C14 Rostra Wiring Outline

[Gypsy JR]

Before I lose it ... almost threw it in trash with other stuff... here is the simple to follow foolproof outline I followed to hookup my Rostra CC to my 2012 C14. Note, pre-2010, might be slightly different. Also, on the VSS signal up in the front left boot, I got my wire "under" the connector - word is it changes color above the connector.

It is possible to put both relays up front, there is room for them if you make good multiple connections to the accessory plus and minus leads, and it makes wiring simpler.

Some of the wires coming from the Actuator are very short and hidden under the tape wrap closest to the Actuator.

This is correct for the switch with an engage light (...92 I think)

Front Boot

(+) (Female) accessory lead to : 1) Rostra Actuator brown and red wires, 2) Switch (Engage light version) white and gray wires, 3) #1 (front) relay pin 30 and 86

(-) (Male) accessory lead to: 1) Rostra Actuator black, 2) Switch black and blue wires

Actuator light green wire to black wire with white dots (below connector) (do not hook up until after diagnostics are done)

Rear Boot

Actuator blue wire to #2 (rear) relay pin 86 and 87

(-) (Male) accessory lead to #2 relay pin 85 and 87A

VSS Sending Unit (left side of bike, on top of crankcase cover)

This is the sending unit held on the left side crankcase cover with a single bolt. Disconnect it at the connector before making this connection.

Actuator gray wire to sending unit pink wire



Viewed from the relays

Relay 1:

Pin 30, 86 to front boot (+)(female)
Pin 85 to Actuator orange wire
Pin 87 to Switch pink wire

Relay 2:

Pin 30 to Actuator violet wire
Pin 85, 87A to rear boot (-)(male)
Pin 86, 87 to Actuator blue wire

 

[Fred H.]

Clutch VSS Sending Unit
This is the sending unit held on the clutch housing with a single bolt. Disconnect it at the connector before making this connection.
Actuator gray wire to sending unit pink wire

I'm a bit confused by some of your notes. The VSS wire is the speedo signal wire, which is either a pink or a blue/yellow stripe wire depending on which side of the connector for the speedo sensor you pick it up from.

The clutch (Nuetral Safety Switch or NSS) wire is a whole different animal, and it isn't a pink wire.

Also, if you get power for the control pad from the brake circuit, it won't allow the cruise control to engage if the brake light fuse blows out, which provides another safety feature. You can also use the front brake light switch circuit if you prefer to tap into it there.

The below post shows the diagram I made to try to simplify the electrical installation of the Rostra.

http://forum.cog-online.org/index.php/topic,37149.0.html

I've also attached it to this thread to try to make it more clear how it gets connected.

 

[Gypsy JR]

Ok, I may have called something by the wrong name, but mine is 100% hooked up this way, and have been working reliably and as required for over a year.

It was a godsend going out to, and back from, Arkansas, that is for sure.  :motonoises:

 

[fartymarty]

Clutch VSS Sending Unit

This is the sending unit held on the clutch housing with a single bolt. Disconnect it at the connector before making this connection.

Actuator gray wire to sending unit pink wire

Ok, I may have called something by the wrong name, but mine is 100% hooked up this way, and have been working reliably and as required for over a year.

It was a godsend going out to, and back from, Arkansas, that is for sure.  :motonoises:

I think that is where the confusion is coming from since the VSS sending unit with the single bolt is on the left side of the bike, and the clutch housing is on the
right side of the bike. I think the sensor is mounted on the front gear case of the final drive (or some such) on the left side. So your usage of clutch housing and VSS together is what is causing confusion.

I don't have the engage light style control switch on mine so I'm not sure about the wire colors (white and gray wires you say?), but you should move them from the accessory lead on the left side to red w/blue stripe wire on the right side bundle. Fred brings up a good safety point (he does that ya know :sign0098, your bike (like Brian's as originally wired) will not disengage the CC  if the brake/tail light circuit fuse is blown when the brakes are applied, in fact in that situation the CC will open the throttle even wider attempting to maintain speed and fight the brakes until you pull in the clutch lever. An unlikely event but still possible and if it happens at just the wrong time.....well next time you have the top covers off, just move the wires.  :great:

As for the Rostra CC being a godsend for any long trip, I must agree wholeheartedly, and also again thank those pioneers used as god's conduit to deliver the info to us (Brian, Fred, et al) so we could safely enjoy a reasonably priced well performing CC. 

