Am I right Mr. CanBus??? Install of Driving Lights and separate circuit really

2006 BMW R1200GS...

Adding Driving Lights and scared to death of and will not touch canbus, despite $30-$40 connector wires that 'make it easy'.

'Gonna draw strait from Batt to Fuse Box to Relay to Drive Lights.
Will also loose a charging outlet off that Fuse Box for Kildala dash plate (in addition to soon to be installed Dbl USB Charger ilo BMW DIN port).

Correct me if I'm wrong, if I set it up properly as above, the Computer 'System' won't read any of the input per se, and I'll have a clean and non-interfering install?
I just like to keep it real simple sometimes (other times I over-think a thing to death).

That said, any tips on running my ugly wires against that super cleanNtight canbus system so that I don't cause any issues? I think I can run the wire through with a coat hanger, too (don't have to remove the tank necessarily I hope I hope!).

Thanks.

if your installing lights you dont neeed to go anywhere near canbus

lights via relay to the battery, loads of simple diagrams available

I used a live feed of my exsisting light circuit as the trigger for the relay, no problems at all

No problem running it as a separate installation.
If you decide to trigger the relay with the side light, dip beam or main beam circuit the relay coil does not draw enough current for the can bus to detect.
As for removing the tank it only takes a few minutes and you can route the wiring without fear of trapping any wires.

I personally have the denali cansmart.

it is a personal thing you dont have to, as others have said.
ill be honest the only reason i did, was because i wanted to integrate the control of the lights with existing controls
With a phone holder and go pro remote already in the way i didnt want more switches adding.

Most time consuming part of the install either way is running the wires through a safe route.
it is worth taking the time (and removing your tank) to make sure they aint gonna be rubbing, shorting out or melting!!

Good luck

Fiiiiiine... removing tank!
'Makes better sense and I'll get to know her a little better too.

My KLR had a euro light circuit connector wire positive/negative floating at the headlight that was unused on American models. Many of us pulled off of that for dash power etc. Everything seemingly super-model-specific in the BMWs, I feel like I read a couple of times that this was also true of the R1200GS? But I'm quite sure that's very year specific… Or maybe that is generally true of all the GSssessesss?

Thanks again for the input fellas, 'really appreciate it as I'm quite under the gun here. I'll get it all together and it hasn't been easy but I sure will say it has been fun… And continues to be!

Great advice above. I have several extras wired into the bike. I ride at night all year so I have fog lights at front and rear and driving lights at the front. I used the can-bus power socket under the seat and took a piggy back cable off it to control a relay which is fed directly from the battery. This then feeds into a small fuse block with feeds going off to all the various extras. Because the relay is switched by the canbus socket I have no flat battery worries.

The front driving lights are controlled with a 3 way switch via some micro relays so that they can be off, on, or slaved to high beam. The slave relay is controlled by a cable coming from the high beam bulb holder.

Even with all this on, the can-bus only senses the very small current controlling the power relay so doesn't trip.

If anyone would like a wiring diagram and some instructions let me know.

Cheers
Rich

dashfixer said:

Great advice above. I used the can-bus power socket under the seat and took a piggy back cable off it to control a relay which is fed directly from the battery. This then feeds into a small fuse block with feeds going off to all the various extras.
If anyone would like a wiring diagram and some instructions let me know.
Cheers
Rich

Click to expand...

ALL IN!!!

I'm about to DO THIS (more likely tomorrow now),

'THIS' being wire up my Front for:
1. Drive Lights (added my Relay to protect, but first in line after battery if I understand it),
2. Lit Dash O/O switch for Drive Lights,
3. Dash Voltmeter/USB Charge Port,
4. and extra Tails +/- properly sealed for future GPS use (after I knock off a small bank apparently... 'SPENSIVE!).

Gonna 'find' that BMW 'extra' wire (still hain't found it and not even sure what it looks like though remember something about a brown wire???) and use that to power 3 and 4 above... and I'll run alongside that power to the front via a separate Wire direct from battery including Relay & Fuse for Drive Light circuit and it's Switch (1 and 2).

Q...
Am I right?
For my Drive Lights I can/should/could/shan't go:

Battery/Wire/Relay/Wire/Fuse/Wire/Switch/Wire/DriveLights???

And did I understand you to say 'canbus triggers' Relay... is that to say the Relay will auto-on as a trigger for the Relay to power up and send out Power via it's other post and only on Power Up of the Bike (including 'Ignition Only' "On")?

I'D LOVE ME SOME IMAGES OF YOUR WIRING RICH... AND THANKS FOR THE OFFER.
Post or PM, I think I'm (now) set up for both.

TALK ABOUT KINDERGARTEN CRUDE...
Dry Erase Board Lying around, wif Markers mind you; makes this kinda 'thankin' easier.

GSCraig said:

ALL IN!!!

I'm about to DO THIS (more likely tomorrow now),

'THIS' being wire up my Front for:
1. Drive Lights (added my Relay to protect, but first in line after battery if I understand it),
2. Lit Dash O/O switch for Drive Lights,
3. Dash Voltmeter/USB Charge Port,
4. and extra Tails +/- properly sealed for future GPS use (after I knock off a small bank apparently... 'SPENSIVE!).

Gonna 'find' that BMW 'extra' wire (still hain't found it and not even sure what it looks like though remember something about a brown wire???) and use that to power 3 and 4 above... and I'll run alongside that power to the front via a separate Wire direct from battery including Relay & Fuse for Drive Light circuit and it's Switch (1 and 2).

Q...
Am I right?
For my Drive Lights I can/should/could/shan't go:

Battery/Wire/Relay/Wire/Fuse/Wire/Switch/Wire/DriveLights???

