I'm figuring out the mounts. Turns out there are three blank mounting bungs in exactly the right spots for something like this. If you wanted to use an M7 bolt, they would be just the right size and you would even be able to tap threads in them. It's weird how these things just turn up out of nowhere. It happens all the time.

Since the focus is on the switch plate itself, I've continued that info on this thread.

http://zx14ninjaforum.com/messages.cfm?threadid=8C037370-A752-28F1-C29B9AFF5F90F2F2

* Last updated by: Rook on 5/20/2018 @ 2:47 PM *

So back to switches--got a question: If the feeder wire for my LEDs is on a circuit that has a 10 amp fuse, does that mean that circuit has enough amps to power components that draw a total of 10 amps (like one component draws 5 amps and the second one draws another 5 amps and then there's no more power available for anything else)?

OR does that mean the feeder wire will always have 10 amps available no matter how many components on the circuit are drawing power and everything is cool as long as no single component draws more than 10 amps?

This is the city light I'm using as the feeder. From the wiring diagram, it appears that circuit includes city lights, rear brake and tail light, license plate light and the multi function meter. I have disconnected both city lights so no draw there and the license plate light was replaced with a single LED. I have my aftermarket gauges which draw less than 3 amps on the city lights too and Autotune is also powered off of the city lights. That has all run with no issues but now I'm going to be drawing up to 2.5 amps more to power up to 15 LEDs on the switch panel. The NOS light may have 6 LEDs by itself. Each LED about 20 milliamps. Just wondering if it is possible I could max this circuit out by tapping in too many very low draw components.

I was also hoping to power my Illumiglo gauge faces off of the city lights.

* Last updated by: Rook on 5/26/2018 @ 10:03 PM *

circuit has enough amps to power components that draw a total of 10 amps (like one component draws 5 amps and the second one draws another 5 amps and then there's no more power available for anything else)?

Yes, correct. AMPS = Current. If you draw more then 10 amps across a 10 AMP fuse, the fuse will blow.
You can have as many items as you want plugged into the circuit as long as the circuit doesn't pull
more then 10 AMPS.

Best way is to test, inline a amp meter and start turning everything on and test
how much current you are pulling.

I like to always tap into a circuit and down size the circuit I'm creating.
Like if the circuit is 10 amps and I tap into it to create my own circuit I'll
inline a fuse for my circuit around 7 amps or less. That way if my circuit blows/shorts/pulls to much current
it doesn't take down the whole circuit.

You know the horn circuit is up front and easy to access. It's a pretty lonely 10 amp circuit.
It's what I use to power my heated gloves and radar detector. It's also ignition switched too.

The best is to test the circuit and see how many amps you are drawing and then you will know.

If your LEDs are pulling 20ma x 6 that's still only 120ma, that's not much.

keep in mind max circuit amperage is determined by wire gauge of the circuit being used.
(and of coarse total power distribution, alternator output, etc.)

Don't know what gauge wire is used, but for instance if you are right at
pushing 10 amps and wire is like 18 gauge, quick google check says 18 gauge
can handle 16 amps max. Might be able to safely up the fuse size after checking everything.

I've never heard any bad news about our alternators, but some of the old
school bikes didn't take much to exceed the bikes alternator output. Some
of the old bikes a simple pair of fog lights would be enough to burn out
your alternator. I don't think you will be using that much power to worry
about it though and haven't heard anyone burning up their alternator.

Best way is to test, inline a amp meter and start turning everything on and test
how much current you are pulling.

I like to always tap into a circuit and down size the circuit I'm creating.
Like if the circuit is 10 amps and I tap into it to create my own circuit I'll
inline a fuse for my circuit around 7 amps or less. That way if my circuit blows/shorts/pulls to much current
it doesn't take down the whole circuit.

You know the horn circuit is up front and easy to access. It's a pretty lonely 10 amp circuit.
It's what I use to power my heated gloves and radar detector. It's also ignition switched too.

The best is to test the circuit and see how many amps you are drawing and then you will know.
If your LEDs are pulling 20ma x 6 that's still only 120ma, that's not much.

I've started by testing the power draw of each color of LED. I'll also test amps at the fuse to determine the amount of power currently being used. If it's less than 10 amps, I should be ok.

Don't know what gauge wire is used, but for instance if you are right at
pushing 10 amps and wire is like 18 gauge, quick google check says 18 gauge
can handle 16 amps max. Might be able to safely up the fuse size after checking everything.

That's a good bit of info regarding wire gauge and increasing the fuse rating. I did consider simply upping the amps but the wire size that already exists did not occur to me.

* Last updated by: Rook on 5/27/2018 @ 8:51 AM *

Thanks, piken! You got my brain turning.

Another ?

