What a great site. Very informative. My question is i installed some handwarmer grips on a 04 Honda Foreman. I want to know if it is ok to tap into the hotwire coming from the ignition switch for power for the grips? Will it be heavy enough? The grips only pull 4 amp on high and 2 on low. Where does every one else get there power from when installing grips. I didnt want to go directly to the battery because they could be left on accidently. Thanks in advance.

 

yes it's OK. But it's preferable to use the DC output for accessories. I think your machine has this. Look at your fusebox (owner's manual might be helpful too) and I think you will see an acc fuse. I believe that will be the pink wire (I'm not positive). The main advantage is that if your warmers short out, and they do on occasion, it will blow the acc fuse instead of the main or ign fuse.

 

Go to radio shack, and buy the plug for plugging into the accesory outlet, and wire into that. The outlet is only hot, with the key on, and it is fused. Perfect for wiring up handwarmers. I changed the fuse, to 5 amp, the factory fuse is10 amp.

 

Thanks, That was just the info i wanted. I dont have a manual handy as it is my sons bike. That sounds like the place to tap into. UncleTom

 

My bike didn't have the accessory plug in, so I wired them through the lighting circuit, which is on a 15 amp fuse, and only draws about 5 with all the lights on. Easy to get at, since the wiring for the lights runs to the left handlebar where the switch is located, I just tapped into the circuit there. Dzzy makes a good point about not wiring into anything critical in case they short out.

Just for info, the guy who owned the bike before I bought it had 4-plex phone cord run from a fuse to run both handwarmers and a thumbwarmer, and he was only using one of the 4 wires to do it !! Can you say a fire waiting to happen?

Chilly