Battery screws / Terminal bolts for accessories

[north-aurora]

I have been slowly adding accessories and the battery screw and nut is getting too short. I am looking for something that allows me to add accessories that are wired directly to the battery. I now have a hard-wired GPS, air horn, LED lights and USB power, so that's a total of 4 wires to connect to each battery terminal. There has got to be a better way than what I am doing...

I found a terminal bolt that allows for accessories to be connected to the top. But the ones I found seem to be for side mounted batteries, such as this one.... http://www.autozone.com/batteries-starting-and-charging/battery-terminal-bolt/lynx-battery-terminal-bolt/296092_0_0/?checkfit=true

Maybe those do work for motorcycle batteries as well. What do those of you do that have lot of accessories connected to your battery?

[Jess from VA]

A fuse block. (and relays, when the amount of electrical draw to accessory warrants it)

There's a lot of threads on here about it.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=fuse%20block%20on%20motorcycle&qs=n&form=QBIR&pq=fuse%20block%20on%20motorcycle&sc=2-24&sp=-1&sk=

[Gavin_Sons]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QMTAZ1W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I used this, with a 40 amp relay conmected to my key switch. Nothing is drawing power until the key is on.

I have my stereo amp, air horns, usb power outlet, and some led lights on it. Works great and now my batter does not go dead after a few days.

[Gryphon Rider]

Yup, a fuse block and a ground bus, if it isn't already integrated in the fuse block you choose.  See the photos below to see what I did.  The power for the fuse block is taken from the bottom of the 55A fusible link, which is always hot.  In the top photo you can see a heavy red wire behind a thinner red wire; the heavy wire feeds my fuse block under the seat.  The ground bus (with the brass screws) is connected to the frame at the screw that holds the centre cover on.  My battery has not extra connections at the terminals, which sure makes it simpler to pull the battery.

[Bighead]

http://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/Wiring_Kits/Fuseboxes/PC-8/pc-8.html
Triggered by the 5A acc. Wire

[jim@98valkyrie.com]

I've got the same thing that Big Head has a link to. It works well and I only have one extra set of wires at the battery. Works and looks really nice.

[Bighead]

 

I've got the same thing that Big Head has a link to. It works well and I only have one extra set of wires at the battery. Works and looks really nice.

can't beat it

[falconbrother]

When I got the Interstate it had LEDs, GPS, etc..  Lots of stuff coming off of the battery and it was a hot mess in there.  I created a sort of redneck bus for both positive and negative sides, since the voltage draw was low.  That cleaned it up and makes it a lots easier to pull the battery if needed. 

[Jess from VA]

I've got the same thing that Big Head has a link to. It works well and I only have one extra set of wires at the battery. Works and looks really nice.

can't beat it

It says it's beaver powered; how could you go wrong?.   

[north-aurora]

http://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/Wiring_Kits/Fuseboxes/PC-8/pc-8.html
Triggered by the 5A acc. Wire

So the ACC wire has only 5A? I have a Stebel airhorn and I think it draws around 16A, so am I better off to connect my fuse block to the bottom screw of the 55A fusibel link? Or maybe wire the fuse block to the battery? I got a 40A relay which I'm planning to put in front of the fuse block.

[Bighead]

The eastern beaver fuse block has a 30 or 50 A ( your choice ) which is wired to the battery but draws no power until the ignition is turned on which triggers the 5a acc wire which is wired to the fuse block and lets the power to the fuse block.
It has 6 triggered fuses and 2 that are hot all the time for such as a clock on you radio.

[north-aurora]

Yup, a fuse block and a ground bus, if it isn't already integrated in the fuse block you choose.  See the photos below to see what I did.  The power for the fuse block is taken from the bottom of the 55A fusible link, which is always hot.  In the top photo you can see a heavy red wire behind a thinner red wire; the heavy wire feeds my fuse block under the seat.  The ground bus (with the brass screws) is connected to the frame at the screw that holds the centre cover on.  My battery has not extra connections at the terminals, which sure makes it simpler to pull the battery.

With your setup you have NO additional wires connected to the battery, but I am wondering if it's better to connect the grounding bus to the frame or to the negative terminal of the battery? Or maybe it makes no difference?

[Paladin528]

Always to the frame.  The battery neg terminal is connected directly to the frame anyway.  Why add a possible point of failure to the battery.
On another note there is a spare terminal in the Start relay connector that you can pull 12 V from if you want it clean.

[Gryphon Rider]

Yup, from the factory every ground wire leads to a chassis connection, with the battery negative wire going only to the chassis, although I haven't in the last ten years looked precisely to where, whether it be at the engine or transmission.

[BobB]

Eastern Beaver PC-8