Powerlet-Add a 12 volt port to your motorcycle

Long-distance motorcycle riders often rely on electronics and are a more convenient way to power and charge their electronics than using the motorcycle’s 12-volt power port. is. There are two styles of 12 volt ports to choose from. Included from the factory in many BMW and Victory motorcycles, an automotive cigarette lighter port or a smaller, less common motorcycle style.

The advantage of the more common car style 12 volt port is that standard cell phones and GPS chargers connect directly to them. If you have multiple electronics that you want to use on the same port at different times, the car cigarette lighter port is the most economical. There are many options for installing a cigarette lighter port on your motorcycle. These options range from $ 20 Chinese sockets found on eBay to high quality made with USA Powerlet branded products. Powerlet’s finest cigarette-style port (AKT 005 & 6 available in black or chrome, $ 130) is mounted on the handlebar and includes a sturdy molten battery lead, lightweight elements, and the included weather cap. It also has screw holes for ram mount balls, making it a great place to cleanly mount GPS, phones and radar detectors. These handlebar mount models are ideal for cruisers with space on the handlebars, and Powerlet has a simple cable mount socket (PKT-101, $ 29) that can be strapped to the frame member, bar mount model, flash, etc. There are other options as well. Panel mount kit. The panel mount kit is ideal for sport bikes and sport touring bikes that have a plastic area but little handlebar space.

Other designs are sometimes referred to as powerlet-style ports and sometimes BMW-style ports, but they have some unique advantages. The biggest advantage is that the connection between the port and the device’s charging cable is held much tighter than a cigarette-style port. This is especially useful for cruisers and dual sports motorcycles, which often have a lot of vibration, and is ideal for those who need a safer connection. Loosening the charging cable while driving can cause not only the battery of the electronic device to run out, but also distraction and safety issues. BMW-style powerports are available from Powerlet for all of the above applications. In addition, Powerlet-designed bike-specific kits feature wire lengths and bracket positions for a variety of bikes. From good-looking horn mount kits for Harley-Davidson to dual rearset kits for FJR1300 powerlets, there’s probably a kit that fits your 12-volt power needs. If not, you can buy ports, adapters, cables, and brackets and create your own custom installation to power where you need it.

The disadvantage of Powerlet or BMW style 12 volt ports is that standard cell phone, GPS, or other device charging cables do not work because they are designed for cigarette lighter sized ports. However, Powerlet is covered by a 12-inch straight charging cord and a 36-inch coiled charging cord for most devices such as mini USB, micro USB, iPod / iPhone, and escort radar detectors. If your Powerlet doesn’t have a cable that fits your device, buy your own plug, cut off the end of your cigarette lighter, and connect the BMW-style plug to your device’s charging cable.