[rNineTOwner]

It could simply be your battery is full. I use a tender not a charger they are two separate entities with different modus operandi. Optimate has always worked well for me and continues to do so!

Yes. I am using a cheap tender so that might be the cause. I guess I have to shell out for the Optimate.

 

[Louis Urban GS]

I just want to make sure I have the connectors clearly understood.

I circled the two areas you have connected, the top one is positive and the bottom is negative right?

View attachment 172753

that is a very weak earth, You want the connector cleanly against the main chassis. that is only earthing from through the bolt & its threads

 

[K9F]

Really? As an Electrical Engineer for over 40 years I can guarantee you it is NOT a weak earth and has worked for several owners! If concern is that great simply run the earth/ground to the earth ground stud at the rear of the right hand cylinder head. That has exactly the same ‘potential’ as the depicted adjacent screw to the positive terminal at the rear of the tank.

 

[Lajning]

Hey guys. I'm adding some fog lights to my Urban GS. I will run a switch on the handlebars to activate the lights via a regular Bosch relay. All well so far.

I want to use the trigger cable from a switched source. On my bike I had the mini Din Plug on the left side which I've replaced with a dual USB socket.

I would like to add a small pigtail between the bike wiring harness/plug and the USB socket. I'm having trouble finding a source for a male/female plug so I can make this pigtail. All I find are the ones pre made with a male connector and loose wires.

 

[motopoeta]

Friends, romans, countrymen: I have a question regarding using the jump start terminals in the photograph above. Correct me if I am wrong but isnt the positive terminal the one that sticks out higher and is labelled + with the big plastic sheath that sits over top of it? Are they both therefore positive terminals? Relieved to see the electrical engineer chime in about that brace bolt being acceptable for a ground.

Context, I am installing a "Thunderbox": ThunderBox (TB) - webshop.healtech-electronics.com.

 

[motopoeta]

Deeply confusing photograph above because it looks like you're connected to jumper terminal negative and ground through the frame.

 

[motopoeta]

Answer to my question above: Yes, both terminals are positive. Electricity passes through the metal brace between them. Neither of them are negative. The side of the bike is negative. And yes, it's okay to connect a Thunderbox to the jump terminals on a 2023 because the terminals go directly to the battery rather than through any other system (confirmed with a wiring diagram).

 

[K9F]

Deeply confusing photograph above because it looks like you're connected to jumper terminal negative and ground through the frame.

I do not understand how the confusion arose. Both terminals on the bar are positive as you surmised eventually! The pigtail leads are both black and are of the same gauge. One has a huge white label adhered with large red ‘+ve’ labelling and a red ring tongue terminal on it, the other which is the same gauge of cable has no labelling but a black ring tongue terminal on it. The ring tongue terminals alone being colour coded dictate where they should be fitted. Glad you got there in the end!

 

[motopoeta]

I do not understand how the confusion arose. Both terminals on the bar are positive as you surmised eventually! The pigtail leads are both black and are of the same gauge. One has a huge white label adhered with large red ‘+ve’ labelling and a red ring tongue terminal on it, the other which is the same gauge of cable has no labelling but a black ring tongue terminal on it. The ring tongue terminals alone being colour coded dictate where they should be fitted. Glad you got there in the end!

Clearly the deep confusion is within me mate. Appreciate your comments even if they're surly.

Out of curiosity, is there a reason you've gone with the terminal that's a flatter screw rather than that raised nipple bit? Additionally, that ground might not be best as I believe the seat tucks in there and could severe that wire if it got in the way. Would the two screws that go into the metal side piece be just as acceptable? It's the screw pictured in the bottom left.

 

[K9F]

Best practice and husbandry. I am afflicted with minor OCD, the perceived surliness is obviously a new affliction. The screw in the bottom left of the picture is recessed and the ring tongue terminal would not fit in the recess. Possibly a longer screw and certainly a washer would also be required. The raised terminal is for jump starting/affixing a croc clip. I didn’t want to raise it any higher than it already is and I wanted the insulated cover to fit securely. Having checked initially that the screw where the negative terminal is currently fitted with an ohmmeter was a good earth/ground I could see no reasoning to investigate another position further away from the live than was necessary.

