, to important systems, such as engine computers, ABS computer, attitude sensors, wheel speed sensors, etc. for integrated traction control/braking/active handling actions).
The "control" in a CANBUS-equipped BMW is primarily from a ZFE (German initials for central function unit) -- a computer which uses the CANBUS network (and other direct-connection wires) to monitor and perform various functions. It also serves as a power distribution module, controlling current delivery to power sockets, for example, effectively acting like a circuit breaker, replacing many fuses (again, lowering wiring harness cost and complexity).