Do I need to hard wire the unit?

[TonyBennett]

Just received the unit today and wondering if it just can't simply be used on battery power and recharged when necessary? To take apart my bike and empty the petrol tank and everything I don't have time at the moment, so looking at the simple solutions. I do have a power outlet at the handlebars to connect and charge when needed. Sorry just ain't a tech guy. Thanks for your understanding

[jfheath]

It will work on battery for a short while if it is fully charged. You would have to select the display menu to stop it from turning the screen off.
But it isn't designed to work like that. But it is easy enough to try it - just expect it to go flat on you at some point.

I used mine in the car like that when I was doing some testing and it lasted for the couple of hours that I was out. But then it needs a very long charge afterwards.

It will work in a car plugged into a cigarette lighter socket - if your XT came with a car cradle. Not all do.
Although it will work on the bike with a 5v supply plugged into the USB socket of the XT1, the vibration on a motorcycle is likely to cause the connections on the circuit board for the USB power socket to become work-hardened and it will eventually fail. Its an expensive toy for it to fail becasue of that.

[TonyBennett]

Thanks for the info, looks like a strip down of the bike

[Peobody]

Hard wiring is worth it. I have a 2008 Goldwing with a cigarette lighter in a fairing pocket. I attempted using a USB cigarette lighter adapter and connecting to that but the output was not enough to keep the XT charged while riding so I wired it to an accessory connection on the fuse block. The USB cable socket that @jfheath mentioned failed on mine. A contributing factor may have been the few hours of riding with it connected that way but I think is was more due to the frequent connecting/disconnecting to my PC that I was doing with learning to use it along with route creation in Basecamp and transferring those routes to the XT.

[jfheath]

What is your bike ?

Mine is a Honda ST1300, fully faired. I have an XT2 that requires the bike to be stripped of its fairing as it is mounted on the dash, but I have my XT mounted between the handlebars - but it could equally well be on the bars. The cable is routed to the headstock where there is plenty of slack between two fixed points for the bars to move. the cable goes under the tank and back to the battery.

I have another cable which simply follows the clutch line.

But I appreciate that not all bikes are constructed the same. I've looked at a couple fo the BMWs and getting stuff around the plastic would be a bit of a pain !

As for repeated plugging and unplugging of the USB cable and computer. I always leave the USB cable attached to the Zumo when it is on my desk. I unplug it at the computer end - for the very reason that @Peobody mentions.

[TonyBennett]

Thanks, just looking for a key hot wire to link into on my Triumph America EFI. All points are good points

[TonyBennett]

Thanks for your reply. Triumph America EFI is my bike.

[Oop North John]

If you have easy access to the battery, then the Healtec Thunderbox gives an easy switched supply:

https://www.healtech-electronics.com/products/tb/

[TonyBennett]

Thanks will look into it.