 

[Gypsy JR]

Yes, I chose not to wire for brake circuit out, like most. It is an event I've never had happen in 40+ years, so I feel like it is unlikely, and if it happens, I will know anyway and turn CC off myself.

I updated it to fix my mistake to say left side crankcase cover.

But like I said, if you ignore me calling two things by the wrong name (LOL) and wire based on color and source and destination, this outline is 100% correct and exactly what I used to wire mine.

 

[Gypsy JR]

@Fred - could use some of your wisdom on this question.....

If you wire the actuator using the secondary (-) 12 volt wire to the hot side of the brake circuit, it will turn the actuator off if the brake circuit goes out. Granted.

But that means the actuator will be powered on when the bike is not running, right?

So how could I wire a relay or PLC so that it knows the difference and shuts off the (-) 12 volt to the actuator unless the bike is running?

 

[Fred H.]

@Fred - could use some of your wisdom on this question.....

If you wire the actuator using the secondary (-) 12 volt wire to the hot side of the brake circuit, it will turn the actuator off if the brake circuit goes out. Granted.

But that means the actuator will be powered on when the bike is not running, right?

So how could I wire a relay or PLC so that it knows the difference and shuts off the (-) 12 volt to the actuator unless the bike is running?

I'm a little confused what you mean when you say "(-) 12 volt wire". Are you talking about the ground?

The Red wire on the brake light circuit is connected to the same place the tail light is, and it receives power from the ignition switch (steering lock unit). If the ignition is shut off, there is no power on it.

The blk/yel stripe wire on the accessory terminal goes to the negative terminal on the battery. The red wire on the brake light circuit is provided a connection to the positive side of the battery, through the brake light fuse and the ignition switch (which is part of the "steering lock" mechanism).

There are a few devices that are connected direct to the battery (like ABS motor, and the electric windshield) but the brakes lights don't work with the ignition shut off.

 

[Gypsy JR]

Ok ! Thanks for the 411 on that. I think I may go ahead and add that last little bit of safety net and hook that up.

Should be pretty easy.

 

[Gypsy JR]

@Fred

I've done a little more digging around on the connection to brake hot so the unit goes off if the brake circuit goes off.

And now I'm confused, because what I found doesn't match Fred's diagram.

First I am not using the same switch, so the wiring pattern for that is different. There is no wire I can run from the switch itself that will turn the actuator off. At least no free wire. Though I may be wrong and just not seeing it in the ...92 switch wiring diagram.

But, there is a red wire on the actuator that is intended to be connected to brake hot. Unless it has current, the actuator will turn off.

I wired it to the accessory lead with the main power wire for the actuator, so it would always be "enabled".

I think I can just take the red wire off the accessory lead, and connect it to brake red (hot) and be done with it?

 

[fartymarty]

@Fred

I've done a little more digging around on the connection to brake hot so the unit goes off if the brake circuit goes off.

And now I'm confused, because what I found doesn't match Fred's diagram.

First I am not using the same switch, so the wiring pattern for that is different. There is no wire I can run from the switch itself that will turn the actuator off. At least no free wire. Though I may be wrong and just not seeing it in the ...92 switch wiring diagram.

But, there is a red wire on the actuator that is intended to be connected to brake hot. Unless it has current, the actuator will turn off.

I wired it to the accessory lead with the main power wire for the actuator, so it would always be "enabled".

I think I can just take the red wire off the accessory lead, and connect it to brake red (hot) and be done with it?

I understand that you are looking for assistance from Fred.

I also understand that I'm no Fred  , but it's been a couple, so maybe he's busy. Anyway.....

Yes, there is a red/brown wire from the actuator that Rostra has labeled in their instruction manual as "Positive Brake" however you'll note that,
that wire is routed (in the Rostra instructions diagram, and in Fred's much clearer diagram) to the switch's set button (labelled "S/C"), not directly to the brake positive lead.

