Discussion
Iminquarantine said:
Will I like Canbus? Can I still put power pulling accessories on the bike? e.g. heated clothing, GPS, bigger horn? Is there anything to wire them into?
No, CanBus is limited by voltage and current.You'll need a Hex EasyCan or similar to power heavy current items.
https://www.hexezcan.com/f-series/
Steve Bass said:
No, CanBus is limited by voltage and current.
You'll need a Hex EasyCan or similar to power heavy current items.
https://www.hexezcan.com/f-series/
I mean, looks great, but why the connectivity with Canbus at all?You'll need a Hex EasyCan or similar to power heavy current items.
https://www.hexezcan.com/f-series/
As above, why not just run a wire from the battery?
The Canbus is to provide switched power.
BMW is fairly standard across the bikes. There will be an aux power power thats pretty much wired to the battery for things like clothing, so out of the box that will be fine. Then they also have a GPS canbus connector (you will need the £18-ish GPS plug as its propriety if you do not want to splice) - its has 3 wires as the BMW nav units get speed data etc supplied, but if you are wiring in anything else (TomTom/Garmin) you just use wire 1 & 3). I'm not sure how heavy the draw for a bigger horn is, that may work on the normal horn supply.
I've just wired in a GPS on my R9T. I connected the nippy norman's GPS Canbus connected and ran the cables to the tail with a connector, I also ran a direct cable to the battery to the rear too. So in future I could put a relay on or power block if I want to run touring accessories (chargers etc).
So in short, there is no real issue with Canbus. You can connect straight to the battery, and you could use the canbus connector to switch power if you would like it to turn off with ignition (well, it turns off 30 seconds after ignition is turned off).
The tail with both supplies
The GPS connector
BMW is fairly standard across the bikes. There will be an aux power power thats pretty much wired to the battery for things like clothing, so out of the box that will be fine. Then they also have a GPS canbus connector (you will need the £18-ish GPS plug as its propriety if you do not want to splice) - its has 3 wires as the BMW nav units get speed data etc supplied, but if you are wiring in anything else (TomTom/Garmin) you just use wire 1 & 3). I'm not sure how heavy the draw for a bigger horn is, that may work on the normal horn supply.
I've just wired in a GPS on my R9T. I connected the nippy norman's GPS Canbus connected and ran the cables to the tail with a connector, I also ran a direct cable to the battery to the rear too. So in future I could put a relay on or power block if I want to run touring accessories (chargers etc).
So in short, there is no real issue with Canbus. You can connect straight to the battery, and you could use the canbus connector to switch power if you would like it to turn off with ignition (well, it turns off 30 seconds after ignition is turned off).
The tail with both supplies
The GPS connector
Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 14th August 10:06
Killboy said:
The Canbus is to provide switched power.
That still seems needlessly complicated to me. In that case you could could surely just use a switched live from anywhere and a relay? (I think the F800 the horn seemed to still be used in the example from Bass?)I did the below in about 30 minutes or so, I found a connector that matched the honda one and just used a free accessory as a switched live. So no need to splice.
I think it cost about £12 for the parts, not including the cost of the sandwich box, and I'm s
t with electrics and it worked fine.You get loads of these expensive kits for accessories on adventure bikes, it amazes me people splash out on them when it just seems to be an attempt to make a simple task look complicated.
Prof Prolapse said:
That still seems needlessly complicated to me. In that case you could could surely just use a switched live from anywhere and a relay?
The canbus gps output is the switched power? With the Canbus controlling everything even down to the led tail light, I did not want to splice that.You can still use the relay, I've done that before too and its still the plan. But you need a switched source.
Killboy said:
The canbus gps output is the switched power? With the Canbus controlling everything even down to the led tail light, I did not want to splice that.
You can still use the relay, I've done that before too and its still the plan. But you need a switched source.
But a lower output is fine to the relay as long as it's 12v, the relay then allows supply direct from the battery on a seperate circuit. That's the point of the relay.You can still use the relay, I've done that before too and its still the plan. But you need a switched source.
