I have completed the electrical system. All the electrical components are mounted and everything works.
Here's a link for the video on Youtube ->
https://youtu.be/4YYH08fFflQAttachment:
electrical overview small.jpg
Electrical HarnessThere really are no electrical harnesses available from Painless, American Wire, or other suppliers to fit my application. So I had to modify many portions of the existing electrical system, as well as design other areas like the turn signals. I wanted the Tiger 700 easy to work on, so I labeled all the connectors and ran all of them to the left side of the chassis. That way, all the plugs are together and its simple to troubleshoot any gremlins that rear their ugly head. The plugs are also located where the rear sub-frame bolts to the center chassis. If I ever need to separate the center chassis from the rear sub-frame, I can simply disconnect the plugs to separate the front harness from the rear portion.
Attachment:
Electrical harness on right side small.jpg
Gauge ClusterThe gauge cluster starts with the original Raptor 700 warning lights. The harness to the warning lights just needed to be extended to reach the dashboard ahead of the driver. My cable stretcher tool came in very handy
I then mounted a TrailTech Vapor digital gauge cluster that includes a speedometer, odometer, tachometer, and coolant temperature. I also mounted the TrailTech Vapor's optional surround bezel that houses 4 more warning lights. I wired the lights to indicate left signal, right signal, hi/lo beam, and left one for a spare. The gauge cluster is on a temporary steering column mount for now. I plan to eventually mount it in the fiberglass bodywork.
Attachment:
Gauge cluster small.jpg
IgnitionThe process of starting the Yamaha Raptor 700 required many steps.
- Turn the overall power key switch on
- Turn the engine switch on
- Turn off the kill switch
- Press the brake.
- Press the start button
One of the themes of the Tiger 700 is to make it simple and fun to drive. So I wanted to simplify the way you start the engine and use a familiar automotive key ignition switch. This took numerous modifications to the existing ignition circuit as well as adding a relay circuit to make it all work with a twist of a key.
Headlights and RunningLike the ignition, I wanted to simplify operating the lights as well. I modified the lighting circuit to replace all the switches with a familiar automotive push/pull light switch.
Steering Column ControlsThe Tiger 700 doesn't have doors. Instead, it has a step on the right side of the body to help the driver climb into the cockpit from the top. The steering wheel may make it difficult to enter or exit the cockpit, so I installed a steering wheel quick disconnect. I also predicted that a traditional turn signal stalk could be broken during driver entry/exit, so I decided to place those controls on the steering wheel, along with the horn and a hi/low beam switch. To keep the entry/exit simple, I decided to make all the switches wireless on the quick disconnect steering wheel. I found a wireless system with 4 receiver channels and a key fob style control. I disassembled the key fob and soldered wires onto the 4 internal switches and ran them to the steering wheel controls. The whole system is tucked neatly into the back side of the steering wheel you never see. The 4 receiver channels have hard coded frequencies and switch functions. For example,
- The horn button channel uses a momentary switch. In other words the switch closes momentarily when the horn button is pressed, and opens with the horn button is released.
- The other 3 button channels use a toggle style switch. The switch toggles closed when the button is pressed and it stays closed when the button is released. The switch toggles back open when the button is pressed a second time. This type of switch works well for the turn signals and hi/lo beam.
Attachment:
Remote 2 small.jpg
Attachment:
Steering wheel remote 3 small.jpg
Reducing Power ConsumptionThe alternator on the donor Raptor 700 only produces about 20 amps. About 15 of those amps were devoted to the lights. To reduce the power consumption, I converted all the lights to LED, even the headlights. With all the indicators, running lights, brake lights, and both hi/lo beams on, the current only measured 4.5 amps! This ensures I have plenty of extra power for a possible audio system and a larger radiator cooling fan.
At the end of the video, I cover the pros and cons of soldering vs crimping wire connections.
There was quite a bit of information on the electrical system, so I will split it into 2 episodes. The next episode will cover the circuit design in more detail.
Oh joy, you have more electrical gremlins to look forward to