I want to test the tail light circuit but I currently have the rear brake MC inoperable pending reservoir external relocation completion. A fluid pressure switch to operates the brake light so I have no way to manually switch it on to include the brake light in the amp test.

Can I just disconnect the pressure switch from the brake light wire on the main wiring harness and jumper a wire from the one contact of the brake light wire connector to the other? That would complete the circuit to ground just like a switch, would it not? ..assuming it is a switch to ground?? It must be, right? Or else a switch between two positive contacts? Point is, I should have no problem if I jumper wire +/+ or -/-.

* Last updated by: Rook on 5/27/2018 @ 1:09 PM *

Duh

or else I could skip all of that and just apply the front brake!!!!

this was almost as good as a guy posting a thread only to find out he killswitched himself.

Well anyways, after I looked at the wiring diagram, it appears that the rear brake light sensor has a R/BL wire which must be positive going to it from the tail light pole of the ignition. The other wire coming out of the RBLS is a BL/R that taps into a wire from the front brake light sensor and goes to the rear brake light. Close the RBL switch and power travels to the rear brake light from the ignition. As I was examining this, I saw the front brake light sensor is set up exactly the same way and taps into the same wire going to the rear brake light but it bypasses the RBLS. The two BLSs work independantlyy but they do the same thing.

In short, yeah--all you would need to do is jump from one contact to the other as shown in the illustration above and the brake light should come on. It is a lot easier to just pull the front brake lever though. LOL

* Last updated by: Rook on 5/27/2018 @ 2:03 PM *

I'm sorry for writing all this crap. It just happens. I think too much.

Don't need either the rear brake light switch or the rear MC reserve. Take'em off.

Eh-- for riding on the street, I need the rear brake light to come on so the pressure sensor switch has to stay.

I just ordered tygon tubing from Motomummy and I did opt to get the Honda cap. I'm more than a little into bling on the 14 so for now, I'm going with a shiny gold rear brake MC reservoir mounted back by my Ohlins shock reservoir. It's gonna look cool but someday I might snip the tube down and stick the cap in.

Incidentally, Yanna Skiki makes a reservoir that mounts right on the MC with no tubing at all. I also saw MCs on Ebay that have integrated reservoir. A plain old 3 inch tube should do the same thing. I'd do that on a dedicated track bike.

If your LEDs are pulling 20ma x 6 that's still only 120ma, that's not much.

I was thinking a milliamp is .01 amp but it's .001

120 milliamps is nothing. I could hook up 50 LEDs before I would need to worry about a thing.

"Take'em off"....
Yes Darren,this is what you want.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 5/28/2018 @ 1:14 PM *

"Take'em off"....
Yes Darren,this is what you want.

I missed the point?

What's the video or locking up the front brake got to do with removing
the rear brake light pressure switch or removing
the master cylinder reserve?

Nothing.

1. Pressure switch not needed because front brake activates brake light.

2. 4" tube coming off master cylinder plenty large enough to hold enough
Reserve brake fluid to last a long time.

Hate when people jump in a thread and make stupid posts not relevant, helpful
or bash other posts.

1. Pressure switch not needed because front brake activates brake light.

LOL I just figured that out and went and forgot it again!!

I will say this though, the rear brake switch is adjustable and the front isn't. If you're coasting on the front brake lightly, the brake light might not come on. The rear you need to press farther before it does anything so that one should come on even with a non-adjustable pressure switch.

4" tube coming off master cylinder plenty large enough to hold enough
Reserve brake fluid to last a long time.

"Hate when people jump in a thread and make stupid posts not relevant, helpful
or bash other posts".lol.it'll be okay Piken.It's just a forum;)

Honestly,I can't see WHY Kawasaki was so ignorant they went and added a switch and reservoir to their bike.What a waste.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 5/28/2018 @ 5:57 PM *

Now back to testing amps. I pulled the tail light fuse and it was indeed the circuit the city lights are on. I ever so carefully stuck some loose male contacts in, test lighted for positive contact and hooked up some alligator clips.

Turned the ignition ON and with my two lighted aftermarket gauges, no city lights connected (those are power outlets now) and an LED tag light, I got .03 amps? WHAT? Pul the rear brake lever and the reading went up to 00.25! I guess with the city lights in there, that would add maybe another .5~1.0 amps but that's still way low draw considering there's a 10 amp fuse. I did not start the bike but I don't see how that would make much difference. Maybe a couple LEDS on the meter unit.

Hm--less than 2 amps being drawn on this 10 amp circuit. Plenty to run a few aftermarket LEDs and AutoTune (which I also did not have connected).

