M-Unit Blue- Motogadget

I'll be following closely and thank you in advance!

My bike is a 1980 B model kz 1300. So it came from Kawasaki as the full on tourer with full fairing with lowers, rear hard bags and top trunk. Over the years I've had it in several configurations, up until last year it was converted to the A model style with the regular two passenger seat and tail section. The B model came as original with the larger European fuel tank and so I have kept that as a constant. Pretty much everything else has been changed.
Onto Motogadget.
Except for the M-Unit blue that I purchased a year or so ago, the rest are all first generation products from Motogadget. So at about ten years old or so.
The bike has been completely re-wired ---several times.
All the lighting and instruments are LED.

Starting with the M-Unit . It is mounted behind the left side cover. Easy access, but is vulnerable to water. Either riding all day in the rain or too aggressive at the car wash. It doesn't like getting wet.



With an A model bike , maybe in the tail section.

Over the winter I decided to redo the rear section of the bike, so the heavy Odyssey battery is mounted in the tail section.



The handlebar switches are all M-Switch . They are a momentary switch. That means the switch is grounded onto the handlebar and a single wire runs down to the m-unit in terminal. The button only needs to be tapped briefly -momentarily, and that grounding inside the switch triggers the m-nit to turn on that circuit.





On the right side is the start and high beam switches. On the left handlebar are left and right turn signals, manual fan switch and the switch to gain entry into the dashboard/ speed o meter and its other fuctions.

The Motoscope is the first generation speedometer. It can only display one function at a time, but contains the tripometers, total mileage, clock , battery voltage, accelorometer, led tachometer ,and several other features I've never used.



Underneath that unit is the Motosign- now no longer available/ necessay as it displays the idiot lights-- neutral, high beam and so on . These features have now been incorporated into one new Motoscope.

My i-phone acts as the ignition switch for the time being. I don't have an igntion key as such. Once the phone is paired to the M-unit, it works something like this. Open the m-unit app on my phone as I'm approaching the bike, then at a predetermined distance from the bike the phone activates power " on" to the m-unit . The turn signals flash twice. The m-unit is now in low power mode and stays that way while the phone is in the required distance. It stays at this position because I might be getting my helmet on , talking too much or finishing my coffee. To start the bike or at least get ignition full on - that is- dashboard activates ,front and rear lights are on, two pushes off the starter button is required. If I'm ready to ride off, hit the starter button in the usual way and the engine starts- hopefully.

So what are some of the advantages of a system like this.
It is the latest technology for a motorcycle and can be retrofitted to any older bike.
If the owner chooses LED lighting and modern components where applicable , the wiring mass can be cut down by about 75% compared to original. E.G the trigger switch on/off wire can be around 26 gauge. That is very thin. In some places I used solid core copper.

Wiring from scratch - once all accessories and components are in place and decided on, it is a rather simple process of running a trigger wire / on/off switch wire to the m-unit, and a return wire back to the end user. Every circuit needs a grounding , so I used a ground block mounted under the tank for all the components around the handlebar area and another one mounted under the right side cover for the rear applications.

All the wiring around the handlebars ,if using the m-switch are hidden inside the handlebars.
Going even further with the minimum wiring idea, - by using the m-button, which is also hidden in the handle bar, one wire will carry all the triggering on /off signal to the m-unit thru one wire. How is it done - by converting individual pulses from each switch on the handle bar with a unique signature that only turns on that application.

There are no fuses except from the power + side of battery to m-nit. Make a mistake during power connection, that circuit is tripped until fault is found and repaired , then circuit turns back on automatically.

Specific to the kz 1300. Need to retain stator, & regulator/ rectifier, starter solenoid, ic ignitor.

Revival Cycle have a lot of good info on their site. Don't buy from Amazon. By directly from a well established dealership, because if you need some technical help, they usually have someone on staff who knows.

I haven't got to installing this system on any bike yet despite you remember, I am sure, we talked about it before. The first KZ is all stock, so no way messing with that. The third (that butchered) A3, will need ALL wiring made from scratch. This would be the best one to start on with the m-unit, but I will be making it stock again. So, the wiring will be done using all the connectors from Vintage Connectors web site. It will be much cheaper, and that's all I can afford at the moment.

The third KZ1300 (or rather second if keeping the right order) is the one I am building from one bolt up. The main prohibatable aspect of these involving current technologies upgrades is their cost. Since getting a frame here in Canada seems next to impossible, I will be making this engine stationary, on a dolly to move around. It will be great for testing carbs and if I get to it, installing a m-unit. So, this is a great info for me and thank you. I hope Paul will keep posting all the steps when wiring his bike!

Cheers!
Stan

You are right Stan that if you have a good functioning original bike, I wouldn't be changing any of the original electrics either. Of the few faults these bikes have , electrics, if not butchered by a previous owner, is not one of them.
The availability of spares / original type connectors from places like Vintage Connections or here www.cycleterminal.com/index.html make life a lot easier than it used to be.

A year and 10 months ago this thread was started.

That's where I will be getting my 'stuff'. Trying to sort what's needed currently, planning for having enough for at least two full harnesses with some spares left for the future. And I'd like to change a few on my first bike to have it up to day. I'm actually riding with one cracked but no problems.

Another thing is choosing the correct wire gauge and colors. I'd like the colors to be true to stock. Maybe I'd ask for advise before ordering. I think this will fit in this thread as well without upsetting the main m-unit theme.

A year and ten months. Time flies! I've had just that one first bike with everything stock in the meantime to deal with, so I've had nothing to practice on! I think in regards to the m-unit I will just learn and gather knowledge, until I can actually afford and have something to work on in this regard. It might be a very distant future, or never. But it might be tomorrow. You never know what life brings and it has proven to be full of surprises. Fortunately, lots of pleasant ones as well.