Perhaps I'm being Mr.Thicky here, but if the ignition is on, the canbus activates multiples items , like the horn which is 12v, so you just run cable from the horn to the relay. It will be a switched live, so in turn activates the magnet in relay, which then activates the second circuit which draws from the battery directly to your fused accessory or accessory box if you feel fancy.
No need to touch the canbus, or splice any wires if you get the connector right.
Again, apologies if I'm being an idiot I actually just want to know more, but I don't understand the need to have a canbus plug in with all this weird software as per the first link.
Prof Prolapse said:
Perhaps I'm being Mr.Thicky here, but if the ignition is on, the canbus activates multiples items , like the horn which is 12v, so you just run cable from the horn to the relay. It will be a switched live, so in turn activates the magnet in relay, which then activates the second circuit which draws from the battery directly to your fused accessory or accessory box if you feel fancy.
Maybe I'm being thick, but I'm not sure the horn is the best 12v supply? Surely thats only live when you pressing the button?Killboy said:
Prof Prolapse said:
Perhaps I'm being Mr.Thicky here, but if the ignition is on, the canbus activates multiples items , like the horn which is 12v, so you just run cable from the horn to the relay. It will be a switched live, so in turn activates the magnet in relay, which then activates the second circuit which draws from the battery directly to your fused accessory or accessory box if you feel fancy.
Maybe I'm being thick, but I'm not sure the horn is the best 12v supply? Surely thats only live when you pressing the button?
Prof, I KNOW you're smarter than this
Killboy said:
Prof Prolapse said:
Perhaps I'm being Mr.Thicky here, but if the ignition is on, the canbus activates multiples items , like the horn which is 12v, so you just run cable from the horn to the relay. It will be a switched live, so in turn activates the magnet in relay, which then activates the second circuit which draws from the battery directly to your fused accessory or accessory box if you feel fancy.
Maybe I'm being thick, but I'm not sure the horn is the best 12v supply? Surely thats only live when you pressing the button?The issue isn't how to power things, it's how you control them on/off.
If you're happy to run supplementary switches to a place on the bike, then as said here, a low current switch through a relay will be fine.
But it's not so elegant with wires, relays and switches dotted about.
The advantage of something like the EasyCan is it allows the existing switch gear to control the additional functions. Depending on the functionality, it might even automatically switch on an output (clothing) if the bikes air temp sensor reads below a certain value and off above another. Same for heated grips but you also have a toggle function to override the auto settings for convenience.
Can bus is simply a data network and devices are given addresses and values. The bus itself is very limited in its current capabilities and is only there to send instructions to devices or to receive values. items that require power need a supplementary power feed separate from the Can Bus...
If you're happy to run supplementary switches to a place on the bike, then as said here, a low current switch through a relay will be fine.
But it's not so elegant with wires, relays and switches dotted about.
The advantage of something like the EasyCan is it allows the existing switch gear to control the additional functions. Depending on the functionality, it might even automatically switch on an output (clothing) if the bikes air temp sensor reads below a certain value and off above another. Same for heated grips but you also have a toggle function to override the auto settings for convenience.
Can bus is simply a data network and devices are given addresses and values. The bus itself is very limited in its current capabilities and is only there to send instructions to devices or to receive values. items that require power need a supplementary power feed separate from the Can Bus...
Well, you are running wires to something controlling other things. Gone are the days of simply using the KTM ACC1/2 feed. 
I've always liked the Easter Beaver Fuse Block. Its not canbus related so will not have some of the "features" you mention, but it will be more "portable" between bike sales.
The one thing the Canbus has which is why I steer cleared of splicing the tail light for a 12v feed is that the canbus also acts as a fuse, and will limit power/trip if too much is drawn to certain devices. Given the incredibly lower power requirements of LED, and me not being a confident enough sparky, as well as not wanting to void the warranty, I just bought the connector.
I've always liked the Easter Beaver Fuse Block. Its not canbus related so will not have some of the "features" you mention, but it will be more "portable" between bike sales.