* Last updated by: Rook on 5/28/2018 @ 6:09 PM *

Now about switches--did I not read on Grn's radar detector speaker thread that connecting directly to the battery will cause a constant low draw on the battery? That might explain why my Shorai didn't hold a charge long sitting in the storage unit and not riding last summer. I installed the gauges and there is one power source directly from the battery (another from a switched source but I don't recall why two power sources--maybe on for the gauges and one for the gauge sensors??).

Anyway, think it would be a good idea to install a switch for the wire from the gauges to the battery some day so I can stop the low draw while the bike is not running? Or maybe just take the wire off the battery and hook to a switched source like the one for the gauge LEDs and stepper motors?? I don't see how it would matter to the sensors if the power source was switched on constant. I believe the instructions said to use a constant source like the battery though. ?

* Last updated by: Rook on 5/28/2018 @ 6:17 PM *

I prefer to have everything ign switched.

Excellent idea with the zip tie!

Do you have your bikes on trickle chargers? I never used to in the past (way in the past) but
last decade or so seems you almost have to.

I haven't used a back brake in many years, street or track. So you guys might know
something I don't.

Here's a pretty cool mc res. by Valter Moto (it's on my list) Looks a lot nicer then plan capped tube.

* Last updated by: piken on 5/28/2018 @ 9:29 PM *

I watch a lot of bike crash vids...just to see how these wrecks occur.About 90+ percent are guys nailing their front brake,like they don't realize they have a back one to help stabilize the bike and slow it down.It's almost like they were told...NEVER use your rear brake.So they end up locking the front,lowsiding,and wrecking.When they'd have gotten a better stopping action using BOTH brakes to slow or stop.I've never understood the reasoning(or heard it)for not using a rear brake as it's designed.I never have issues using both together.Or trailbraking.Or anything else.Is there some real reason for not using the rear also?It 'sounds' like some people are actually afraid of using it...like it's some sort of voodoo mystery thing that'll get em killed.If anyone can enlighten me on this,I'd sure like to hear it.Honestly.I understand and have experienced locking the rear and wrecking.I say it was panic and poor application on my part.My fault,not the brake's.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 5/28/2018 @ 10:58 PM *

GM, i go for a balanced mix of front & rear...
the braking action causes the bike to lean forward and naturally transfer weight to the front, by inertia
as such the rear tyre gets a lesser friction coefficient, the front gets more
the mix balance would depend on the front wheel alignment...

I use my rear on the street but not the track. For me there is way to much going on at the track to even try using the back brake. High speed, downshifting setup for turn in - I just cant process another task such as rear/trail braking, I've tried. I have been told by instructors not to ever use the rear at the track because of the potential high side risk. I never want to high side crash.

Do you have your bikes on trickle chargers? I never used to in the past (way in the past) but
last decade or so seems you almost have to.

No, not normally. Just during winter storage but maybe I will need to start charging between rides someday. I will probably try hooking the gauge sensors up to a switched source. I can't see why that would matter except possibly they need a constant low flow to maintain memory of peak gauge readings..maybe? IDK.

Here's a pretty cool mc res. by Valter Moto (it's on my list) Looks a lot nicer then plan capped tube.

https://www.ebay.com/i/263679466997?chn=ps

Very nice. I'd love to have that on the busa which I have an aftermarket MC waiting to install. Really, it's just a fancy cap for a tygon tube though. Nice looking piece. Maybe....$69----ouch.

Is there some real reason for not using the rear also?It 'sounds' like some people are actually afraid of using it...like it's some sort of voodoo mystery thing that'll get em killed.If anyone can enlighten me on this,I'd sure like to hear it.

I use both but I think I'm pretty good about instinctively going light on the rear. This works well for most street riding but if you're on the brakes hard, I don't think the rear does much.

the braking action causes the bike to lean forward and naturally transfer weight to the front, by inertia
as such the rear tyre gets a lesser friction coefficient, the front gets more
the mix balance would depend on the front wheel alignment...

When I brake hard enough at high enough speed, the rear lifts off the ground. The swing arm opens and I hear the chain lashing and engine stalling. There's no braking happening on the rear under these conditions. Even if you JUST use the rear, it still transfers most of the weight to the front.

I have been told by instructors not to ever use the rear at the track because of the potential high side risk.

The front sliding during hard braking is scary because you never know where that is going to steer the bike. The rear sliding, you can lean against the slide and maintain forward direction much better but just wait until that rear catches traction again. The bike will flip straight up and maybe go over the other way. Highside. This almost happened to me in a little low speed power drift---no brakes, just on the gas hard. The rear slid out and I let off the gas. The rear immediately grabbed and BAM--the bike stood right up by itself. Fortunately, I didn't go over. I suppose the exact same can happen on the front if you brake hard but the rear is a lot more likely to drift and start the aforementioned scenario. The rear gets so light under braking where the front does the opposite.

* Last updated by: Rook on 5/29/2018 @ 3:51 PM *