I'm glad that you've decided to look into this, even though as we've discussed it's an unlikely event that the fuse would be blown. Still we all are capable
of making mistakes, and the next farkle you add might be powered from the tail light circuit and there might be a mistake made that, when the moon is full
and you're traveling at dusk in a direction that coincides with an even number on the degrees of a compass rose and the FOB is in your left pocket...... ;D

So, I guess that an argument could be made that the absolute safest way to hook this up is to take the Brown wire from the actuator and hook it up, not to
the accessory lead, but rather to the "Hot" "positive" side of the brake circuit. This would ensure that there is no way that the actuator will work if the fuse is blown.
The problem with this is that the Cruise Control switch will still illuminate and when it doesn't engage you may suspect the actuator is malfunctioning rather than suspect a tail/brake circuit fuse.

I still think it would be best if you connect the red wire and the gray wire from your switch (it's the Rostra 250-3592 with the engaged light in the upper right corner?) to the brake positive "hot" wire (red w/blue stripe). This will ensure that the switch will not function, nor illuminate if the tail/brake fuse is blown.

In your OP you said that:

Front Boot

(+) (Female) accessory lead to : 1) Rostra Actuator brown and red wires,

I'm sorry to sound picky, but I do not see a completely red wire coming from the actuator. Are you sure that the red wire
isn't coming from the switch? If you determine that it is coming from the switch, then that is the wire (powers switch function) that needs to be moved from the accessory lead
to the "hot" tail/brake wire as well as the gray wire (illumination). 

Again, in case those following this have lost sight of this discussion with all the tech stuff, the goal is to have the cruise control not function if the tail/brake
fuse is blown. Why, because if it does function when the fuse is blown then it will not disengage when the brakes are applied if the fuse is blown, it also will open the throttle even more trying to maintain speed. Not a big deal if you are slowing for an exit, could be a big deal if you are slowing for a more pressing matter.

Hopefully Fred will finish up with what he's doing and jump in and clear this up, until then you have my 2 cents to do with
what you please and I'll now bow out.

JR, Good luck, and be sure to keep your Fob in your right pocket.  )

 

[Gypsy JR]

Oh no, you mean it has to be in the right pocket ?

:rotflmao:

Yes, there is a red wire coming from the actuator, it and the brown wire are listed in BF's install document (and shown in the Rostra manual) and I hooked both to accessory in the front boot per his guide.

Looking at the Rostra manual, I am pretty sure the red wire from the actuator is the one I want on brake hot.

I guess I will still think about it, I agree with your point about the switch still illuminating, and it would be maddening to see it lighted up and have the engage button not work. So if I can find a way to also turn off the switch illumination at the same time, that would be optimal.

Whatever it turns out to be, it is very easy because I installed mine like Fred showed, on the right side sitting on the ram air tube, with the cable passing under the tank to the left side and down. So everything is right where I can mess with it easy. And I didn't butcher the wiring harness, I just routed the excess down along the fairing stay frame and tie-wrapped it to the stays.

I put insulation on it where it got anywhere close to the engine even though its probably not necessary.

 

[Gypsy JR]

                                                                                     
VIII. WIRING ATTACHMENTS TO VEHICLE
Utilize Figure 34 to make the necessary
wiring harness connections to your vehicle.
CAUTION
Before making any wiring connections, be sure to
disconnect your vehicle’s negative battery cable to
avoid electrical shock and/or damage to the the
vehicle’s electrical system.

A. Black Ground Wire
In order to find a good ground for the cruise system, find a vehicle ground point
which is a clean unpainted metal surface. If the cruise control does not “see” ground
at all times, it will not function.
NOTE: Do not use the engine as a grounding point. Do not use the cable bracket as a
gounding point.
NOTE: To find a place to get electrical power you will need to ground one lead of your test
light or volt-ohmmeter. Find electrical ground by turning ON the ignition switch
and touching one lead to a “Hot” fused terminal at fuse panel; touch other lead to
unpainted metal part of vehicle. The metal you touch, if it makes continuity,
is ground. The bracket for the parking brake lever is usually a good ground. Turn
the ignition OFF.

B.Brown Accessory Power
Find a fuse at the fuse panel that supplies power to one of the vehicles accessories.
It should be +12 volts when the key is ON and zero (0) volts when the key is OFF or
in the START (CRANK) position.

