Oufitting the V-Strom, Part 1

Since buying my V-Strom, I've discovered an entire subculture of people devoted to these motorcycles and their ability to be customized.  Tons of valuable information can be found on the following forum-based websites:  Vstrom Riders International and Stromtroopers.

One of primary reasons I bought the V-Strom was its ability to carry a weekend's worth of gear and still handle reasonably well, unlike other super-heavy 2-wheeled RV's that are marketed as 'touring motorcycles.'  With it's factory installed luggage, my bike is already able to tour as-is but it would be a lot more comfortable and user-friendly with a few upgrades. This is where those forum websites and my engineer-self came together and hatched a plan.

My overall goals are two-fold:  1) Have safe access to my phone and other entertainment while riding; and 2) Be able to ride my bike in just about any weather (sans heavy rain and snow).   The forums noted above have tons of examples of other riders that have installed power outlets, gps units, bluetooth helmet speakers, heated grips and gear, etc. to help make the riding experience more utilitarian and comfortable.  

First step was to buy and install a fuse block that could serve as a power distribution center for running accessories.  Since factory-installed 12-volt power outlets only come on a select few motorcycles these days, the rest of us have to install them ourselves.  After reading many of the forums, I went with the Eastern Beaver PC-8.  It's relatively simple and the manufacturer provides an install kit taylor-made for my V-Strom.  And with it's 8 circuit capability, I figure I'll have ample room to run as many accessories as my little heart desires.

I followed the install instructions provided on the website and it went amazingly well.  Here's a few photos of my installed PC-8, which is installed under my seat.  The first is without the cover installed so you can see how the internals are wired.  What you can't see is the harness connector where I tapped into switched power under my gas tank using wires that control the turn signals. 

 

The orange wire is the main battery power which powers two "always on" circuits as well.  Most of my accessories will be switched so they won't drain the battery when the motorcycle isn't running.

And here's a photo of the finished install.  The whole process took a little over an hour.  And the best part?  All of the bike's electrical functions still work!  Whoot!  My first connection (wires at the left of the PC-8) is for my battery tender cable.  Next on my list are Powerlet 12-volt power outlets (ASO-001 and PSO-002) to run my phone and a bitchin' pair of heated glove liners for cold weather riding.  :-D.

Cheers!