Heated Grips

[Mal]

Hi all and a Happy New Year to you all.

 

I've got some heated grips for Christmas and was wondering if anyone could help with an electrical query, I can pull engines to bits but electrics puzzle me a bit so I thought it would be easier to ask someone on this forum with some knowledge of the dark arts.

 

The set of grips (Oxford Hot Grips) come with wiring to connect direct to the battery but mentions that the positive lead can be connected to a ignition feed (+) so that they cannot be left on once the ignition is off. Can anyone reccomend a suitable wire I should connect them to ?.

 

The instructions say not to connect to a regulated 12v circuit as it needs 13 volts to heat up properly.

 

cheers

 

Mal

[edge]

I ran mine direct from the battery with the positive pulling through the fuse block. There is an empty spot in your fuse block that can be tapped into by adding a fuse. I did not make my installation "switchable" with the ignition and have worried about that but have not failed to turn it off after a ride so no battery issues. There is a couple of threads here that have different recomedations as to power source. "heated grip" search function ought to turn up something. A good oportunity to change grips to gels too (if you have not already).

[al_roethlisberger]

Yep, mine are powered via relay, direct feed from the battery, but switched via a tap into the fuse block(I forget which circuit), and I used the empty fuse location to for a new fuse for the grips.

 

...although, for some reason my grips stopped working last year, and with the move, I haven't bothered to look into it

 

I figure I'll just rewire them anyway when I put on the new bars later.

 

al

[BrianG]

Run the grip power from the battery through a fuse then through a relay then through the manual "temperature selector switch". I powered the relay from the tail light wire because it's close. This relay system precludes draining the battery by inadvertently leaving the heaters on.

[jrt]

Run the grip power from the battery through a fuse then through a relay then through the manual "temperature selector switch".  I powered the relay from the tail light wire because it's close.  This relay system precludes draining the battery by inadvertently leaving the heaters on.

72992[/snapback]

 

That's an excellent idea. Simple and elegant. There's a spare set of bullet connectors under the carapace that should work nicely if you don't want to tap into the tail light. I'm not sure of the amperage they can run, but a relay takes very little so it should be ok. My only concern would be if they are in circuit with the ECU.

[Mal]

Thanks for the advice, very useful

 

I'll get onto that this weekend

 

cheers

 

Mal

[dlaing]

There's a spare set of bullet connectors under the carapace that should work nicely if you don't want to tap into the tail light.

73036[/snapback]

Aren't those wires for testing the EFI?

Are they item 44 on the diagram labled "Warning Light Connector"????

I seem to recall a discussion where it was determined that one of the wires shows 12V when the fuel pump is running, which runs only when the the key is first turned on for about 1 full second, and then when the engine is running.

Perhaps that is ideal?

But it may be sending pulse codes for diagnostics.

On the P8 ECU (not our bikes) the wires to the check lamp send pulses.

I would not wire there unless we find out more about those connectors.

 

I suggest you wire the relay control into the headlight wiring, you may find it will start better as the headlight dims when the starter is activated...Of course you could wait till after starting to turn on the warmers.

You could also take the opportunity to run a 12 or 14 gauge wire directly from battery to the lights and use the original wires to trigger it by relays, one for Low and one for High Beam. A third relay could activate the grip heaters. If you use 12 gauge, you could also power the grip heaters from the same wire.

If you had a sport, all three relays could be housed in the head light shell.

Not sure about the Le Mans

[Mal]

Luckily I've got an earlier UK spec bike which does not have the headlight on permanently, and as for the heated grips, I won't switch them on until the engine is running, even then I was only intending to use them on longer trips when the revs are up.

 

I'll probably end up tapping into one of the lighting circuits as suggested.

 

There is plenty of room in the V11 Le Mans headlight shell for relays as it only has wiring to the bulbs.

 

cheers

 

Mal