Cigarette Lighter Plug woes....

[johnha1962]

You could replace the cigarette lighter adapter (they have to be the worst possible design for anything but an actual cigarette lighter and I can't believe Yamaha actually used them) with a BMW plug or an SAE connector, OR, I tapped into the accessory wired located on the right side by cutting a slit through the plug on that side, and hard wired my GPS setup there. I have to look for the pix I took while doing that mod, but I'd be surprised if someone here hadn't already done that.
 

[beameer]

I had the same problem but a easy fix is to place a band aid around the usb adapter above the contacts.It makes the fit much tighter and after I had done this have not had a problem with it vibrating loose.

[micah2074]

I put an O-ring around my 12v phone charger. It stays firmly in the socket and charges my phone fine.

[d1sable]

Are all cigarette lighter chargers compatible?  Which is to say, can I find one on Aliexpress for example that is sold for a BMW GS?  Thanks

[DavidS]

I'm sure some chargers won't be compatible, but if you have one that works on a BMW, it will work fine on the Tracer.

Interesting article on the subject here: 

The Difference Between a Cigarette Lighter and an Accessory Socket

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All cigarette lighter sockets are 12v accessory plug-ins, but the reverse isn't...

 

[littlebruv]

I had a KTM power socket fitted in the spare socket mount to charge my sat nav

 

[maximo]

On 9/24/2017 at 6:58 PM, joeszup said:

I got this adapter as well.  Haven't had a problem with it yet, although getting it out requires some "fa-nan-galin'" 
 

That makes 3 of us. My first one was a taller one and it kept wiggling out. The flush mounted one isn't going anywhere. I've put lots of miles on it without it ever becoming loose.  FWIW, I paired it to a pigtail charger, that way it reduces the amount of tugging at both ends. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PG5X2HY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[HGP61]

Just ordered online a USB power outlet to fit to the space in the right hand side of the bike. Probably wire it directly to the battery as that would allow me still able to charge a phone or an intercom while setting up at a campsite. I did have a few issues last summer with the USB socket vibrating loose from the standard socket.

[BBB]

2 hours ago, HGP61 said:

Just ordered online a USB power outlet to fit to the space in the right hand side of the bike. Probably wire it directly to the battery as that would allow me still able to charge a phone or an intercom while setting up at a campsite. I did have a few issues last summer with the USB socket vibrating loose from the standard socket.

I don’t know this for sure, but I wouldn’t wire it direct to battery. I suspect there is internal circuitry that converts 12V to 5V which would be permanently powered on if you do it your way. The current would be low when there is no load, but it still doesn’t strike me as sensible to wire in something that will always be draining the battery when the bike is switched off.

Better to piggy back the wiring already there on your left socket and have them both as switched power. Or, just remove the standard socket as you’ll probably never use it anymore. If you need to charge a phone when you park up, I use a small portable battery bank that gets charged in the tank bag as I ride.

[betoney]

On 5/12/2020 at 2:00 PM, d1sable said:

Are all cigarette lighter chargers compatible?  Which is to say, can I find one on Aliexpress for example that is sold for a BMW GS?  Thanks

I agree with @BBB on not direct wiring to the battery unless you also add an inline switch.  There are several 12v 'switched' leads available.

[HGP61]

7 hours ago, BBB said:

I don’t know this for sure, but I wouldn’t wire it direct to battery. I suspect there is internal circuitry that converts 12V to 5V which would be permanently powered

I didn't think that it would have a permanent draw from the battery but will check this out before fitting and change plans if needed. I had a similar setup on my last bike all the accessories were connected via a 5 pin relay and I had a 12V accessory socket connected straight to the battery. I found this useful at times at campsites when you could draw a wee bit power from the bike without having the ignition on. I did use a 5V USB adapter with that set up 

[DavidS]

1 hour ago, HGP61 said:

I didn't think that it would have a permanent draw from the battery but will check this out before fitting and change plans if needed. I had a similar setup on my last bike all the accessories were connected via a 5 pin relay and I had a 12V accessory socket connected straight to the battery. I found this useful at times at campsites when you could draw a wee bit power from the bike without having the ignition on. I did use a 5V USB adapter with that set up 

For accessories like this, I use a FuzeBlock instead of direct to battery. It allows you to plug a bunch of accessories in and select the correct size fuse to match. It keeps most of the wires off the battery and makes it easier to see what/where each wire connects to. They even provide a sticker which attaches to the top of the box to label the accessories.

[HGP61]

3 hours ago, DavidS said:

For accessories like this, I use a FuzeBlock instead of direct to battery. It allows you to plug a bunch of accessories in and select the correct size fuse to match.

That's about the way I wired up accessories to the last bike I had. Relay and separate fuse box inside a electrical project case and tucked behind the side cover of My CBF 1000

[betoney]

6 hours ago, HGP61 said:

I found this useful at times at campsites when you could draw a wee bit power from the bike without having the ignition on. I did use a 5V USB adapter with that set up 

Another option for a quick charge is to use something like this direct connected to your battery tender lead.

Motorcycle SAE to USB Cable Adaptor Dual USB Cell Phone Charger & Voltmeter USA

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The upgrade display, with soft LED blue light without glare, would not...

 

[johnmark101]

I installed Powerlet sockets on both my bikes and they are wired directly to the battery, fused at 15 amps.  With the ignition off and the bike parked I have used these to charge phones and run a small, portable air compressor with no issues.  Afterward the bike starts right up.