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Hard wiring a GPS

P

Poasttown

Member
I’m sure this topic has been discussed numerous times. I did a brief search and didn’t find what I was looking for. After reading my question and if someone remembers this topic on a previous thread please direct me to it.

First I’m riding a 2019 F3L and really wanted to use BRP Connect with Genius Maps. After a whole afternoon working with this I decided to move on and purchased a Garmin 396. I also wanted to just use the Garmin with its own built in battery, no hard wiring. Well this seems to not be the most efficient way to use the GPS so now I guess I should hard wire it to my bike. Due to the electrical sophistication of the Spyders I am very Leary of doing any electrical work.

My question; what would be the easiest/ best method to hard wire the GPS?

I could direct wire it to the battery but what would happen if I forgot to unplug the GPS.

I was hoping there as a “cigarette lighter” socket on the bike somewhere but have not found one.

I could splice a USB plug onto the end of the power wires from the GPS and then plug this into the USB port in the bikes glove box. Or purchase a USB 5v to 12 V lighter socket and make the connection that way.

Any comments would be appreciated.
Poasttown
 
There is a dedicated power plug for the GPS on the left side. Behind the body panels below the seat. Key switched. When I get chance I will post a picture. If someone else does not do it first.
 
billybovine said:
There is a dedicated power plug for the GPS on the left side. Behind the body panels below the seat. Key switched. When I get chance I will post a picture. If someone else does not do it first.
Click to expand...

That is what I used for the 595 that I mounted on my wife's 2018 F3L. Just make sure of the polarity when you connect. Easy to do with a multimeter- turn key to on position and connect the black (-) lead from the multimeter to any ground point ( nut/bolt) to the frame, and the red wire to the wire from the gps connection until you get a 12 volt reading. That's the positive (hot) wire. The other will be the ground wire.
 
"click: to see MY SPYDER PAGE

Detailed instructions on my page. I think the 2019 wiring is the same under the panel on the non-brake (left) side under the seat. There is also an audio jack there to put the GPS audio out. If yours doesn't have one, I tell you how to add one.
 
Just be careful. Sometimes (in my case on a 2020) the polarity of the BRP harness doesn't match the polarity of the plug from the GPS. You may need to reverse the polarity to correctly power the GPS.
 
Let me first thank everyone for their helpful reply’s. I have added electrical accessories to previous bikes but as I stated earlier the spyder seems to be in a higher level of electrical sophistication which raises my level of concern to not cause a problem.

I found the gps accessory plug on the bike with the dummy plug inserted which I can remove to insert the new plug from the gps. The Garmin manual says the red wire on their wiring harness is the power wire. So I just need to determine the positive wire on the bike, which I assume is the red wire, and make the connection.

I do need to attach the correct plug to the gps wires to make the connection. In rattlebars link he referenced A 2pin way 16AWG waterproof connector wire 1.5 mm series terminal connector. I suppose the male portion of this connector is what I need.

I also understand I will not need to place a fuse inline because the bike electrical system has already dealt with this.

Thanks again.
Poasttown
 
Rattlebars mention the gps audio plug. His 2016 has that, but the 2018 to 2020 F3 does not. The audio system does not have a dedicated gps audio input at all anywhere. Could be wired to the Aux. But then you cannot use any of the other inputs at the same time.
 
JayBros:

I looked at the device in your post and think I know how it works, but can you confirm for me just how it keeps someone from taking you GPS.

thanks
campermac
 
billybovine said:
Rattlebars mention the gps audio plug. His 2016 has that, but the 2018 to 2020 F3 does not. The audio system does not have a dedicated gps audio input at all anywhere. Could be wired to the Aux. But then you cannot use any of the other inputs at the same time.
Click to expand...

Really stinks, doesn't it ?!?
BRP can provide a mount for a GPS, and 12V power, but they really don't want you using a stand alone GPS.
I got a nice system that works, but it's Blue Tooth based so my GPS talks to my headset. But if, for any reason, my headset failed, I'd have to use the GPS without any audible directions.
 
I just hard wired my Zumo XT on my 2019 F3-S. I removed the left side tupperware cover and left side panel. I popped out the frunk and routed the wire down to the aux/accessory connection near the battery. Easy peasy..
 
ThreeWheels said:
Really stinks, doesn't it ?!?
BRP can provide a mount for a GPS, and 12V power, but they really don't want you using a stand alone GPS.
I got a nice system that works, but it's Blue Tooth based so my GPS talks to my headset. But if, for any reason, my headset failed, I'd have to use the GPS without any audible directions.
Click to expand...

Not really an issue for me. Now that I have started using my phone as a GPS. I would never go back to a standalone GPS again. Most of the time my tunes come from my phone to the Spyder by BT anyway. So if I am getting GPS directions. The music will mute and come through whenever the GPS app wants to tell me something. But I understand how nice it would be for a GPS audio input. For those folks that prefer a stand alone GPS.
 
troop said:
I just hard wired my Zumo XT on my 2019 F3-S. I removed the left side tupperware cover and left side panel. I popped out the frunk and routed the wire down to the aux/accessory connection near the battery. Easy peasy..
Click to expand...

Only minor issue with using the customer accessory circuit. It is engine switched, not key switched. The GPS power plug is key switched.
 
campermac said:
JayBros:

I looked at the device in your post and think I know how it works, but can you confirm for me just how it keeps someone from taking you GPS.

thanks
campermac
Click to expand...

It clamps down on the top of your GPS holder. You can still press the unlocking tab but the part that lifts can not thus preventing theft. I just bought and installed one a week ago.
 
billybovine said:
Rattlebars mention the gps audio plug. His 2016 has that, but the 2018 to 2020 F3 does not. The audio system does not have a dedicated gps audio input at all anywhere. Could be wired to the Aux. But then you cannot use any of the other inputs at the same time.
Click to expand...

Yup. Don't know why but they are getting like Samsung. Recent updates lost the ability to have individual ringtones for messages. That was a while ago. Now you can do it again, but need to jump through hoops. Last update, they killed the different notification for GMail accounts. You once had set it for each gmail account. No longer. Gmail uses the system now like everything else. Before I could assign a different tone for each gmail account and depending which tone I heard, I would know if I had to pull over and look at my mail.

As for the locks.... each of them costs more than my GPS!
 
Just wanted to complete the story. I found the gps plug on my 2019 F3L, ordered a Male plug to fit this plug, and then made all the connections. I tested it out today with a ride and and all seems to be working as it should.

Thanks to all who contributed info. It was very helpful.

Poasttown
 
I cant get power from the GPS connection by the seat. I looked for the fuse and the owners manual says Right side #4 but that spot is empty. I had power there for my 595LM and just got an XT. The polarity was reversed on the last Zumo. Does anyone know where the fuse might be?
 
Troop

In a post by Rattlebars earlier in this thread he references his site. In this site he has a topic “GPS installation” or something similar where he highlites GPS connectors with ordering info. I think they come in a pack of six.

I ordered mine from Value Accessories. Check under their Spyder section for 2, 3, 5 pin waterproof electrical wire connectors. My notes indicate part no. 2PIN-CONN-WTR, but you may want to double check that. I only ordered one connector which come as a pair, male and female. Probably should have ordered more than one just in case but I didn’t.
Poasttown
 
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