Centech Hot and Ground Wires from the battery?

[Dans08]

I'm wiring up a Centech fuse panel and want to make sure I've wired it up to the battery correctly. I see there is a Centech 70A Relay Wiring Kit for AP1 Fuse Panel. This includes a 70A relay, heavy-gauge battery power and ground cables, ring terminals for AP-1 power and ground lugs and light-gauge sense cable to hook to switched circuit such as taillight. This is the first time I've seen this kit and of course, the work is done and now I find the "kit".

 

Have others installed this "kit" or, how and what size wires did you use to wire the Centech to the battery and did you use a heavy duty relay (70A)?

Dan

[T__]

Dan, a 70 amp relay is really heavy duty.. You don’t have anywhere near that kind of battery reserve or alternator output,, that is 840 watts capacity so unless you are lighting part of your house from your motorcycle that is way overkill..

 

My guess is that 70 amp relay kit has some mighty big cable going to it also.. Probably designed for the Centech installation on a boat or RV application not a motorcycle..

 

I don’t use a Centech as I make my own fusing setup so can’t comment on using something like that but 70 amps capacity is probably more than any one would need on a motorcycle..

 

I would presume a 40 amp relay would probably cover your installation nicely with a 50 amp being more than enough.. I guess it depends on what you want to power all at once through your Centech..

 

Twisty

 

[Paul_Burkett]

I installed the Centex panel on my RT and used 10 gauge wire from the battery to the panel with a Radio Shack in-line fuse with 10 gauge wire and 30 amp fuse. I got colored 14 gauge wire from Home Depot made by Carol, it is in the electrical department. The reason that I went with colored wire is so that if I need to trace a wire in the dark I can trace the red, green, blue or white circuit.

If you add all of the things that you will be putting onto the fuse panel, it will probably only draw 15 amps total, I also ran the + battery wire to a relay before going into the panel and the coil was energized by running a wire from a fuse that was dead until the ignition is turned on, that way the "stuff" will not drain the battery while the bike is sitting dormant in the garage or if I forget to turn the auxiliary lights off. DAMHIK

[Dans08]

Than I'm sure I have it right.

I have a 12awg wire from the "+" post on the battery with a 20A fuse at the battery, this goes to the NAPA "auto" relay, post #30.

A 12awg ground wire goes from the "-" post on the battery to post to ground post on the Centech.

A 12awg wire goes from post 86 to the frame of the bike.

A 12awg wire goes from post 87 to the hot post on the Centech.

I'll run either a 18 or a 16awg wire from the tail light positive wire to post 85 on the relay.

 

This should take care of the Centech. Now both sets of PIAA driving light have their own relays and fuses and they will be connected to the battery with their switch wires going to the Centech to power the switches. I will change this set up if the lights are powered with the bike off. If that happens, I will have the PIAA's tied into the Centech fuse panel but I don't think I will need to do that.

 

This is similar to the fuse panel I put on my GL1500 and I ran that for 7 years.

[bobbobtar]

Dans08,

I'am confused,I have a Centech 2, which I run all my accessories into, half of the Centech is hot all the time, the other half is switched power.I use the right side parking lamp as the trigger.

I thought one of the ideas of a fuse panel was to get all the accessory wires off the battery and to avoid the issues with the Canbus.

[Dans08]

Dans08,

I'am confused,I have a Centech 2, which I run all my accessories into, half of the Centech is hot all the time, the other half is switched power.I use the right side parking lamp as the trigger.

I thought one of the ideas of a fuse panel was to get all the accessory wires off the battery and to avoid the issues with the Canbus.

 

Your right about the use of the fuse panel. My 02 R1150RT does not a CANBUS system and the PIAA light harnesses have their own fuses and relays so going directly to the battery will same room on the fuse panel for a GPS etc when I decide to install them.

 

[bobbobtar]

Dans08,

I still think, CanBus or no CanBus,its a good idea to wire everything into a Centech keeps it all neat and clean, also:

 

Centech Ap-1 5 fused circuts.

 

My two cents worth.

[Ken H.]

Dans08,

I'am confused,I have a Centech 2, which I run all my accessories into, half of the Centech is hot all the time, the other half is switched power.I use the right side parking lamp as the trigger.

I thought one of the ideas of a fuse panel was to get all the accessory wires off the battery and to avoid the issues with the Canbus.

There are many paths to an end. Certainly what you have done makes sense.

 

[Dans08]

The Centech is installed and wired up. Thanks for the help. What a job I had routing the PIAA harnesses. I put the Centech in the tail section of the bike and it looks to be well protected from the elements.