C.Red Brake Positive
“Hot” side of brake switch: Use the wire at the brake switch connector with constant
+12 volts

D.Violet Brake Negative
“Cold” side of brake switch: Use the wire at the brake switch connector with zero (0)
resistance when brake is not pressed, and +12 volts or open resistance when brake
is pressed.

E. Dark Blue Tachometer (TACH) Wire
The TACH function is a safety feature of the GlobalCruise.
If a vehicle with an automatic transmission is accidentally “knocked” into neutral
while the vehicle is in motion and the GlobalCruise is active, the TACH wire, when
connected, will disengage the GlobalCruise before engine over-rev. If the TACH wire
is not “hooked-up”, the cruise control will function; however the TACH over-rev
safety feature will be inactive. ROSTRA PRECISION CONTROLS, INC. always recommends
the attachment of the TACH wire if it is available on the vehicle.
On a vehicle with a manual transmission, the TACH wire connection is not
required only when CLUTCH DISENGAGEMENT SWITCH (Kit# 250-4206) has been
installed; this will take into acount the TACH over-rev safety feature. The TACH
wire should be grounded when using a clutch disengagement switch to ensure
that the wire does not introduce “trashy” signals into the system.

F. Gray Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS) Wire
The Gray Vehicle Speed Signal (VSS) wire is how the GlobalCruise “knows” how
fast the vehicle is moving. The Pulses Per Mile/Kilometer (PPM/PPK) are a
characteristic of the vehicle and must be set accordingly (See Page 7). If VSS cannot
be located on the vehicle then an auxiliary road speed sensor must be used
[Signal Generator or Magnet & Coil Pick-Up Kit (Kit# 250-4165)]. If you use an
auxiliary speed sensor, plug it into auxiliary speed sensor connector (J in Figure 34)
and trim the Gray VSS wire as not to pick-up any stray signals.
In order to locate the VSS and TACH signals, consult a Vehicle Shop Manual, our
Vehicle Technical Guide (Rostra Form# 4429 or 4428), or call our Technical
Service Department at (800) 732-4744, Fax us at (910) 276-3759 (USA) or visit
us on the web at www.rostra.com.

G.Light Green Neutral Safety (NSS)
The NSS function is a safety feature of the GlobalCruise.
If a vehicle with an automatic transmission is accidentally “knocked” into neutral
while the vehicle is in motion and the GlobalCruise is active, the NSS wire, when
connected, will disengage the GlobalCruise before engine over-rev. Connect this wire
to a ground active wire when neutral safety switch is engaged. If the NSS wire is
not “hooked-up”, the cruise control will function; however the engine over-rev
protection will be inactive; this is dangerous and not recommended. This wire
terminates in the harness.

H.Orange Enable Output (ENO) Wire
The ENO Function allows you to use the GlobalCruise as a driver for an external
wheatlamp connected to a V+. The ENO Wire will drive low when the system is
engaged and to a high impedance state otherwise. This wire terminates in the
harness.

 

[fartymarty]

So much for me bowing out :  :-[.

In your OP you said that:

Front Boot

(+) (Female) accessory lead to : 1) Rostra Actuator brown and red wires,

I'm sorry to sound picky, but I do not see a completely red wire coming from the actuator. Are you sure that the red wire
isn't coming from the switch?

I think I see the problem I've been having here. I've been looking at the wires as they come out of the switch and as they come out of the actuator.
However even though the point of origin for the red wire is the switch, it goes through the 4 pin connector to the actuator harness (as delivered from Rostra) and thus the red wire with the 4 amp fuse (the one that should go to the "hot brake wire {red w/blue stripe}) is actually part of the actuator harness and thus would seem to be coming from the actuator instead of the switch. Sorry JR, I was too much following the electrical path instead of the physical path, your posting of the Rostra harness picture made me see what I was doing. So, the red wire from your step one in the OP should go to the "hot brake wire" instead of the accessory wires to maximize safety even though the CC will work as you have it.

The gray wire from the actuator goes to the VSS just as you already have it, however there is another gray wire on your 250-3592 switch (which I don't have) that was the one (for switch illumination) I was referring to in my earlier post as needing to go the "hot brake wire" if you want the switch to not illuminate when the tail/brake light fuse is blown.

If you make those changes then it will no longer matter which pocket your fob is in, just don't leave it in the glovebox!  :-\

 

[Gypsy JR]

I have heard some real horror stories about leaving FOBs in glovebox ....