And did I understand you to say 'canbus triggers' Relay... is that to say the Relay will auto-on as a trigger for the Relay to power up and send out Power via it's other post and only on Power Up of the Bike (including 'Ignition Only' "On")?

I'D LOVE ME SOME IMAGES OF YOUR WIRING RICH... AND THANKS FOR THE OFFER.
Post or PM, I think I'm (now) set up for both.

Click to expand...

I've tried to PM you but can't. It looks like you're not a subscribed member.

dashfixer said:

I've tried to PM you but can't. It looks like you're not a subscribed member.

Click to expand...

Apologies... CraigHunterATUSA.com

aaaaAAAAAAHHHHHH... WTH;
SUBSCRIBED!!!

This Site is worth it!!!!

Wow... this is work. And you sure can't be high... you might start a fire crossing wires up and what-not...
BUT!
Progress made.

Now wired up...
"PoweredBatteryDirect" Switched Drive Lights that don't 'ride' with headlight circuit (HiBeam does NOT turn off Drive Lights).
"PoweredBatteryDirect" Switched GPS circuit for future GPS after I knock off the local Piggly-Wiggly.
"PoweredBatteryDirect" un-Switched "Extra" circuit for future ______________.
Battery Charging Connector installed at Battery for easy hook up without Seat off.

Since I can't seem to identify/locate that extra-circuit-wire under the seat, everything is off the Battery,
which is all fineNdandy until I turn off the Bike and the DriveLights/GPS/___ stay on since they're connected to the battery.
I'm assuming this 'unused extra BMW circuit is powered only when the Ignition is on???

Anyone know how I 'tie-in' to the ALMIGHTY CAN-BUS so I can at least have the Drive Lights turn off with the Ignition Off?

Thanks!

This thread will help

https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/419199-2010-R1200-GS-Fog-Light-Wiring

your over complicating things

can bus is nothing to fear,

it just means anything that draws over 5A needs to go through a relay, or buy a hexezcan, or fuzeblok

i had a super complex harness that came with some spotlights , i junked most of it and just went for a basic lamp to relay with a live (sense) feed from the +12v low beam wire

that eliminates the need for a separate switch

The denali canbus is for this very reason, just plug it in.
or the alternatives above by Santa.

A, its easy and you dont need to hack into wires and damage the existing BMW wiring.
B, You get all the functionality and can use all the existing controls on the bike.

The only reason someone might do it differently is to save money on a smart canbus adapter, but as ive learned.... trying to save money usually ends up more expensive and fiddly.
if you buy a £18k bike then try and save £180 by hacking into the wiring elsewhere it doesnt make sense.

Another reason not to wire straight to battery, is the flat battery you will probably end up with. (been there done that with a USB socket, long story)

If your really not confident ask a local member who lives near by to help out, if there is one?
Otherwise try a local biker group on facebook

I hope this image uploads ok, it's the first time that I've tried it.

The diagram is a basic description of how I wired my accessories into my bikes system. If you are reasonably competent and do it properly you won't flatten your battery or damage the canbus. Why spend money on something that does the same thing?

I've over engineered it slightly, you don't need a relay for the rear fog light as it's an LED. But it gives an idea of how to not bust through the 5 amp limit on the canbus power output.

In regard to my previous post, I've simplified the diagram but in reality I have taken the feed for all the light switches from the switched side of the main power relay not directly from the battery, so that everything is controlled by the canbus switching off after the time delay when the ignition is turned off.

I hope that is clear.

The unused Circuit... WhatsItLookLike???

Yeh, went in too fast hooking up Drive Lights to Battery and Switch... so Drive Lights turn off only by its' Switch; YAH... NO THANKS!

Wanted to draw off this 'unused' and available BMW circuit floating there under the seat...
BUT I STILL CAN'T FIND IT!
Whatz It Look Like and 'zackly where is it please??? Does anyone know the wire colors (I couldn't see them on the Haynes Wiring Diagrams)?
I can pull the Drive Lights/ExtraCircuit and 2 Dash Switch Lites/Power from that so IGN Off is items Off. I'll retain Drive Lights Switch in case I'm behind you in your Miata at the Late Night Fast-Food Drive-Thru... 'wouldn't want to burn your eyes out with all that bright-a$$ LED lampage up front (converting heads to LEDs, too... can't understand why everyone wouldn't do the same outside of that pesky old budget. These are life-saving improvements!!!).

Then I'll pull VoltMeter/USBChargePorts and to-be-used-later GPS circuit from that OTHER hidden and unused BMW circuit at the Headlight so I can leave one or both on (and both run by one Dash Switch). Then I can charge through USB Charge Ports and review GPS with IGN off... so that makes sense to pull from battery. Then I just have to be sensible in my use of these with IGN Off so I don't 'flat' the battery (great word... not used here in states that I'm aware of so much).
Does anyone know where that BMW circuit near headlight if it also exists (one mentioned 'above the horn' but I can't locate it, nor do I know wire colors)?

Itchin' to stitch up this Electrics Project but once again, a quote I've been relegated to for years now...
I've run into a lot of man-made obstacles and unfortunately,
I'm usually the man that made 'em!

Helplful the diagram in the first place, tells me I'm not a total Electrics bonehead. The fact that I solder like a boss and heat shrink everything I should be in excellent shape at start up. I just want to be sure I cut-n-move the (power source) wires to the most-right-place.
I'm also learning about can-bus and that I've been way-too-respectful of something that doesn't require THAT MUCH (but some for sure) respect... or more honestly re-phrased... FEAR!

Thanks fellers.