Lets face it… the FZ6 isn’t exactly known for its charging output. Since I’m running dual headlights, heated grips, my GPS… plus I want to be able to charge some extra do-dads while I ride (like my camera, cell phone, laptop, etc.), I was starting to get a bit paranoid about over-extending the charging system and battery. Rather than find out the hard way how much was too much, I decided to install a voltmeter. I chose the Datel Voltmeter from
DigitalMeter.com, based on recommendations of others here on SBN.
What you’re going to need:
I ordered the red voltmeter (it’s also available in blue), and a mounting bezel. The total with shipping came to $53.50.
You’re going to need some wire and connectors. I also used some heat shrink tubing, but it’s completely optional.
Here is the wiring diagram from when I installed my heated grips. I used the extra connection point on the same relay I used while installing my heated grips. You will probably need to modify the wiring for your own application, but I wanted to add this for reference in case someone needed it. The voltmeter will have to be wired through a relay to a switched source so that it’s not on all the time, only when the bike is on. In the example wiring method below, the relay is connected to the headlights so the bike must be running before anything connected to the relay will function.
*** It is important to remember that to have an accurate reading you need to measure the voltage of the battery not the switched source ***
There are some good threads on the subject if you search the term: voltmeter