can you easily install a cigarette lighter onto a sportie or softail?

Question

we want to go to bike week next week and really need our phones for work, we each have late model harleys and we were wondering if anyone has or knows how to install a cigarette lighter (or anything that can be used to charge our phones) on them, if so where as we want them to be faily concealed
please help us

Lenny,
Harley mate, no farings on harley sporties or stock softails.
local H-D dealer cannot help me, nor can the ex dealership for all of Aus, they dont make anything that is simply wire it in.
thanks for your imput anyway

thanks everyone for your imput, the only problem is i am in Aus, so getting the parts imported and on my bike by monday would really be pushing it,
i have rang both our local H-D dealer and state one and neither have anything available nor could recommend anything.
i thing i might just leave it for now, if worst ocmes to worst i am sure someone will have a car there or similar to charge our phones
thanks alot guys

Answer 1

Sure.
It's easy, actually.
In the auto department of most stores, they have outlets and extensions. Just get a socket with a cord. Cut off the plug and toss it. Put a ring terminal on each wire. Connect the ring terminals to your battery. The one that goes to the center pin is positive. The outside is negative. You should be able to run the wires up so the outlet is under the seat, or your prefferred spot. Do not use this for a cigarette lighter! Most plastic sockets won't stand the heat.

Answer 2

Hello.
My Freind, you don't give us much to work with. The simple answer is yes. It's not a problem. The dificult part is suggesting the how and where since you give no information on the set-up of the bikes. Do you have farrings or windshields? Going from a 'shot in the dark' point of view, find a place where you can drill about a 1" hole (may vary acording to the lighter receptical you purchase) somewhere convenient, most commonly on the farring if you have one. If your bike(s) are basically stock, you will probably have to purchase any of a number of cigarette lighter recepticle mounting brackets on the market. You will pay more but your best bet would be your local, authorized H-D dealer, they should have one in stock for your year and model (and install it should you not mind the additional expence). You can also go to one of the (probable) local 'V-Twin' shops in your city for this bracket, however, they may have to order it. Any automobile ciggarette liter assembly will wire up to a 12 volt motorcycle. You would wire it the same as you would to a car or RV. Just run the possitive (+) wire of the recepticle to the positive (+) side of the battery and groung the recepticle's metel body to the (metel) mounting point or by use of a groung wire should you be mounting it in a non metalic (plastic) area. If this part of the process is not readilly understanable to you, I suggest your area of expertise is not in electrical environments and you hire the job out. No offence meant but safety is important. Other than the above stated issues, I would put a fairly heavy fuse in the positive line. Ask where you purchase the cigarette lighter and receptical for the proper amperage.

Good luck and enjoy your trip.

Answer 3

I figure you know how to wire in a cigarette lighter, so here's how I mounted mine.
You only need 2 small band clamps. Put one band clamp around the lighter socket, then put the second clamp thru the first one. Now tighten the first clamp firmly around the lighter receptacle. use the second clamp to go around the handlebar and tighten this till the whole unit is steady and secure. Mine needed only the hot wire, since it grounds thru the handle bar. If it won't ground that way, you may need a separate ground wire.
Sorry didn't see that you wanted concealed. maybe try same method on a downtube or other area of the frame.

Answer 4

I agree with all the above comments, but I would use a Marine socket from a boat shop. It is safer if it is exposed to the weather and won't short out if you get it wet since it has a rubber gasket and cover. You can wire it to the + battery, or if you can find a wiring diagram for your bike then you can wire it off an accessory wire which would be better. You can conceal it many places using hose clamps and even take it off if you are not using it.

Answer 5

Yes you can, contact any cycle dealer they have kits to mount onto the bars and wiring them is easy. if not go to www.jcwhitney.com and order from there it's only about $30 bucks with the install kit and wires. I have on for my radar detector which doesn't help because I'm going too fast to watch it LOL. Its easy and have fun drink a beer for me.

Answer 6

use advise from Firecracker its simple and do work

Answer 7

Try these links:

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Product/Pr-p_Product.CATENTRY_ID:2008233/c-10111/Nty-1/p-2008233/Ntx-mode+matchallpartial/N-10111/tf-Browse/s-10101/Ntk-AllTextSearchGroup?Ntt=lighter

http://denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/Product.jsp?skuId=&store=Main&catId=221&productId=pH40445&leafCatId=22108&mmyId=

http://denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/Product.jsp?skuId=&store=Main&catId=221&productId=p4086&leafCatId=22108&mmyId=

http://www.jpcycles.com/productgroup.aspx?GID=1F35C5AB-2657-489C-A98C-12EE725D62FD&search=lighter&store=Harley&page=1