Just finished installing a Powerlet outlet on the steering stem of my ST1300. 

All you need is a custom kit from PowerletProducts.com; order the “ST1300 Panel Kit” but make sure you specify that you need the harness to be 80 inches long. (UPDATE - 11/15/2007: Powerlet now offers a ST1300 Powerlet Steering Stem Kit that already has the correct length wiring harness.)

Along with a drill and some courage, you’ll be all set.  Remove the steering stem cover, remove the Honda logo so that it doesn’t get in the way, then turn the cover over, and using an 11/16″ hole-saw bit, drill from the bottom.  There’s a small dimple right in the middle that you can use as a guide to drill in the correct spot.  Then run the wiring down through the steering stem, up over the frame and around the side of the airbox (you’ll need to lift your tank for this), under the front seat bracket, and to the battery.

It will be used to power the GPS and also send power to the tank bag through the tank bag Powerlet Kit (which has two “standard” 12v power plugs inside for cell phone charging, ipod, communicators, etc).

You can also add a RAM base along with the Powerlet if you want.  I did some experimenting and this is what I came up with. I used the RAM-BAR u-bolt RAM base.  Just turn the Powerlet outlet sideways to make room, remove the u-bolt, and obtain bolts long enough to reach through the base and into the holes that are already in the stock cover.  I used some class 8.8 M4-.70 x 25 hex cap bolts (along with some washers and lock washers).  It’s hard to tell from the pictures, but the RAM base doesn’t make contact with the bars at all.

The Nelson-Rigg UV-2000 1/2 motorcycle cover also arrived today.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 5th, 2007 at 10:53 pm and is filed under Powerlet, ST1300. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.