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Accessory Outlet

Cyclerosis

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This topic may be covered in another thread, however, I couldn't find it. Anyway I remember reading that some members are mounting the outlet in the storage compartment.

If the compartment leaks water past a protrution, it may not be the best place to mount the outlet since whatever is plugged into the outlet will have to come out of the compartment via the weather stripping.

I've used the products from Powerlet Products - Rugged power outlets, cables and electronics on my past 2 bikes and can attest to the quality of build. They're waterproof and well made. My R1200C had a powerlet outlet mounted to a frame member. The seal kept it completely dry. I mounted a powerlet to the upper fairing on my MTS1100 and it never leaked.

Just wanted to voice my concerns about mounting location and relate my experience using a powerlet accessory outlet.
 
Whooo haaaaa!! Cyclerosis, thank you for bringing the Powerlet option to my dash. I have no intention of mounting anything inside the storage compartment and having cables protruding from the compartment whether via sidewall or compromising the storage lid seal. I also like the idea of having a little something extra up there by the handlebars. It makes my bike look really high tech up-front, not to mention, its easily accessible... Definitely liking this, dude.
 
My opinion differs a little.
I have a DIY camera mount, a DIY GPS mounting, and the dashboard area is already very cluttered.
I am hesitant to say "yoo hoo" like TP here.
Very soon a Bonsai pot may find its way up there with the rest of the mountings....
:p

Since we are in the luxury of having a not-a-tank, why not put it in there? I did.
Again DIY.

http://nc700-forum.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=123&title=gps-mount&cat=500

http://nc700-forum.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=122&title=camera-mount&cat=502
 
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DIY is good as long as it doesn't compromise the integrity of the storage compartment seal. As soon as you start passing wires through the opening and close the lid, the integrity of the seal is broken.
 
I will have one Powerlet outlet inside the box to power phone and camera chargers and such and another outside the box to power my electric clothing. Definitely it would be ill-advised to run a wire through the seal area.
 
There is no reason in my view to run any wired device out the closed lid of the storage compartment. I'll use the 12v outlet inside the compartment to charge a phone and iPod and rarely to power a tire compressor when inflating or repairing a punctured tire on the road. GPS and heated grips and clothing power off dedicated sources mounted elsewhere.
 
Funny, I didn't even think of two outlets..
You should get a gander at a tricked-out long distance ride set up for rallies. Two or even three GPS, smartphone & or communication radios, audio controls for music or traffic/weather info, radar detectors, cruise control, with switches for all this stuff and the extra lighting for riding at speed at night. It's hard to even see the handlebars for all the electronics mounted in the cockpit.

Long-Distance Motorcycles (photos)
 
Amazing what a little duct tape will do for a Ninja. The guy (Warchild) in the one photo reminds me of a cross of David Crosby, Michael Moore and Gallagher!

When I think of accessories for touring, I think of a shield that deflects the air to make the ride a little less fatiguing, panniers that will accommodate enough clothing to get me where I'm going, luggage rack for the strap down stuff, a light assortment of tools and a BIG credit card.
 
I sometimes long for the days when bikes were just simply a mode of transport and not mobile communications centres. I guess I'm just a bit of a luddite :) :)

If you are looking at contestant bikes from the Iron Butt Rally, you have to realize that these are actually competition bikes. You have to be able to re-route dynamically and for safety, you need to be able to call for help and have people know where you are. If you go off the outside of a turn solo at night and down a hillside, these tools will mark your spot without wasting the search and rescue time that could mean whether or not you survive. The additional lighting is necessary because much of the riding is at night and forest creatures abound in the roadways in many places. So, these LD machines represent what is needed to safely compete in a long distance event. Much of it carries over to non-competitive long distance riding.

Here is the "office" of my BMW LD machine on the Dempster Highway to Inuvik Northwest Territories, Canada. The older bikes looked very cluttered, but with the more modern equipment, lots of the clutter can be hidden away. My Garmin 665 has satellite nav-weather overlaid on the map screen and a bluetooth connection between my telephone and headset as well as "tunes" from XM radio or my MP3 collection. My auxiliary fuel system is gravity flow into the main tank and requires no switches, pumps, or valves. My heated clothing controls are wireless and the auxiliary lighting is controlled by multi-use adaptation of existing switches. For instance, pressing the momentary high beam switch briefly turns on the high beam, however, holding it down for one second also turns on the auxiliary driving lights. Pressing the starter button while the bike is in gear does not grind the starter, but rather it toggles the fog lights on and off. LED's are used for stop, turn and tail to save electricity for other uses. HID headlights, in addition to being brighter, use less power than halogens.

DSC00188.jpg
 
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Don't get me wrong I appreciate modern technology and how in some cases it can make life easier and safer. For instance the reason we got our 1st mobiles (cell phones) was because Sue has a problem with the bike. Of course I can see why those doing things such as the Iron butt would need all the help that they can get. However I really enjoy times when I'm in a quiet area and it's just me and the bike and the rest of the world feels a million miles away
 
If you are looking at contestant bikes from the Iron Butt Rally, you have to realize that these are actually competition bikes. You have to be able to re-route dynamically and for safety, you need to be able to call for help and have people know where you are. If you go off the outside of a turn solo at night and down a hillside, these tools will mark your spot without wasting the search and rescue time that could mean whether or not you survive. The additional lighting is necessary because much of the riding is at night and forest creatures abound in the roadways in many places. So, these LD machines represent what is needed to safely compete in a long distance event. Much of it carries over to non-competitive long distance riding.Here is the "office" of my BMW LD machine on the Dempster Highway to Inuvik Northwest Territories, Canada. The older bikes looked very cluttered, but with the more modern equipment, lots of the clutter can be hidden away. My Garmin 665 has satellite nav-weather overlaid on the map screen and a bluetooth connection between my telephone and headset as well as "tunes" from XM radio or my MP3 collection. My auxiliary fuel system is gravity flow into the main tank and requires no switches, pumps, or valves. My heated clothing controls are wireless and the auxiliary lighting is controlled by multi-use adaptation of existing switches. For instance, pressing the momentary high beam switch briefly turns on the high beam, however, holding it down for one second also turns on the auxiliary driving lights. Pressing the starter button while the bike is in gear does not grind the starter, but rather it toggles the fog lights on and off. LED's are used for stop, turn and tail to save electricity for other uses. HID headlights, in addition to being brighter, use less power than halogens.View attachment 268
Where's the cupholder? Hey man, you need a cupholder... :p
 
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