Electrical question

[Pain]

I am installing a voltmeter on my SG and H, and need 12v wire that is only hot with the ignition on. I was thinking about using the headlight power, but am not sure how it works with hi/low beam. Are there 2 different wires (So when I turn on my high beam, I will lose the voltmeter?)

My H also has a Vetter fairing on, just to complicate things.

I am kinda electrically clueless, but working on it.

[Do Lee]

If you tie into the brown wire on your main switch you will only have power to the volt meter when the switch is in the on position. That is how I have mine set up for the past 20 some odd years and works fine. T.C. has scanned some color wiring diagrams. Here's the link.
http://members.cox.net/topcatgr/files/80SG_81SHwire.jpg

[DiverRay]

The other way is tie it too the tail light/dash light wire. I don't remember the color, but if you are mounting the gauge in the fairing, just use the "hot" side of the side marker light.

[motoman]

Hi there Pain.............under the left soft side cover in your fairing, the red fused wire, brown wire, both with spades o them are 'hot' with ignition on. The two black ones and the orange one, both with spades on them are grounds.

[BLUEJEEPLAB]

I wired my voltmeter up to the Taillight fuse in the block. Works like a charm and it's a very handy thing to have. I have not run the battery down too far since I installed it.