Another Thread on how to wire hotgrips / hot hands.

Sorry to bring this up yet again, but i recently bought some hot hands from Luke from this forum, and having read all the threads about how to wire them up i am a little confused. Terms like crimping and splicing are not really in my vocabulary. Anyway here's what i plan to do, and if anyone can offer any comments on whether this will work or not i'll be very greatful.

1. I'm gonna take the -ve wire from the hot grips and wire it straight to the battery.
2. I've read on here about not wiring the +ve straight to the battery as they could be left on etc.
3. Instead i'm gonna locate a switched live wire on the bike (such as headlight, horn, tail light etc) and splice the +ve wire from the grips into that.
4. I'm well confused about how to crimp or splice two wires together, so i asked a guy in my local maplins and he sold me one of these for 33p:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/images/full/JR88V.jpg
5. So i guess i just put both the switched wire from the bike and the +ve wire from the grips through here and snap it shut.
6. Is that all there is to it? or will this lead to me pushing it to the dealer for a full re-wire.??

Edit: I have a Naked, 2000 model if that makes any difference.

1) I wouldn't from experience. I've had my bike serviced before now, and the battery removed for charging. They couldn't figure out what wire went where (especially with my alarm - all black wires everywhere) so they didn't bother hooking it back together. Your call, but I prefer to use a bolt that holds the fairing to the frame
2 + 3) That would work pretty well, except the horn (grips only powered whilst beeping ). Wire it in before any switches & you'll be fine. If vocabulary isn't that great, maybe your use of a multimeter is too, make sure you get the right side of the switch
4) Those snap lock connectors are the pathetic ones. They also sell them where one "tube" (when close) has a hole in one end. The "tube" that has both ends open has the wire already on the bike through it. The closed off one houses the new wire. But yes, push them together using plyers to bite into the core of the wires. The better quality ones have a snap lock, and I'll bet you a scottish pound (sorry northy) that the ones you have will need taping closed, they'll pop open with vibrations from the bike!
5) Yup. Make sure you connect the negative as well though
6) Yes, that is all there is to it, seriously. If you get stuck, post back & we'll all contradict each other yet again

EDIT: Decent snap lock connectors from maplin here.

Also, if you're worried, I'll probably be calling off at Spanner Man's place in a few weeks for a service. Put off fitting them, pop along to Spanner Man's place & I'll work on your bike whilst he does mine It'd take all of 30mins. Tops (not counting putting the grips on the bars).

[northwind]

I wouldn't do it that way, myself... Those wee tappers are OK, but I don't like them for exposed wiring. Also, I'd use a relay instead of taking the hot from a switched source. But that's not to say it won't work perfectly

[northwind]

Originally Posted by Baph

except the horn (grips only powered whilst beeping)

Not on teh curvy, it has a switched negative. For some reason. The hot to the horn is always on.

Northwind - what is a relay?

I'm off to see spanner man myself in a few weeks. I might just wire them to the battery for now - and be careful to turn them off when I'm parked up - then get him to fit them properly for me when he's doing my service.

I have no idea how to use a multi-meter so I'd probably end up using the wrong bit of the wire.

If its only half an hours work, then it shouldn't bump the cost of my service up too much, and I'd feel better knowing it was done right.

Originally Posted by New Leaf

Northwind - what is a relay?

I'm off to see spanner man myself in a few weeks. I might just wire them to the battery for now - and be careful to turn them off when I'm parked up - then get him to fit them properly for me when he's doing my service.

I have no idea how to use a multi-meter so I'd probably end up using the wrong bit of the wire.

If its only half an hours work, then it shouldn't bump the cost of my service up too much, and I'd feel better knowing it was done right.

Be careful that someone else doesn't turn your grips on & flatten the battery!

A relay? Well, basically it's a switch. But not a switch you press, you can activate or deactivate another circuit by use of a control circuit. The main reason this is done is power requirements. The grips run at 12v 4Amp.

In my case, I've come from the ignition to a relay, then back to the ignition. This is where the switch is activated (not where the grip's electrical load is). Another wire comes from +ve battery, to the relay, then to the grips, then back to ground (frame bolt). The grips won't work unless the circuit is complete. To complete the circuit, I have to turn the ignition on AND turn the grips on.

I tried at first without the relay, and I could switch the ignition on, and the lights came on. But I had no LCD (therefore no speedo!) and it wouldn't turn over. So I put the relay in, to draw power direct from the battery, not from the ignition circuit, and all is well & good

[northwind]

Originally Posted by Baph

A relay? Well, basically it's a switch. But not a switch you press, you can activate or deactivate another circuit by use of a control circuit. The main reason this is done is power requirements.

Also to seperate out the circuits- I use the tail light for my switched live, so if my grips go defective I don't want them to take out the tail-light at the same time.

How it works is, as Baph says, it's a switch. But instead of having a button, it's activated by the other wire- so when the wire's on, the switch is on. You put the relay into the existing wire (usually they fit with crimp terminals) and then wire hte grips to the battery with the relay in as your switch.

It's easier to do than to explain