key switch help

[Nightengale]

i am thinking of doing away with my key switch on my project, does any one know what i have to do to bypass the switch and just use the on/ off switch. thanks in advance for the help.

[crazy steve]

The 'engine - on/off' switch can't carry the current needed to run the whole bike, don't even try. You could replace the key switch with a simple on-off switch, but it needs to be rated for at least 30 amps.

[Nightengale]

The 'engine - on/off' switch can't carry the current needed to run the whole bike, don't even try. You could replace the key switch with a simple on-off switch, but it needs to be rated for at least 30 amps.

thanks for the advice. so how would i go about wiring up the 30 amp switch in place of the key?

[crazy steve]

You'll have three ('78-79) or four ('80-81) wires at your switch. A red (power in), brown (power out to everything except the tail/running lights), blue (tail/running) and if you have four wires, a red/yellow. Abandon the red/yellow if found (that's for hazard flashers if you have them), hook the brown/blue together on one side of the switch, the red on the other side. Make sure the switch is rated for 30 amps at 12V DC; that makes a difference.

[Nightengale]

You'll have three ('78-79) or four ('80-81) wires at your switch. A red (power in), brown (power out to everything except the tail/running lights), blue (tail/running) and if you have four wires, a red/yellow. Abandon the red/yellow if found (that's for hazard flashers if you have them), hook the brown/blue together on one side of the switch, the red on the other side. Make sure the switch is rated for 30 amps at 12V DC; that makes a difference.

thanks again steve.

[TomB]

Last year we built a Z13 Kwak trike for a customer, we specified a remote control button press keyfob like cars have for central locking to turn on the trike ignition, so the customer could walk up to it and turn it on before he got to the trike, the customer had an electrician do the wiring rather than us, his choice not ours. The electrician used a 30 Amp relay as the remote switch wasn't man enough. When the electrician had finished we fitted a hidden override switch under the seat, so you would have to unbolt the seat to get to it but you could always get home if your keyfob battery died.

It was damn cool to use though, just what your build needs

[TomB]

Something like this Click

Go on, you know you want to

[natemoen]

Something like this Click

Go on, you know you want to

Dang, that's cheap!

[DGXSER]

Since the bike does not have a clutch switch, I can just see that thing becoming the reason I need a bunch of new parts when it get hit in my pocket or the dog steps on it and the bike rolls off the side stand.

[Nightengale]

Something like this Click

Go on, you know you want to

so that could beused to turn on the key switch? if so how would you wire it up, because that sounds pretty cool to me!!!

[crazy steve]

Yes, you could use that. It wouldn't turn on a key switch, you'd use that to operate a relay. You would probably still want a switch hidden somewhere, because if the module failed you wouldn't be able to start the bike.

How to wire it up?......

There's no way to say this gently, so I'll spit it out... If you aren't sure how to wire this in, you shouldn't be doing it.

This is a bit of a peeve for me, as we see posts from time to time where somebody wants to alter the wiring but it's pretty obvious that their electrical knowledge is a bit short. For sorting out a stock harness, that's not a big handicap as that's a well-known item. But when you get into 'custom' alterations, the potential for a mess goes up exponentially with the difficulty of the mod. I've seen more than a few 'simple' mods convert a harness into a smoking ruin... I'm not picking on you, just trying to prevent a possible bad outcome.

As to the advisability of using this module, you would need to mount it in an sealed enclosure and protect it from vibration in a motorcycle application. This will also present a constant drain on your battery, maybe enough to be an issue. In a car with it's much larger battery, not a problem. It should come with a wiring diagram, if you can understand that it shouldn't be any problem hooking it up.

[Nightengale]

Yes, you could use that. It wouldn't turn on a key switch, you'd use that to operate a relay. You would probably still want a switch hidden somewhere, because if the module failed you wouldn't be able to start the bike.

How to wire it up?......

There's no way to say this gently, so I'll spit it out... If you aren't sure how to wire this in, you shouldn't be doing it.

This is a bit of a peeve for me, as we see posts from time to time where somebody wants to alter the wiring but it's pretty obvious that their electrical knowledge is a bit short. For sorting out a stock harness, that's not a big handicap as that's a well-known item. But when you get into 'custom' alterations, the potential for a mess goes up exponentially with the difficulty of the mod. I've seen more than a few 'simple' mods convert a harness into a smoking ruin... I'm not picking on you, just trying to prevent a possible bad outcome.

As to the advisability of using this module, you would need to mount it in an sealed enclosure and protect it from vibration in a motorcycle application. This will also present a constant drain on your battery, maybe enough to be an issue. In a car with it's much larger battery, not a problem. It should come with a wiring diagram, if you can understand that it shouldn't be any problem hooking it up.

thanks for the advice, i have been going back and forth with this and have decided to use the hidden switch. and as far as doing the wiring i am more than capable of wiring it up, i was just asking him since he had experiance with that set up, but again thanks for the concearn. some times i just type what pops in my head before thinking it through. I also was wondering about the things that you pointed out as far as cons for that keyless system. thats why i post on here because i know that you guys know more about these bikes than i do i all i want to do is learn from everyone here.
and on a side note steve do you know if the handlebar on off switch is 30 amp as well?

[crazy steve]

...on a side note steve do you know if the handlebar on off switch is 30 amp as well?

That switch is designed to switch power for the ignition only. First, the wire going to it is barely big enough for the 10 amp current it's fused at, and even if you upsized the wire, the switch contacts wouldn't take it....

[TomB]

All very good sensible advice it has to be said.

But then "HOW COOL IS THAT" over rules it

And besides the advert says

Easy to wire with basic electrical wiring knowledge.

Yeah right

Battery draw is listed as "Quiescent Current: ≤7mA." so not too much flattening of your battery whilst parked up.



.

[fredintoon]

- - - But then "HOW COOL IS THAT" over rules it - - -

Hi Tom,
when you see some poor beggar turning all his pockets inside out and then finding
that his hi-tech fob is shorted out in the bottom of his pint of Worthington,
what springs to mind is LOOK AT THAT EFFIN' DORK
Let modesty prevail, I reckon.