Road King Blog

During my extended trip on Friday, I tried using my GPS unit on the bike for the first time, using a R.A.M. mount on the handlebar.  With no power outlets available, I used the unit on battery power.

Which ran out before I even got to Daytona.  Obviously this is not going to work well for touring.

Fortunately, I had already ordered a pair of power outlet kits from Powerlet Products.  The kits include a lead with ring terminals and a fuse which terminates in a 2 pole SAE connector, and an adapter that plugs into the SAE lead and provides a standard cigarette lighter plug for plugging in phone chargers, GPS units, etc.  I ordered a pair of kits, with the intention of running power to the saddle bag directly from the battery and another connection to the handlebar area.  The direct run to the battery also allows for charging without having to take the seat off.

The rear cable installation was very easy.  After connecting the ring connector to the positive terminal, and the ground lead to the chassis nearby, I ran the cable back to the saddlebag, using zip ties to connect the cable to existing wiring and chassis points along the way to make sure it cannot get loose and become involved with the moving parts of the bike.

For the front cable, I wanted to set it up with switched power, so that it was on when the bike is on, and off when the bike is off.

Fortunately, there is an accessory power line on many Harley models (happily the Road King is one of them) in the headlight bucket.  The wire in question is orange and white striped, with a single spade-lug connector on the end.  A quick swap of the ring terminal for a spade plug on the red wire of the harness handed that connection, and the ground lead went under a cable clamp bolt on the right side of the frame neck, completing the circuit.  The cable was then routed up through the headlight bucket to the right handlebar, and firmly zip-tied in place.  The slack cable was bundled in the headlight bucket and secured with zip ties.

All in all, a nice reward for a couple hours of work.