IdahoMtnSpyder
Active member
There are several types of units involved in motorcycle trailer wiring. One, and a critically important one, is an isolator. That unit takes the signals from the bike wires to trigger relays or solid state switches that feed power to the trailer lights. The power comes directly from the battery. This protects the bike wiring from any kind of short or other mishap in the trailer wiring. There are two types of isolators. One connects to a bike five wire system, i.e., left turn, right turn, brake, tail, ground and feeds a trailer 5 wire system, left turn, right turn, brake, tail, ground. Another is 5 wires in but converts the 5 wire signals to a 4 wire system, i.e., left turn/brake, right turn/brake, tail, and ground. That is the isolator BRP is using. There is 3 to 2 wire converter available that takes the right turn, left turn, and brake signals from the bike and converts it to left turn/brake, and right turn/brake. The tail and ground wires go around that converter. Another converter does the opposite, takes the left turn/brake and the right turn/brake and changes it to left turn, right turn, and brake. There is a 5 wire to 4 wire converter that does the same thing as the 5 to 4 wire isolator except it does not connect to battery power. To make it more clear, an isolator separates the trailer light wiring from the bike light wiring. A converter simply changes how the turn and brake lights work. The 5 to 4 wire isolator is also a converter.
There is also a 5 to 4 wire converter that is often used to convert 5 wire car lights to 4 wire trailer lights. There's no need to use one on a motorcycle unless you already have a 5 to 5 wire isolator installed and need to convert to 4 wire trailer wiring.
Have I got you confused real good now? :gaah:
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