Ducati Multistrada 1200 – Installing an Auxiliary Power / Fuse Panel

Ducati Multistrada 1200 – Installing an Auxiliary Power / Fuse Panel

See also: Multistrada 1200 Aux Fuse Panel / Power Distribution Block Installs
(Fuzeblock, Centech, Toratech and more…)

Introduction (see below for MTS1200 Touratech TPS15 installation guide)
Swapping out an R1200GS for the MTS1200 so I’m already only too familiar with CANbus systems! I used a Touratech TPS 15 (electrical connector / fuse panel). There are alternative/similar products e.g. Centech AP-1 Auxiliary Power Fuse Panel but what’s neat about the Touratech unit is that it has the ability to be powered off when the bikes ignition is off. CANbus, what’s that?

If you’re going to add a number of electrical items / accessories to your MTS1200 (e.g. spotlights, GPS, Intercom, Bike to Bike Comms, Radar Detector, Heated Clothing power socket etc) life will be much easier, wiring tidier and safer! if you use a power distribution panel such as the Touratech TPS15 ‘CANbus Helper’ or Centech AP-1 Auxiliary Power Fuse Panel.

www.touratech.comwww.centechwire.com

Connecting electrical accessories to motorcycles that employ a CANbus electrical system requires more care than ever if you are to avoid problems with the bike’s electrical systems. I used a TPS15 on my R1200GS (in fact it’s now sat on a shelf in my garage waiting on the arrival of my Multistrada 1200!:-)

Touratech TPS15 'CANbus Helper'

Touratech TPS15 ‘CANbus Helper’

Centech AP-1 Auxiliary Power Fuse Panel

Centech AP-1 Auxiliary Power Fuse Panel

I chose the TPS15 over the AP-1 as although the individually fused circuits of the latter appealed (a) it’s more compact and (b) as it can be controlled by the bikes ignition (key on = accessories on, key off = accessories off) whereas the AP-1 requires an additional relay.

TIPS: for safer, problem free and longer lasting electrical wiring
~
Always solder electrical connections wherever possible/practical
~ Never use ‘scotch lock’ type clamp-on connectors
~ Always insulate connections and new connectors – ‘heat shrink’ insulation is brilliant and a roll of self amalgamating tape can be very handy 😉
~ Check the specification of the wires you intend to use – rated safe for the amps the accessory will draw?
~ Always use an inline fuse (as close as possible to the power supply;-) 
~ Disconnect the bike’s battery before doing any electrical work (always disconnect the -ve first and reconnect last and keep the terminal clear of contacting the bikes frame or other ‘metalwork’)
 

Multistrada 1200 Touratech TPS15 Aux Power Distribution Panel Installation

By Ducati.MS member ‘martys’ 21May2010

First off a quick disclaimer! – I’m neither a certified mechanic or an electrical engineer so if you choose to do this mod you do so at your own risk 😉

I got my bike today, wow what a wonderful machine! I’m so looking forward to putting lots of quality miles on it.

But first, it needs to be wired. Based on Bruces advice I started looking closely at the accessory sockets to tap an ignition hot line to trigger my relay. I switched from the planned painless fuse box to the Touratech someone earlier list [AndyW;-)]. Thank you, the little unit is perfect! There’s not much room under the seat and it sits quite nicely in the back corner.

So here’s a few pics – first thing you need to do (after removing the seat) is remove the right rear side panel. this gives you access to the right side accessory plug as well as finger access to the cable bundles from both below and above. If you follow the cable from the plug up from below with a finger, then reach down from above with your other hand you can quickly identify which cable is the one attached to the plug.

Reach in from above the accessory plug and gently pull the cable off the back of the plug. The socket at the end of the cable has a rubber boot on it, roll this back to expose the plug and wires running into the terminal on the back.

I’ve already attached the trigger wire here (photo below) but when you roll back the boot you see the black ground wire and the red/blue ignition hot wire. There is enough room in the terminal connector to slip in the yellow trigger wired from the Touratech fusebox. Before attaching the yellow wire, use a very, very small screwdriver and slide it up between the boot and cable being careful not to tear the boot. With the screwdriver up there feed the yellow trigger wire through, then slide the screwdriver out. Strip about a 1/4 to 3/8 inch of the insulation off and slip the wire into open space in the ignition hot side terminal. Squeeze it closed with a pair of needle nose pliers and roll the boot back down. Reattached the socket to to the accessory plug, ensure it’s completely seated.

The vertical terminal is the ignition hot connector (+ve). You can easily confirm this with a multimeter (test meter) / voltmeter.

Once the trigger wire is connected, place the fuse box in the back left corner of the underseat space. There isn’t a lot of room under there, be sure it’s all the way back or it may hit the seat when you put it back on.

The rest is easy, just attached the red and brown wires to the hot (+ve) and ground (-ve) terminals of the battery, zip tie the cable to some of the existing cables and your ready to connect you accessories.

And here I have my heattroller and GPS power connected using the supplied bladed connectors.

The heattroller power plug runs up the left side and sticks out the front of the seat. The GPS power runs up the right side under the fairing and up to the handlebar clamp. I was able to route this wire without removing any of the front fairing by using a large tiewrap / cable tie (18 inch) to fish the Garmin power cable through and zip tie it to the frame.

The fusebox still has three connector pairs left for additional accessories. I just need to get the radar connector hooked up and she’ll be good to go.

I spent about two hours wiring this up, taking my time and taking a few pictures. 

NB: Touratech’s instructions say that the TPS15 should be mounted vertically or other way up to prevent water from pooling around the connectors. This is a ‘first fix’ – I’m not sure there’s enough room to stand the box on it’s side. I was thinking of just wrapping it in saran-wrap to keep moisture out. I will keep an eye on it!

Couple of shots of the cockpit. I’m using the gadgetguy.net mounting system for my Zumo 550 and I have a warmnsafe two channel wireless heattroller. The heattroller is simply velcro’d to the inner fairing shell.

I hope this helps others thinking about adding electrical accessories.
MartyS

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