Adding switchable power to my R100

[bakerlonglegs]

Hello airhead experts, please may I ask for the collective’s advice?

I’d like to fit a sat nav to my R100, but electro-fiddling is not a strength of mine . I’d like it to be a switched feed and add a power socket for emergency phone charging, plus a spare or two.

Motorworks sell a Denali PowerHub2 (£180) or a Healtech Thunderbox (£64) which seem to do the same thing, is that what I’m looking for? I don’t know why they are so different in price.

Any other options?

Ta!

 

[casbar]

Hello airhead experts, please may I ask for the collective’s advice?

I’d like to fit a sat nav to my R100, but electro-fiddling is not a strength of mine . I’d like it to be a switched feed and add a power socket for emergency phone charging, plus a spare or two.

Motorworks sell a Denali PowerHub2 (£180) or a Healtech Thunderbox (£64) which seem to do the same thing, is that what I’m looking for? I don’t know why they are so different in price.

Any other options?

Ta!

Did this a few months ago. I bought a Fuzeblock from Nippy N. It allows you to power anything, either with switched fused live or direct power. I wired it in and it is mounted in the tail tool box under my seat. I currently run, sat nav, rear led lights and a couple of oxford cube drls. One thing to bear in mind is, the output from the alternator is not very high, so if your planning on running heated gear etc you need to upgrade your alternator.

 

[Bubb]

Heals thunderbox….. very very easy to use. Even for an electrical numpty like me.
Can have 4 different additions in no time.

 

[Gelandestrasse]

For small loads on my R90S I used the space created by the removal of the under-tank brake master cylinder to fit a 4-way fuse box which takes its power from the green/black cable (fused in the headlight) liberated from the low-fluid warning light circuit. This has a decent sqmm. I run heated grips and the supply to the satnav from it, each load separately fused again. Cost about £6. I carry a few spare fuses in the tool box.

The thunderbox sounds pretty neat but adds a level of technology arguably not required (imagine if it fails on a trip). I used to run a Motorworks-supplied LED rear light on the bike which looked great. When riding with a mate he told me that at 70mph the LED light failed, coming back on at lower speeds (I'd never had noticed as a rider). I re-did all the connections and it was the same. So I concluded that the LED unit didn't like the vibes at that speed, albeit for my particular bike. I went back to standard. I carry a spare bulb when on a trip.

The thunderbox introduces a length of wire that is non-fused from the +ve terminal of the battery. To me this is a hazard; I'd be careful how far away from the battery you mount the box.

 

[John Armstrong]

I've used the Healtech Thunderbox on a few bikes and one possible problem on the older bikes is it needs to see a certain voltage before it allows the box to power up the accessories, and this might not happen until later than more modern bikes. I remember the ignition light often being on at idle on my R100GS, and I suspect that the Thunderbox might switch off the accessories in this case. Though you can use a switched live to activate the box.

 

[mikeyboy]

I’ve fitted Pdm 60’s
Thunder boxes
Power hubs
Fuze blocks etc etc
All nice and fancy but none of them really do stuff that a £4 relay and a £10 fusebox,
Won’t do.
And you’ve still got to install them,
For the most part,I’m amazed that some of the home installation’s I’ve seen haven’t caught fire.
Either that or the wiring has been so badly routed that it’s rendered bodywork removal or servicing impossible without cutting the wiring.
You don’t say which R100 ,I’ll assume a GS,there should be a spare pin on the back of the ign switch for the sat nav,install with a fuse to be on the safe side.
The power socket could come straight off the battery,again via a fuse so you can charge the phone once you’ve stopped,or operate a tyre inflater or tent lamp,
All of which is a pain with a switched live

 

[bakerlonglegs]

Thank you all for the advice!
Hi Mikey, it’s for a 1981 plain old R100. Your technical knowledge is so, so far ahead of mine it’s in a different time zone! I totally get what you’re saying about a cheaper DIY solution with a relay and fuse box but I wouldn’t know where to start. I need something that’s more plug’n’play with instructions for the less electrically adept . I will post pictures up of the final result for checking and collective abuse!

 

[robertotoole]

The Fuzeblock is working fine for me. It's small, but not at all fiddly. I've currently got it in the tool box under the seat, but plan to move it up front at some time to reduce the amount of wiring.

My bike is probably the DIY one Mikey is referring to! It's not caught fire yet. And it does exactly what I want it to do.

 

[Bubb]

Robertotoole

That’s only coz he hasn’t seen my bitsa….. I’m Definately NOT the best when it comes to wiring.
I can manage it (sort of) but it’s not pretty, and I really have to be in the right state of mind before I go near it.
I will only do wiring if I absolutely have to. It’s a mental block thing with me I think, but I know I’m getting better with figuring out what’s what.

 

[robertotoole]

Robertotoole

That’s only coz he hasn’t seen my bitsa….. I’m Definately NOT the best when it comes to wiring.
I can manage it (sort of) but it’s not pretty, and I really have to be in the right state of mind before I go near it.
I will only do wiring if I absolutely have to. It’s a mental block thing with me I think, but I know I’m getting better with figuring out what’s what.

If you can do the mechanical stuff (which I enjoy less), and I can do the electricals, then we've got it covered.

120,000 miles and I'm still enjoying my workhorse GS, and even enjoying tinkering with it.

 

[robertotoole]

The only reason I prefer doing the electrical stuff is I just don't have the garage space and equipment for doing much of the mechanical work. Maybe one day. It's not rocket science.

 

[Tbolt]

I have used one of these 5 Way fused power block complete with self healing fuses to power my zumo XT.

Tap into a switched live such as tail light wire.

Only cost £30

5 Way Switched Fused Power Outlet | marksmotorcycleparts

5 Way fused power block complete with self healing fuses.If you connect accessories direct to your battery, one day you'll forget to turn the device off and come back to a drained battery. This clever little box contains a relay that takes a signal from a switched live (a wire that is live only...

www.marksmotorcycleparts.co.uk