Need an electronics guru...

[Slideways]

Bought some Skene Design lights and have been having issues getting them working. So, why do I need an electronics guru? Under the saddle over the rear wheel are all the wires needed to hook up this thing. I found a Black/Yellow and Black wire under the seat that are unused. This pair of wires look as if perhaps they are for something my '08 does not have. The Bk/Y is a male end and uncovered (get your mind out of the gutter already) and the Bk is a female end and has an unsulating sleeve over the metal. My question is this: which is the switched 'hot' lead?  A volt meter from the Bk/Y to the Bk wire or to ground shows 12 volts yet the metal end of this wire is not covered. If the Bk wire is checked for voltage from the wire to ground none shows. Why would what I assume to be the swithched 'hot' wire not be coverd? I am also fairly certain this pair of unused wires are completely stock.

As it turns out the issue with the lights is a bad control unit. Two calls to Skene and much coaching over the phone determined this. This is separate from the wire question above the answer to which is just to satisfy my curiousity. When it comes to nuts and bolts I'm okay but when it comes to all them wires, well no so much.

Along with the Skene P3 lights I purchased a set of the Photon Blasters. To install these leads will need to be connected to the brake light, each turn signal, switched power and ground. I have dug around at the back end of the bike enough to have gains some familiarity with the wires back there. At the front end I have not dug around much at all. The Photon Blasters are mounted but not wired. Any advice here would be greatly appreciated.

Once everything is mounted and working I will get some photos up. The rear lights are mounted to the side cases out about as wide as they can be. Although the controler for these is NFG they have still been functioning as tail lights and brother they are bright! Parked the bike and walked back a couple of hundred feet both in day light and at night and they are very visable. They are also supposed to function as brake lights and that is the bad controller issue, no brake light function. Up front the lights are mounted just under the mirrors which spreads them out fairly wide, now to find a free afternoon to hunt for wires.

[Flathead]

About page 110 in the Owners Manual

Electric Accessory Connectors
(+) Black
(–) Black/Yellow

 

[Conrad]

Here's some pics and info on both the rear and the front accessory leads.

http://www.pbase.com/fredharmon/accleads

[Slideways]

Thanks Flathead & Conrad.

Still confused as to why when the volt meter is connected to the black/yellow (negative) wire and some part of the frame for a gound it reads 12 volts but the black wire (positive) reads nothing when measured the same way. Think I need to attend remedial seventh grade science class, I'm so confused.

I completely forgot about Fred Harmon! Pictures are gooooood !! 

[Flathead]

Thanks Flathead & Conrad.

Still confused as to why when the volt meter is connected to the black/yellow (negative) wire and some part of the frame for a gound it reads 12 volts but the black wire (positive) reads nothing when measured the same way. Think I need to attend remedial seventh grade science class, I'm so confused.

I completely forgot about Fred Harmon! Pictures are gooooood !! 

May sound crazy but you might double check to make sure your battery was installed properly. There have been many reports of the battery being installed backwards during final assembly at the dealership. The switched 12v lead is BLACK and is insulated. The ground is BLACK/Yellow.

[jonathan]

May sound crazy but you might double check to make sure your battery was installed properly. There have been many reports of the battery being installed backwards during final assembly at the dealership. The switched 12v lead is BLACK and is insulated. The ground is BLACK/Yellow.

The battery has always been wired correctly, but it was inserted wrong end into the battery enclosure by some shops. Had the battery wiring been reversed nothing electrical would work.

Don't forget that the accessory wires are a switched and fused circuit so the ignition has to be on and the fuse intact to get power.

[Flathead]

Thanks Flathead & Conrad.

Still confused as to why when the volt meter is connected to the black/yellow (negative) wire and some part of the frame for a gound it reads 12 volts but the black wire (positive) reads nothing when measured the same way. Think I need to attend remedial seventh grade science class, I'm so confused.

I completely forgot about Fred Harmon! Pictures are gooooood !! 

Based on the information provided above something is crossed somewhere. Either with the OP or the wiring  no offence Slideways.

[Slideways]

No offense taken Flathead. Could well be operator error but a multimeter is not way above my pay grade and with the meter dial on 20v, the red line from the meter connected to the Bk/Y wire and the black line from the meter grounded to some part of the frame it reads 12v.

Battery is installed correctly though as previously stated the battery ain't the issue here, still a good idea to check.

[556ALPHA]

there are test leads back there that are often mistaken for the ACC wires, just a possibility.

[yellowrench]

Slideways,  double check that the wires that plug into your "volt-ohm meter" are black to black and red to red if they are the plug in type.  Just saying as another check.

[koval68]

there are test leads back there that are often mistaken for the ACC wires, just a possibility.

I was thinking the same, but OP stated that he had black/yellow and black wires, and if I remember correctly test leads are black/yellow and grey!

[B.D.F.]

Not sure what you measured but the Black / Yellow wires found anywhere on a C-14 are all ground wires. Measuring from any Black / Yellow to ground (chassis ground, battery ground) will show a reading of -0- volts. It might be possible that you found someplace on the frame that was not actually grounded, and I guess it is possible that that frame section was being pulled to +12 volts somehow. Any part of the motorcycle (or any vehicle) held onto the frame by anything that moves, such as the swingarm or front end, is always capable of a poor ground connection. The main aluminum frame (under the fuel tank) is absolutely grounded because that is where the battery ground lead is connected but nothing else on the bike is guaranteed to be held to electrical ground, other than any black / yellow wires which are always held to system ground.

In answer to your original questions about the Black and Black / Yellow wires, yes those are accessory leads and are switched with the ignition (they are only 'hot' when the ignition is on). The connectors are standard 5/32" or 4 mm bullet connectors and the female connector is positive (+12) while the male is negative (0 volts or ground).

Brian

Thanks Flathead & Conrad.

Still confused as to why when the volt meter is connected to the black/yellow (negative) wire and some part of the frame for a gound it reads 12 volts but the black wire (positive) reads nothing when measured the same way. Think I need to attend remedial seventh grade science class, I'm so confused.

I completely forgot about Fred Harmon! Pictures are gooooood !! 

[Slideways]

Yeshhhhh.....  the Skeen Design P3s and Photon Blasters are installed and work as they should.

A learning experience for certain but ya know what. I kinda like working on the electrical stuff that is simple.

The accessory leads were indeed negitive and positive as they should be. One problem that screwed me up were the Posi-tap connectors. The ones that have an end that straddles a wire allowing the screw on portion to pierce that wire allowing another wire to tap in can be installed incorrectly. When install the stupid way no connection will be made and you will think you have chosen the wrong wire go back and forth trying to figure up what is wrong. Oh it's fun, I know...  Should you find occassion to use this type of connector be aware that the portion that screws onto the wire staddling end has a sharp pointy end and a not so sharp pointy end. The sharpest one will puncture the wire and the other will not. Make sure to get it right.

I will work on a video of the lights as pictures cannot do the job. Stay tuned and thanks to all for the advice. Happy Holidays to everyone!