The one thing the Canbus has which is why I steer cleared of splicing the tail light for a 12v feed is that the canbus also acts as a fuse, and will limit power/trip if too much is drawn to certain devices. Given the incredibly lower power requirements of LED, and me not being a confident enough sparky, as well as not wanting to void the warranty, I just bought the connector.
Steve Bass said:
Killboy said:
Prof Prolapse said:
Perhaps I'm being Mr.Thicky here, but if the ignition is on, the canbus activates multiples items , like the horn which is 12v, so you just run cable from the horn to the relay. It will be a switched live, so in turn activates the magnet in relay, which then activates the second circuit which draws from the battery directly to your fused accessory or accessory box if you feel fancy.
Maybe I'm being thick, but I'm not sure the horn is the best 12v supply? Surely thats only live when you pressing the button?Prof, I KNOW you're smarter than this
You're absolute right schoolboy error, I just kept using the horn as it was in your bloody link somewhere.
In all honesty as well I also think I didn't really consider that there's no switch further up, so you're even more limited in where you can get your 12v live feed. It could be a f
king nightmare.Steve Bass said:
The issue isn't how to power things, it's how you control them on/off.
If you're happy to run supplementary switches to a place on the bike, then as said here, a low current switch through a relay will be fine.
But it's not so elegant with wires, relays and switches dotted about.
The advantage of something like the EasyCan is it allows the existing switch gear to control the additional functions. Depending on the functionality, it might even automatically switch on an output (clothing) if the bikes air temp sensor reads below a certain value and off above another. Same for heated grips but you also have a toggle function to override the auto settings for convenience.
Can bus is simply a data network and devices are given addresses and values. The bus itself is very limited in its current capabilities and is only there to send instructions to devices or to receive values. items that require power need a supplementary power feed separate from the Can Bus...
Ah you see that I understand.If you're happy to run supplementary switches to a place on the bike, then as said here, a low current switch through a relay will be fine.
But it's not so elegant with wires, relays and switches dotted about.
The advantage of something like the EasyCan is it allows the existing switch gear to control the additional functions. Depending on the functionality, it might even automatically switch on an output (clothing) if the bikes air temp sensor reads below a certain value and off above another. Same for heated grips but you also have a toggle function to override the auto settings for convenience.
Can bus is simply a data network and devices are given addresses and values. The bus itself is very limited in its current capabilities and is only there to send instructions to devices or to receive values. items that require power need a supplementary power feed separate from the Can Bus...
Killboy said:
Well, you are running wires to something controlling other things. Gone are the days of simply using the KTM ACC1/2 feed.
I've always liked the Easter Beaver Fuse Block. Its not canbus related so will not have some of the "features" you mention, but it will be more "portable" between bike sales.
The one thing the Canbus has which is why I steer cleared of splicing the tail light for a 12v feed is that the canbus also acts as a fuse, and will limit power/trip if too much is drawn to certain devices. Given the incredibly lower power requirements of LED, and me not being a confident enough sparky, as well as not wanting to void the warranty, I just bought the connector.
That's what I mean about the CanBus being limited in V and Amps.I've always liked the Easter Beaver Fuse Block. Its not canbus related so will not have some of the "features" you mention, but it will be more "portable" between bike sales.
The one thing the Canbus has which is why I steer cleared of splicing the tail light for a 12v feed is that the canbus also acts as a fuse, and will limit power/trip if too much is drawn to certain devices. Given the incredibly lower power requirements of LED, and me not being a confident enough sparky, as well as not wanting to void the warranty, I just bought the connector.
The mistake is people think the bus is the power source when in fact it's only a data stream telling things to switch on and off. The current limits are preset in the unit so hooking a heavy ;load such a clothing or a power socket will cause the bus to trip. Hence something like the EasyCan provides high power outputs controllable from existing switchgear. And the rotary wheel can then be used to vary the temperature of the clothing, something simple on/off set ups can't achieve uless you're going to home build a complete control box.
Personally, I'd go form something plug & play rather than risking damage to the CanBus.... expensive to fix if it goes sideways. On a normally wired bike, agreed, no need fr such complexities.
But, the OP has his answers now
Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff