Hideaway Power Point for Road Kings

Plug your stuff in out of harm's way!

 

Harley's Touring bikes come pre-wired for an auxiliary add-on accessory, to work with either the ignition switch, the auxiliary nacelle/fairing switch (depending on model) or the brake light circuit.

To gain easy access to this auxiliary circuit, Harley has added a square Deutsch connector (dark grey) in the space just in front of the battery. I believe this connector is intended as a tour pak feed, as it contains lighting, braking, and auxiliary circuits all in one plug.

They sell a "Supplementary 12 Volt Power Point" kit, to allow use of this connector with a common cigarette lighter receptacle. Only problem is, this receptacle is designed to be mounted into the side panel of the bike, leaving the receptacle and anything plugged into it exposed to the weather and a passenger's leg.

If you prefer a more remote and secure place for the receptacle, here's an easy modification that will allow you to place the receptacle into either saddlebag, or into a tour pak if you prefer. Plug your phone in and charge it in a protected area while you ride. Similar procedures can of course, be used to achieve the same results with a mounted receptacle in a different location on the bike, but for the purpose of this page, we'll keep it simple.

 

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1: Get the stuff!

First of all, pay a visit to your local HD dealer and purchase the Power Point accessory kit, Part # 91843-97. Then stop by your local Auto discount store and purchase a common six foot or ten foot Lighter Adapter Extension Cord.


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2: Trim the fat!

Pull out your wire cutters and cut the lighter extension cord to a total length of 56 inches from the FEMALE end (the hollow end) and discard the remaining wire and male end, as these will not be used. Cut the lighter extension wires so that one wire is 1.5 to 2 inches shorter than the other, and strip the ends for soldering.

Now, cut the two spade connectors off the Harley Power Point wire kit, so you can slip off the protective plastic sleeving. Slide that sleeving up the lighter extension wire before you forget about it!! Now lay the Harley kit wiring alongside the staggered lighter extension wiring, and cut the Harley wiring to match the stagger, and strip the ends. The orange Harley Power Point wire is the hot wire, black is ground. Discard the spade connectors and the excess wire that was removed.

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3: Find the juice!

You will need to determine which of the two wires is the "hot" lead to the center contact point inside the female receptacle. This can easily be done with a circuit tester or ohm meter. Just probe one lead to the center of the receptacle and touch the other lead to each of the wire ends until you read continuity. On my particular lighter extension, the hot wire is the one with writing all along its length, but its a good idea to test anyway to prevent problems in the future. I cut my hot wire short and left the ground wire long.

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4: Poke it with a hot iron!

Next, slip a short length of heat shrink tubing up onto each Harley wire (you should already have the protective plastic sleeving on the lighter extension wire), and solder the ends to the lighter extension wires, then slip the heat shrink over the joint and heat with a candle to shrink. Finally, slip the plastic protective sleeving over the whole thing and you're done building your own lighter kit.

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Please Note:
If you ain't into soldering, crimp on butt connectors are available from most auto supply stores for a quick and easy alternative to the hot iron. They work just as well, but their size can make them a bit of a tight fit for the outside protective sleeving. Just make sure you get the insulated type (on the left) or use heat shrink over bare ones.

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5: Pinups!

The bike half of the Deutsch connector actually has four pins inside, allowing you to select your own mode of operation for your accessory, depending on how you place the two pins in the kit half of the connector.

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6: Pop the top!

Your Power Point kit should be pre-set to function with both the ignition switch AND the nacelle/fairing accessory switch in the ON (or "Accessory" for the ignition) position. You also have the option of making your accessory function with just the ignition switch (independently of the nacelle/fairing switch), or have it function with the brake light circuit. See the wiring diagram for how your bike plug is wired, and the two photos for wire position/power options for your power point kit connector. (brake light circuit not shown)

To change the pin position on your kit connector, first pry off the orange top to the connector by pushing it up from the sides with a flat screwdriver. Don't pry from the ends or you will break it.

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7: Go deep!

Next, reach inside the hollow center of the connector and pry the tab away from the pin while pulling the wire from the back of the connector. Then just slip the pin in whatever position you want, and it will snap into place. Replace the orange cap and you're done. Your kit connector comes with white plastic plugs to fill the unused spaces for better weather protection.

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8: Nacelle Switch AND Ignition!

This wire/pin position (viewed from the backside of the kit connector) is the default position of the purchased kit. Both the ignition and nacelle switches have to be on (or in accessory position) in order to power the receptacle. Note the orientation of the connector lock.

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9: Ignition Only!

This wire/pin position (viewed from the backside of the kit connector) allows only the ignition switch have to be on (or in accessory position) in order to power the receptacle. The nacelle switch is not used and has no effect on power to the receptacle.
Note the orientation of the connector lock.

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10: Get Connected!

Connect the kit plug to the bike plug located just in front of the battery,.

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11: Tie me up!

Route the wire along the shock absorber air lines, and lightly secure it with a couple of small wire ties, lay it across the lip of the saddlebag or tour pak and close the saddlebag. The foam rubber lip seal of the saddlebag/tour pak has enough "squish" to it to allow the wire to pass under with no harm to either the wire or the saddlebag, and still maintain a good weatherproof seal when closed.
(white wire ties were used for the photograph for better clarity)

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12: Finish me off!
Slip the Power Point protective cap off the supplied bare metal lighter receptacle and stretch its retaining ring over the new vinyl covered receptacle to finish off the project.

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Please Note:
The bike half of the auxiliary connector will not supply a full time hot lead. The ignition switch will have to be on or in the accessory position to supply power to the connector. If you need full time power, then you should simply tap the lighter extension chord into any full time hot lead (such as the main circuit breaker in front of the battery or the battery terminals themselves) and incorporate an inline fuse to protect your accessory. In this case, there would be no need to purchase the Harley Power Point kit, as you would not be using any of its components.

 

Total Project Cost

A little less than  $30
Total Project Time Way less than it took to make this page!!! :-)

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