I bought a $10 voltmeter from Amazon that plugs into the accessory outlet inside the storage compartment and it works great, no holes required.

 

I agree that a voltmeter on any motorcycle should be standard.

 

smart move, its one of the first farkles that I install on all my bikes... my 650 has two of them....

 

Why two ?

 

I ran a test to see if the volage at the battery was any different than that at the aux outlet. No difference.

One of the voltmeters is digital whereas the other is the old fashion green/yellow/red lights. I just left the second one on after the test.

I paid $5.00 for the digital one and water proofed it for use on the bike.

 

Rather than a voltmeter, I bought and fitted a single LED which glows red when not charging, green when it is charging, and amber in-between. It is fitted via small hole in the top cover and internally wired to the 12v outlet. it reflects on the screen so I can check it without taking my eyes off the road ahead. (sorry for the photo's orientation)

 

'Brow I have one of those too that I bought a while ago for another bike but never installed. How did you go about installing this and wire it? Are you happy with it and will it normally glow green and red only if there is a discharge?

 

Remove the cover and drill a small hole to fit the LED (I think it's 8mm but check yours) Connect it to the 12v output socket + and - terminals in the glove box via piggyback connectors. That's it! Bob's your Uncle! I have been all over Europe several times and am very happy with it. It glows green when it's charging and red when it's not. I will post a clearer picture tomorrow.

 

Thanks and if you can make a picture of your connection. I forgot where I bought mine but it was from somewhere in the USA...motorcycle electrics supplier and was pretty inexpensive!

 

Just piggyback the + and- connections on the back of the 12v power source. I think the colours are: + is orange/blue and - is black/white but check the polarity first with a multimeter.

 

The threadstarter's photo:

 

That's a nice one too. But I would really like to see some shots of the actual wiring connections in the back if that's is possible. I will probably go with the lights like the 'Brow uses to keep it simple.

 

you can power your voltmeter by using the wires for the aux outlet in the glove box and installing a simple biggyback connector.

you can check these two DIYs for some inspiration:

DIY - HF Dual Voltmeter

DIY - Vector Digital Voltmeter

 

If you need to ask how to connect a voltmeter, you are most likely not up to the task of installing one.

 

Wow, amazing comment...and extremely stupid!

 

Thanks for that. I have used the Datel and similar on other bikes but like the idea of the light Peelbrow is touting for the Burgman 4 and 6. I have seen a couple of versions of the Piggyback connectors too.

 

For mine I took power from a switched terminal on the fuse block. The problem with that is that I can't check actual battery voltage. When the ignition switch gets turned on the current draw from all the lights and computer gives a system voltage of less than 12 v. After startup at least I can tell it's charging (around 14.3 v). A direct connection to the battery with a switch in the line would give more information.

 

Since there's very little current draw, a small gauge wire directly from the battery is sufficient, but then you'd need a relay, since the current draw is still high enough to drain the battery, if the bike sits for a while.

 

This is the type that the "Brow is talking about and EC is a quality supplier of motorcycle electrical products in the USA:

http://electricalconnection.com/index.php/product/battery-montior/

 

EC also has pure voltmeters as well.

 

Looks like the Battery Monitor from EC is designed to hook directly to the battery, which would be easy on the 400B and a little more difficult on the 650.

 

That EC montior looks simple enough BUT... NEVER use Scotch Lock type connectors on stranded wires. Those two Red snap connectors will cut about 1/3 of the wires when you crimp them over it.

Always use a solid wire with Scotch lock connectors.

If you have stranded wire there are crimp connectors that do not cut strands but the simpelest way is to just CUT the wire you are splicing into and make a solid butt splice or use a "Posi-Lock" "Tap" connector. I use Posi-Locks now days.
https://www.posi-products.com/posiplug.html

 

Thanks for that...wonder why I get confused. But are you saying the EC monitor is ok or not ok like it comes?

 

I do not know anything about that brand.

Just I will not recommend Scotch Locks on automotive wires. Having been in the telephone tech world for 43 years, I have used 10,000's of 3M Scotch locks but all of the telephone cables, even Cat5 and Cat6 is solid copper. But 99.9% of all automotive is stranded twisted wires. Have also been in the Automotive trades too, I have seen a few cars that burnt up the wiring due to the Scotch Lock connector, mostly Trailer connectors.

A couple of tech articles on this:

http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/electrical/1508-scotch-lock-failure-randys-electrical-corner/

http://tech.bareasschoppers.com/resources/the-problem-with-wire-tap-connectors/

 

For splice connectors go to Amazon.com and on the search line type in B004D0C18C. Good to have some on hand.

 

Like myself, if you also want to add heated grips, driving lights, extra 12v outlet, voltmeter, USB outlet etc., installation of this little item from ' FuzeBlocks 'is the way to go. Velcroed to the roof of RH pocket it provides a completely separate fused 12v supply circuit. The wiring instal is not nearly as difficult as you might think if a approached in a logical manner. As stressed previously, stay away from the scotch lock type connectors

 

Voltmeter, Fuse Panel, Connectors

FWIW, I've been farkling bikes for 20 years now, mostly making electrical changes, and this is what I can share:

Connectors:

Like @Dave_J, I simply will not use Scotchlok and similar connectors; I won't use them even if they're included with products that I've purchased. And I don't even care for Posi-Taps, although they're much better (assuming you use the proper size, given the wire gauge in question).

