To refresh your memory about the story of adding USB ports here are links the installments to get the final task; USBs, Plugs, Power & Power -part 2.
In the last installments the relay was wired up and fitted. A long paired wire was left that would be the link the switch to the relay. A switch is a simple thing but it took me ages to find a switch that would fit on the bike. There is very little room for additional switches. One of Halfords cheap and cheerful rocker switches was selected. a hole was drilled out in the fairing just below the off side fairign pocket. It is the only flat surface in front of the rider. The switch does not need fiddling with so having it mounted on the throttle side does not matter.
The seats were removed. It seems every job starts with removing the seats. I removed the securing bolts for the tank and propped up the tank to enable me to route the switch wire. Luckily I did not have to remove the fairing. So I was ready. however I left myself in a quandery. I needed a live power feed and a earth to create teh circuit for the switch to activate the relay. It would hav ebee easy fit ring connectors on to the end of the wires and connect them the battery terminals But that would look naff as the battery terminal already had the extra connector for a relay and one for the charger. I decided a different approach was needed. I removed the carefully wound insulatation on the relay power feed and earth and stripped back the wires insulation to reveal the copper core. The red relay switch power feed was round around the relay power feed
wire and the two soldered together. The joint was then wrapped in
insulating tape. That gives power to the switch side of the relay. I then stripped back a length of relay switch wire on the switch twin core cable and patch one wire into the earth side of the relay feed. These two connections are just about invisible and reduce the connection tags on the battery. now the trick job the return side of the switch wire has to be connected the negative side of the relay switch feed. This required a jumper link. in was a fiddly job but mainly because getting the shrinck wrap to stay on position whils the wires were soldered was a faff. once the wired were joined the shink wrap was positioned and heated. It made a nice tidy and hopefully a premanent weatherproof seal. The wires were tucked neatly behind the battery. With battery end sorted it was a case of routing the switch twin wire cable from the battery area to the fairing pocket. This meant getting under the tank. That turned out to be the easiest part of the job as there was already a cable run and with the tank tipped up the new switch cable fitt easily in to the run. It also gave access to the back of the fairing. it was a simple job the feed the cable through the switch hole, which had been previously created and ready for the final fit. The cable was cut to lehgth and wire core cut the length and stripped. After a dry fit and test that he switch activated the relay (it did), shrink wrap was fitted over the wires, the wires soldered to the switch tags and the shrink wrap fitted in place the heated up to give good clean finish. The switch was simply pressed into place.
All I have to show for all the work is a little switch and a couple of hidden USB ports.