 

[motopoeta]

Best practice and husbandry. I am afflicted with minor OCD, the perceived surliness is obviously a new affliction. The screw in the bottom left of the picture is recessed and the ring tongue terminal would not fit in the recess. Possibly a longer screw and certainly a washer would also be required. The raised terminal is for jump starting/affixing a croc clip. I didn’t want to raise it any higher than it already is and I wanted the insulated cover to fit securely. Having checked initially that the screw where the negative terminal is currently fitted with an ohmmeter was a good earth/ground I could see no reasoning to investigate another position further away from the live than was necessary.

Love a bit of OCD in an engineer. Thank you!

 

[motopoeta]

Best practice and husbandry. I am afflicted with minor OCD, the perceived surliness is obviously a new affliction. The screw in the bottom left of the picture is recessed and the ring tongue terminal would not fit in the recess. Possibly a longer screw and certainly a washer would also be required. The raised terminal is for jump starting/affixing a croc clip. I didn’t want to raise it any higher than it already is and I wanted the insulated cover to fit securely. Having checked initially that the screw where the negative terminal is currently fitted with an ohmmeter was a good earth/ground I could see no reasoning to investigate another position further away from the live than was necessary.

Hrm. I now appear to have a problem. The Thunderbox, which is meant to monitor battery activity and power my accessories accordingly, does not appear to be detecting when the engine is shut off. It seems to power down slightly, but otherwise just keeps my lights on when the bike is off. Tightening or loosening the screw with the ground seems to get the Thunderbox to do what it needs to do (power down) but turning the bike on and off again and it's back to misbehaving. Is it possible that the Thunderbox can't detect battery activity if its connected through the raised terminal? Is it possible this ground isn't "groundy" enough? Oddly, it was working fine a few days ago.

Only other thing I can really think of is that a few days ago when I put the seat on, I noticed that I jammed the ground wire into the seat bracket. When I investigated, it appeared I had put a small crack in the insulation that exposed some wire. I promptly wrapped it in electricians tape and went about my business.

Any help here sincerely appreciated. I'm touring as of Sunday.

 

[K9F]

Morning @motopoeta . I would look at the earth/ground connection as the likely culprit. The positive terminals are ‘designed’ as such and any bolt you use as an Earth/ground connection unless it is a designated Earth/ground is really just a ‘compromised’ one, especially if it is being snagged. If memory serves me correctly I used a larger ring tongue terminal and bent it slightly downwards to stop the seat snagging it. There is a designated raised ground stud at the rear of the right hand cylinder head on the engine if you fancy running the cable there without having to strip anything out for access. It was the one I intended to use when I first researched fitting the pigtail.
Edit Afterthought: I am unaware of how the Thunderbox is supposed to be wired but the positive terminals under the seat are permanently powered, does the Thunderbox need to be powered from ‘an ignition sourced live’ I am wondering perhaps? Good luck with it! Either of the two theories above ‘could be’ the cause.

 

[motopoeta]

Morning @motopoeta . I would look at the earth/ground connection as the likely culprit. The positive terminals are ‘designed’ as such and any bolt you use as an Earth/ground connection unless it is a designated Earth/ground is really just a ‘compromised’ one, especially if it is being snagged. If memory serves me correctly I used a larger ring tongue terminal and bent it slightly downwards to stop the seat snagging it. There is a designated raised ground stud at the rear of the right hand cylinder head on the engine if you fancy running the cable there without having to strip anything out for access. It was the one I intended to use when I first researched fitting the pigtail.
Edit Afterthought: I am unaware of how the Thunderbox is supposed to be wired but the positive terminals under the seat are permanently powered, does the Thunderbox need to be powered from ‘an ignition sourced live’ I am wondering perhaps? Good luck with it! Either of the two theories above ‘could be’ the cause.

Bingo. You were right, it was the ground. I grounded to another one that was more directly attached to the frame. Where the brake fluid sits. See photo. Resolved the issue and everything seems fine now. K9F — thank you so much for your quick feedback and help. I really really appreciate it. Off on a eastern Canadian adventure..

 

[K9F]

Enjoy your adventure! I would have responded quicker were it not for the time difference across the Pond. Spent a bit of time in Canada myself when I was in the Royal Air Force. St John’s Goose Bay and Halifax in particular the Split Crow pub I have great memories from!

 

[motopoeta]

Enjoy your adventure! I would have responded quicker were it not for the time difference across the Pond. Spent a bit of time in Canada myself when I was in the Royal Air Force. St John’s Goose Bay and Halifax in particular the Split Crow pub I have great memories from!

Tomorrow it's a 7 day tour around PEI and then over and around Cape Breton. Love Nova Scotia and I know it well. Where we Anglophone Montrealers go to escape.