Instead, I use either Posi-Locks or, more often, Wago clamp connectors. If you're not familiar with the latter, see http://www.wago.us/products/termina...ectors/compact-splicing-connectors-for-all-conductor-types-222-series/overview/ . I have a bag of (originally) 50 of the three-gang version ( https://www.amazon.com/Wago-222-413-LEVER-NUTS-Conductor-Connectors/dp/B003K124UA/ ), and a smaller collection of the five-gang version.

If I have to tap into an existing wire (as opposed to connecting two wires together), I just snip that wire into two new ones. And then I add a third wire -- the one that was to be tapped into the original wire -- and put the three ends into a three-gang Wago.

Again, FWIW, I discuss these bad and good connectors in a very long write-up I did four+ years ago, for the Victory community, regarding adding some mirrors with LEDs in them. If anyone's interested, see http://www.billanddot.com/adding-rivco-led-mirrors.html , and then scroll down about a quarter of the way, to a section titled "RECOMMENDATIONS OF ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS AND TOOLS."

Fuse Panels:

I've used a few different models over the years, and pretty much they're all good. In that same write-up about adding mirrors, I have a list, with links, of some of the more popular ones; this is near the bottom of the page, in a section titled "Fuse Panels?".

For my most recent such work -- this past spring, on a 2008 Exec -- I chose to buy Eastern Beaver's PC-8: http://easternbeaver.com/Main/Wiring_Kits/Fuseboxes/PC-8/pc-8.html . Here's a pic of that work, in the Big Burger:

Voltmeters:

I've added voltmeters that had digital LCD readouts, multiple LED lights (the Kuryakin model), and a few others. Again, whatever works for you, as long as it's waterproof.

For that recent work on my latest Exec, I settled on the single LED SparkBright Eclipse8 voltage monitor: http://www.sparkbright.co.uk/sparkright-eclipse-battery-voltage-monitor.php . Here's a pic of that one, installed (on the far right):

I like that one because of its space-saving installation, but if anyone feels that he or she would like more detailed information, then a single multi-color LED may not suit you.

 

Thanks for this. IS there any difference in the unit you use from UK than the single light model from EC mentioned above?

 

I was unfamiliar with the Battery Monitor from Electrical Connection until reading this thread. It looks as if it has fewer displays of voltage ranges and problems than the Eclipse. Compare and contrast http://electricalconnection.com/index.php/product/battery-montior/ with http://www.sparkbright.co.uk/sparkright-eclipse-battery-voltage-monitor.php . It also appears that the EC unit's "smarts" is contained in a separate module, while the Eclipse has its circuitry built-in around the LED.

(BTW, note the inclusion of those unreliable Scotchlok-type connectors in the EC bundle. Don't use them, if you get this unit.)

All of that said, I have purchased odds and ends from EC for a long time now -- compared to this one purchase of the Eclipse in the UK -- and have found EC's products and support to be very good. In fact, in 2000 (or possibly 2001), I rode my Valkyrie Interstate to EC's shop, to be an alpha tester of some add-on lights that they were selling (nice lights, and got them free, for my long ride and being first among Valk owners to take EC up on this offer).

 

The Wago's also look interesting but I see they are only for copper wires.

 

If something states that the Wago is to be used only for copper wires, I am completely unaware of such a stipulation. I've certainly been using them for all sorts of wires, copper and aluminum, stranded and solid, for years now, on multiple bikes, with no problems at all, nothing ever breaking, nothing coming loose, etc.

 

You can see in some of the Wago info about the Copper......would the wiring in the EC and/or UK version be copper or aluminum if you know?

 

I was just reading through some of the Q&A at Amazon (at https://www.amazon.com/Wago-222-413-LEVER-NUTS-Conductor-Connectors/dp/B003K124UA/ ) and see that one or two responses mention copper and not aluminum. I can't find any information on copper-only at Wago's site (e.g., http://www.wago.us/products/termina...ectors/compact-splicing-connectors-for-all-conductor-types-222-series/overview/ ). If you've found something there, could you point it out to me?

I think there may be some building codes in the U.S. (and possibly elsewhere) that specify that aluminum and copper wires are not to be mixed in the same connector. If that's the case, that may be what some folks are talking about at Amazon. I really don't know. I've never used Wago clamp connectors in house wiring (120V); they're generally too bulky to use in outlet and switch boxes, compared to the less desirable but functional wire nuts. Similarly, I've never used Posi-Locks on house wiring, either.

But, as I mentioned, I've been using Wago clamps for a decade or so on bikes (and Posi-Locks even longer), with absolutely no regard to the wire material.

Sorry, I don't recall what the wires are made of with the Eclipse voltmeter, and don't know with regard to the EC product.

Here's a pic from that LED-mirror write-up I mentioned earlier (on my former Victory):

As you can see, there's a copious use of both Wago clamps and Posi-Locks in there, generally (but not always) depending on whether I had two wires to connect or three (typically a logical, if not physical, "tap" situation).

I have a similar, but much less complex, situation in the back of the 650 Exec (on two of those, now), when I logically tapped into brake and tail light wiring (to add brake flashers and that sort of thing).

I think you're too fixated on the wire material, certainly with regard to our 12V bike applications. At least I know that I have not been concerned with metal, and -- again, as I mentioned -- I have not encountered any connectivity or physical problems, and have been doing this for many years. That's the practical side of things; if the theoretical side is different, well, you got me there, but I won't be changing my ways.