FJowners.com

General Category => Modifications => Topic started by: Bminder on July 18, 2013, 12:32:27 PM

Title: What is this on my bike?
Post by: Bminder on July 18, 2013, 12:32:27 PM
There is this little doo-dad on my handlebars.  Does anyone know what it is for? It has two wires coming out of it that go into the wiring harness...
(http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r443/bminder/20130717_185435.jpeg)
Title: Re: What is this on my bike?
Post by: JPaganel on July 18, 2013, 12:36:26 PM
A broken indicator light of some sort? Or a power plug?
Title: Re: What is this on my bike?
Post by: Bminder on July 18, 2013, 12:56:21 PM
In the photo it looks like a little broken bulb but it's not.
It's some kind of plug-in for something. I'll see if there's any power to it.
Title: Re: What is this on my bike?
Post by: fj11.5 on July 18, 2013, 05:21:11 PM
Maybe a small led  indicator to show  when something was turned on,,,,, woooops, that's what jp said  :biggrin:
Title: Re: What is this on my bike?
Post by: FJmonkey on July 18, 2013, 05:22:53 PM
Trace the wires back, where do they go?
Title: Re: What is this on my bike?
Post by: FJ_Hooligan on July 18, 2013, 10:12:05 PM
Looks like a banana plug type power port.  Put a volt meter on it and see if it's got 12V on the center pin.  Warning, do not short the lead between the center pin and the outside (which is probably ground.
Title: Re: What is this on my bike?
Post by: FJscott on July 18, 2013, 10:32:23 PM
Quote from: Bminder on July 18, 2013, 12:32:27 PM
There is this little doo-dad on my handlebars.  Does anyone know what it is for? It has two wires coming out of it that go into the wiring harness...
(http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r443/bminder/20130717_185435.jpeg)

Looks like a power port for an accessory, GPS? Grip Heaters? heated Jacket...yadayadayada
Title: Re: What is this on my bike?
Post by: djfrankv on August 27, 2013, 02:45:12 AM
could just be a little LED light that is hard wired to your electrical. So that it looks like it has an alarm. Just guessing!
Title: Re: What is this on my bike?
Post by: Capn Ron on August 27, 2013, 03:07:06 AM
I agree with the previous poster that it's a banana plug.  There's a thin split on that center conductor that allows it to flex slightly to make excellent contact.  The outer part of the housing would be a ground of some sort.  I also admire the bit of work that went into the metal tab that holds that conductor.  Based on the size of that center contuctor, I imagine it *could* carry a lot of current.

The thing that comes to mind that requires a hot and a ground quick-connect like this would be a 12V tap (either switched or unswitched) to power who knows what...  That would be easy to check with a multimeter, but as previously stated, be *very* careful to not short hot (center) to ground (outer) when you are testing.  Check it with the key off...note the results.  Check it with the key on...note the results.  If you hit ehhh...13.4V at some point, you know it was used to power something...could have been a heated vest...could have been a flux capacitor.  :good:

If you don't come up with DC voltage at that plug, you're left with chasing down the wiring to see where the other end is connected.  Seeing as it's only two conductor, I'd eliminate it being used as a sound source of any modern kind.  When I bought my FJ, there was a similar plug...it was wired to a concealed Eagle radar detector with all components hidden and the plug connected to an LED indicator so you could see the alerts.

Let us know what you find!

Cap'n Ron. . .
Title: Re: What is this on my bike?
Post by: Bminder on August 27, 2013, 09:51:58 AM
When I was putting the cams back in time and checking the valve cearances, I had part of the fairing off and saw that this plug wasn't connected to anything anymore, the wires had been cut.
It must have been a power supply for some kind of accessory.
Also mounted on the bracket next to the horn is a thermostat of some kind and the wires from that were cut too, so it must have had a portable weather station mounted to it or something!
I took both off, and also theoretically removed the two emissions canisters while I had all that access.
It looks so empty now when I look down the forks!
Title: Re: What is this on my bike?
Post by: FJmonkey on August 27, 2013, 09:56:42 AM
Quote from: Bminder on August 27, 2013, 09:51:58 AM
It looks so empty now when I look down the forks!

Now you have room for a really loud horn.... You know the kind, some cager is drifting into you, short blast of the horn, the driver looks over and up to see what truck he/she almost hit....  :shok:
Title: Re: What is this on my bike?
Post by: Bminder on August 30, 2013, 01:23:55 PM
Quote from: FJmonkey on August 27, 2013, 09:56:42 AM
Quote from: Bminder on August 27, 2013, 09:51:58 AM
It looks so empty now when I look down the forks!

Now you have room for a really loud horn.... You know the kind, some cager is drifting into you, short blast of the horn, the driver looks over and up to see what truck he/she almost hit....  :shok:

I'm working on an miniature EMP device that I can mount under the fairing where I can hit a button that will disable a vehicle that comes too close.
Title: Re: What is this on my bike?
Post by: Firehawk068 on August 30, 2013, 06:20:52 PM
Quote from: Bminder on August 30, 2013, 01:23:55 PM
I'm working on an miniature EMP device that I can mount under the fairing where I can hit a button that will disable a vehicle that comes too close.

Make sure you completely encase every part of your FJ with aluminum foil, so that the EMP device does not disable your own bike......... :shok:
Title: Re: What is this on my bike?
Post by: movenon on August 31, 2013, 02:01:55 PM
Scroll down to the bottom of this link. Indicating something about off a BMW ?

http://www.fjforum.dk/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4665 (http://www.fjforum.dk/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4665)
George
Title: Re: What is this on my bike?
Post by: movenon on August 31, 2013, 02:27:44 PM
Quote from: Firehawk068 on August 30, 2013, 06:20:52 PM
Quote from: Bminder on August 30, 2013, 01:23:55 PM
I'm working on an miniature EMP device that I can mount under the fairing where I can hit a button that will disable a vehicle that comes too close.

Make sure you completely encase every part of your FJ with aluminum foil, so that the EMP device does not disable your own bike......... :shok:
How about a ball peen hammer in a holster :)..... Modified with a longer handle...
George
Title: Re: What is this on my bike?
Post by: Dan Filetti on August 31, 2013, 02:43:29 PM
Quote from: movenon on August 31, 2013, 02:01:55 PM
Scroll down to the bottom of this link. Indicating something about off a BMW ?

http://www.fjforum.dk/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4665 (http://www.fjforum.dk/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4665)
George

That is the BMW style power outlet, it's smaller/ narrower/ less deep than a standard cigaret lighter style.  Like the turn signals on both handlebars, that was BMW doing it's own thing. 

Dan