I have mine on the lanyard normally used for a small digital camera or iPod or such, and I just wear it like a pendant. Hard to lose when its around my neck. Not that I am not capable of losing it even then.

Yes, I think I will move those two wires to brake hot, and then I will have all the safety features enabled other than the fool twisting the throttle.

 

[Gypsy JR]

However even though the point of origin for the red wire is the switch, it goes through the 4 pin connector to the actuator harness (as delivered from Rostra) and thus the red wire with the 4 amp fuse (the one that should go to the "hot brake wire {red w/blue stripe}) is actually part of the actuator harness and thus would seem to be coming from the actuator instead of the switch. Sorry JR, I was too much following the electrical path instead of the physical path, your posting of the Rostra harness picture made me see what I was doing. So, the red wire from your step one in the OP should go to the "hot brake wire" instead of the accessory wires to maximize safety even though the CC will work as you have it.

The gray wire from the actuator goes to the VSS just as you already have it, however there is another gray wire on your 250-3592 switch (which I don't have) that was the one (for switch illumination) I was referring to in my earlier post as needing to go the "hot brake wire" if you want the switch to not illuminate when the tail/brake light fuse is blown.

If you make those changes then it will no longer matter which pocket your fob is in, just don't leave it in the glovebox!  :-\

Do you know if the red with blue stripe wire for hot brake is in the front left boot, or do I have to get it in the back boot?

 

[fartymarty]

Do you know if the red with blue stripe wire for hot brake is in the front left boot, or do I have to get it in the back boot?

It's in the front RIGHT boot as well as the rear, but you don't have to take my word for it.

Also, if you get power for the control pad from the brake circuit, it won't allow the cruise control to engage if the brake light fuse blows out, which provides another safety feature. You can also use the front brake light switch circuit if you prefer to tap into it there.

Here is what it looks like on a 2010 model.
http://fartymarty.smugmug.com/photos/i-NwB3Rnt/0/X3/i-NwB3Rnt-X3.jpg

 

[Fred H.]

Sorry, have been busy with some other stuff and haven't revisited this thread.

First off, I used the old Audio vox control pad, so keep that in mind when you look at my diagram. Second, the power supplied to the main Rostra unit that they tell you to wire to the brake circuit, I have going to the control pad. I believe this is red wire with a brown stripe on it. The control pad in turn gets its power from the brake circuit. So if the red wire going to the control pad loses power, so should the Rostra main unit. The Audiovox control pad has an ON/OFF button on it, and in order for it to be able to turn power on and off to the Rostra main unit, you need to wire it in this manner.

Also, if you are connecting to the rear brake light switch, you'll notice that the wire colors change when it goes through the connector to the switch. Blue with Red stripe become Blue, and Red with blue stripe becomes brown. If you have any confusion, the easiest way to resolve it is to connect a volt meter to the wire in question and turn on the key and see if it has 12 volts on it all the time, without the brakes applied. If it doesn't, then apply the brakes and see if the 12 volts appears. That is the easiest and best way to be absolutely sure of which wire is which, and since one is red with blue stripe, and one is blue with red stripe, it can be easy to get them mixed up. The brake wire that should always have 12 volts on it that you should use for power is the RED with BLUE stripe.

Hope this clears it up.

 

[Gypsy JR]

Do you know if the red with blue stripe wire for hot brake is in the front left boot, or do I have to get it in the back boot?

It's in the front RIGHT boot as well as the rear, but you don't have to take my word for it.

Also, if you get power for the control pad from the brake circuit, it won't allow the cruise control to engage if the brake light fuse blows out, which provides another safety feature. You can also use the front brake light switch circuit if you prefer to tap into it there.

Here is what it looks like on a 2010 model.
http://fartymarty.smugmug.com/photos/i-NwB3Rnt/0/X3/i-NwB3Rnt-X3.jpg

Ok, I am going to have to look at it. Your picture shows what looks like my left front boot, but maybe the right front boot has the same kind of connectors it it.

What is that non-pc saying, "All you boots look the same to me!"

But whatever, its going to be a trivial change to make since I already have the wires in question going to the same place for accessory hot, so I can just disconnect from that and move them to brake hot and be done with it.  :great: