Hi all,

I've been eyeing the Eastern Beaver "Power Center 8" distribution box for some time but didn't want to pull the trigger on one because the duties and taxes when imported from Japan would have driven the cost beyond $80.00 for the basic unit. So, inspired by Eastern Beaver, I built one of my own, for an outlay of $30.00 in parts, including the switching relay and connection wires, and some time.


This is the completed box. I was only able to fit seven circuits instead of eight; the reason is that I chose a slightly smaller box than that used by Eastern Beaver. The advantage is that my box is semi-transparent and seeing fuse sizes does not require removing the top. It's pictured with the ring connectors which will be the constant power, switched power and ground connections (once I've completed the interconnect wiring.


This is the back side of the circuit card. I divided the fuse sockets into five switched and two non-switched. this should be sufficient for the foreseeable future.

Now all I need to do is find a convenient place for the box -- accessable yet protected from the elements.

Thanks for looking.

Very nice professional job.
As for fitting it somewhere how about the RH pocket of the fairing or if you get a smaller battery it should slip nicely in the battery box area.

Hi Robert,
Good job which looks very professional. I suggest you use some glue to bond the red wire to the board otherwise you run the risk of hitting a sympathetic resonance with the cable and engine vibration and the buzzing back and forth can cause the cable to work harden and snap off.
Regards,
K-BIKE

What about using the fuses with the "failure" LED on top?

That way, you can tell at a glance if any fuses have blown without taking the cover off.

Oh yes...very good job!

Thank you for the complements, all

K-BIKE wrote:I suggest you use some glue to bond the red wire to the board otherwise you run the risk of hitting a sympathetic resonance with the cable and engine vibration and the buzzing back and forth can cause the cable to work harden and snap off.

No problems with that. The box has moulded standoffs against which the board rests. I secured the board to the case by filling the under-board area with silicone sealant/adhesive. It works just like potting material and will secure the red wire.

blakey wrote:What about using the fuses with the "failure" LED on top? That way, you can tell at a glance if any fuses have blown without taking the cover off.

I would love to have that feature but I haven't yet found a local store that sells low-profile mini-fuses with LEDs. I'm still searching though.

Hi rob,

The power distribution box is very good and professional. Please explain to me. What is this box for?

On my K100 RS, it has a small panel which "house" all the 7 fuses on the left side of electrical box. This box is located underneath fuel tank.

Is your power box the same unit as my electrical box?

Thanks and regards

Adiwan Djohanli wrote:Hi rob,

The power distribution box is very good and professional. Please explain to me. What is this box for?

On my K100 RS, it has a small panel which "house" all the 7 fuses on the left side of electrical box. This box is located underneath fuel tank.

Is your power box the same unit as my electrical box?

Thanks and regards

Sure, Adiwan. This device I made provides the motorcycle with additional fused circuits for accessories that get added after-market.

I'll draw an analogy. Think of the main fuse panel on your motorcycle as the electrical panel in your home that comes with the house when you buy it. It is sized correctly for the electrical load that comes from the builder. Later, as you add more rooms, etc. your electrical capacity needs increase so you add an additional electrical panel. This gives you more circuits to which you can add those additional items.

This box is an additional electrical panel adding more fused circuits for accessories such as GPS, heated seat, heated grips, radio, lights, etc. It is dangerous to add accessories to existing circuits because the circuits may already be at their safe design load. Overloading them will risk frequent fuses blowing or burnt wiring. This box is the safe way to add additional capacity. This distribution box complements the existing fuse panel; it does not replace it.

Along with adding the panel, it is a good idea to add a larger alternator to supply current for the new electrical loads. The alternator that came with the K100RS/RT is a 32 amp unit. It is possible to directly swap that unit with a 50 amp unit from a K1100 or a 62 amp unit from an R1200. The larger alternator will ensure that the electrical load is met yet the battery remains charged.

Hi Rob,

Your explanation is very clear and fully understood.

Thanks for it.

Happy Sunday over your place.

Regards.

blakey wrote:
What about using the fuses with the "failure" LED on top? That way, you can tell at a glance if any fuses have blown without taking the cover off.I would love to have that feature but I haven't yet found a local store that sells low-profile mini-fuses with LEDs. I'm still searching though.

Not too difficult, just fit some 12V LED's parrallel to the fuses. As soon as the fuse goes the LED lights up.

ReneZ wrote:... just fit some 12V LED's parrallel to the fuses. As soon as the fuse goes the LED lights up.

Neat idea. When I thought about it, I presumed that the LEDs would light for empty fuse sockets. However, such would not be the case IF there is no circuit connected to the unused socket. There would be no path to ground to complete the circuit. The only constraint to the LEDs working would be that the connected circuit should offer a complete path to ground if the associated fuse blows.

Surely in making this box the only limit to what type of fuse you use is set by yourself?

wedge wrote:Surely in making this box the only limit to what type of fuse you use is set by yourself?

The type of fuse I can choose depends on the availble height in the box. The sockets I selected are 2-in-1 by Keystone. They can take ATO or low profile mini fuses. Eastern Beaver chose ATM type fuses. ATM fuses are lower in height than ATO.. I couldn't find ATM fuse sockets readily available so I chose the 2-in-1. ATO fuses are too high for my box (by 2mm ). ATO and ATM fuses come in LED versions but apparently not low profile minis. Oh well. No big deal.