Guys - Removed my rear fender recently & I'm thinking about NOT putting a plate light back on ... instead using the plate light wiring connector under the seat to power a 12V outlet for smartphone charging.

Does anybody either know the amperage rating of that circuit? ... or where I can get an electric system schematic for the ZX?

Thank you ...

Edit Found it, well the entire service manual, on Brock's website: http://www.brocksperformance.com/Manuals/2012_ZX14R_Service_Manual.pdf

The License Plate Light item says 12V5W, which is very small ... 0.42 amps ... maybe not even worth messing with.

Although, I guess I could try it and see if it blows the fuse

* Last updated by: extrapolator on 5/22/2015 @ 8:20 AM *

I'd run my own wiring to the battery (with a proper inline fuse).

Watt would be more advantageous is to use a fuse and wire up a cig lighter plug. Find a usb type stepdown cig socket insert and run the phone off that.

Yeah, Hub, that's what I meant by "12V outlet", and then use a USB adapter just like you show. Thought maybe I could power it by this already switched and fused, and now un-used, OEM circuit. Looks to be too weak, though.

I like the idea of the full cigarette lighter 12V plug because it's more universal than committing to a USB-only power outlet ... could just yank the USB adapter if I had something that needed the full round 12V outlet.

Thanks guys ... Enjoy your holiday weekend. Got a ride planned for tomorrow, but 1) it's Florida so no real good roads, and 2) it's gonna be HOT

Hey I tapped off the running light on my 14 and my 14R and my ZX10.for my V1 radars detector. All had 5 watt circuit. Never had a blown fuse or issue.

I put a terminal block on the far side of the battery and ran the Gerbings leads and my Radar detector/power outlet lead directly to that rather than crowding all those leads onto the battery terminals. The Gerbings leads have inline fuses and the power lead has an inline fuse I spliced in.

The best part (and you can't even see it without removing the battery) is the bracket for the terminal block. 3/32" aluminum plate rubber mounted to the two holes in the frame that were already there using two rubber test tube stoppers. I cut two grooves in each stopper, one for the frame hole and one for the hole in the bracket.

ninja191 - I'm just trying to avoid tapping into any OEM wires. Tapping into a connector is fine. And I might have to tap into wires; just prefer not to.

Danno - Is your terminal block switched? Or full-time connected to the battery? I'd prefer switched, but again would rather not tap into factory wires.

OH! I could use your terminal block idea wired directly to the battery but switched via a relay activated by my newly available license plate light wiring

* Last updated by: extrapolator on 5/22/2015 @ 8:50 PM *

Mine is off the horn. It uses a more universal male/fe connector so you run a fe/male into the hot side of the horn wire. I don't use a horn, but that doesn't say you can't pigtail both from the horn wire and you are back to both.

I then use the fuse up to the cig outlet; ground the body to the frame; all made into a long wire harness from the horn wire to someplace glued in place. I have two cig outlets fore and aft for camera charging and use their rated milliamp usb for their rated batteries.

Read the print off battery in the unit and match what the battery says the ma is. "Use designated charger for battery" sounds close enough to me. So if in the market, factory issue is a no brainer. That or look up a rated plug or poof she goes.

Extrapolater-

No, not switched. It would be redundant since I have an LED-lit switch for the power outlet and the Gerbings stuff has rheostat controllers (also LED-lit when ON) that plug inline when in use. So everything using power is on the far side of a fues and a switch already. Wouldn't have been too much trouble to splice a switch between the battery - post and the terminal block, but I don't see the need.

* Last updated by: Danno on 5/23/2015 @ 6:38 AM *

Hub- I'm running a Stebel Nautilus air horn with it's own 40-amp relay connected to the terminal block. The relay is activated via connection to the stock horn wires. Push the button, which trips the stock relay which trips the horn relay.

This is my power outlet. Dual cig lighter plug-ins and dual USB outlets. Mounted under the right upper side of the fairing near the windscreen. Has proven pretty much weatherproof. The male plug has been removed and wired directly. Unit is attached to the fairing with 3M Duallock (velcro on steroids).

The outlet can be seen here with the rd plugged into one side and a rechargeable flashlight into the other.

The rd has been relocated to above the gauge panel (impossible with the windscreen in the pic) Replacing the MRA screen with a ZGST made clearance.

* Last updated by: Danno on 5/23/2015 @ 7:00 AM *

I used a PDM 60 on my bike, they're a little pricey but definitely make things easy. Fully programmable so you can customize to suit your needs.

Check out Powerlet.

. instead using the plate light wiring connector under the seat to power a 12V outlet for smartphone charging.

I'm sure a phone charger will take more power than a tag light and AutoTune but I have both of those items hooked up to my tag light connector. both negative contacts in one slot and both + in the other. Has worked fine for years. If the tag light connector provides enough current to charge a phone, it will probably also handle an LED which draws almost nothing.

* Last updated by: Rook on 5/27/2015 @ 2:35 PM *

I just wired up this plug to the battery and used the USB adapter for my phone. Mounted it on back side of rear foot
peg. But you can mount it where you want. Simple and easy.

There are also empty slots in the fuse box that you can use also for power.

Cyclegear Power outlet

USB Adapter

USB Power Outlet