How do I wire a Zumo 660 into a R1200GSA?

M1Tanker

Intermediate

Posts: 19

Motorbike: R1200GSA-08

Mileage: 1,000 m

Location: Germany

Thanks: 26

1

Wednesday, June 9th 2010, 11:06pm

I’m interested in how to properly wire a Zumo 660 to my 2008 R1200GSA. I have looked all over the internet and from what I can tell there are basically four possible techniques to wire a Zumo 660 for power.

1. Wire directly to the battery with the existing harness.
2. Wire into a fuze block such as a Centech which is wired to the battery.
3. Wire into the parking lights.
4. Wire into the plug reserved for the BMW Navigator IV using the P/N 611656 adapter from BMW.

Comments and questions pertaining to each technique based on what I’ve read.

1. Wire directly to the battery with the existing harness.
a. Known disadvantage: Zumo 660 must be manually shut off. Turning off the bike does not turn off Zumo 660.
b. Advantage: Simple and doesn’t wire into CAN-bus.
c. Question: If Zumo 660 is removed from mount is the mount still drawing power?

2. Wire into a fuse block such as a Centech which is wired to the battery.
a. Known disadvantage: Fuse block takes up space somewhere. Installation is a little more involved.
b. Advantage: Simple and doesn’t wire into CAN-bus.
c. Question: If Zumo 660 is removed from mount is the mount still drawing power?

3. Wire into the parking lights.
a. This is a technique that Touratech Mitte would use if I had them install it. (NOTE: I’m stationed in Germany and Touratech Mitte is closest to me.)
b. Questions:
i. Has anyone done this?
ii. Does a fuse have to be wired in?
iii. Does this cause a problem with electrical draw on the CAN-bus?

4. Wire into the connector reserved for the BMW Navigator IV using the P/N 611656 adapter from BMW.
a. Disadvantages
i. Internet postings: Must cut into Zumo 660 harness and when Zumo 660 is removed from mount power is still going to mount and drawing down the bike’s battery.
ii. Comment from personnel at local dealer. When Zumo 660 is removed from mount power is still going to mount and drawing down the bike’s battery. A “transistor” from Baehr, P/N BAR 0201, is required to prevent that from happening. (NOTE: Baehr is insolvent at the moment.) He pointed out that the BMW Navigator IV mount does not continue to draw power, but added that the Navigator IV mount cannot be used with the Touratech mount (P/N 065-0520).
b. Advantages: Elegant? Shuts down when bike is turned off?
c. Questions:
1. If Zumo 660 is removed from mount is the mount still drawing power?
2. Has anyone ever used this BAR 0201 part and does it prevent power draw?

General Questions:
1. Has anyone ever used the Touratech TPS 15 for BMW CAN-bus 15A relay switch (P/N 044-0450) and/or Touratech SSR-01 voltage control module (P/N 044-0690) when installing a Zumo 660? If so what were the benefits?
2. Does anyone have any experience wiring the Zumo into the parking lights? If so, how was it done and does it work properly?

I've also looked at http://www.gs-forum.eu/, http://forum.touratech.de/index.php?language=german, and http://www.naviboard.de/. These sites are in German but they are the source of some of my comments. I would like to post this on those sites as well but my German isn't that good.

Any comments are appreciated.

Thanks.

flamersheim

Intermediate

Posts: 18

Motorbike: R1200GS-08

Mileage: 20,000

Location: Hamburg

Thanks: 41

2

Thursday, July 1st 2010, 3:35am

Dear M1Tank

I have the Zumo 660 mounted on my R1200GS (2008) and it was quite simple: I used the original BMW plug mounted below the cockpit; you even don't need the Touratech plug adapter. It provides electric energy as long as the (parking) lights are on; it shuts down app. 1 minute after the key has been turned in OFF-Position.

Let me know if you need additional information.

Greetings

Alex

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M1Tanker

Intermediate

Posts: 19

Motorbike: R1200GSA-08

Mileage: 1,000 m

Location: Germany

Thanks: 26

3

Thursday, July 1st 2010, 4:11pm

Alex,

Thanks for the response. So you bought the small adapter from BMW, wired that into the Zumo 660 wiring harness, and then plugged the adapter into plug (where the Navigator IV connects to) below the oil cooler? Is that correct? How long have you had this set up and have you noticed any sort of electrical draw when the bike is completely turned off?

Vielen Dank,

M1Tanker

flamersheim

Intermediate

Posts: 18

Motorbike: R1200GS-08

Mileage: 20,000

Location: Hamburg

Thanks: 41

4

Thursday, July 1st 2010, 9:12pm

M1Tanker,

yes, I bought the adapter from Touratech (EUR 30,--, probably the same as the one from BMW) and plugged it into the connector below the oil cooler. I am using this since January this year; I am quite happy with it.

I never have noticed any losses in eletrical energy when the bike is turned off. Of course, my bike normally is rain protected in my garage, but even in strong rain for whole nights there never was a problem. Why do you expect electrical problems? AFAIK the Zumo connector (that plastic part with the many needles) has no electrical components (beside the wires), so where should the energy go?

Greetings,

Alex

M1Tanker

Intermediate

Posts: 19

Motorbike: R1200GSA-08

Mileage: 1,000 m

Location: Germany

Thanks: 26

5

Wednesday, July 7th 2010, 8:35pm

Alex,

At the BMW Motorcycle Days in Garmisch-Partenkirchen this past weekend I spoke with a BMW electrical engineer and a Garmin Deutschland GmbH representative.

The BMW electrical engineer didn't recommend plugging in anything into the CANbus system because of potential issues such as electrical draw.

I found out later from the Garmin Deutschland GmbH representative that as of the beginning of this year the current Zumo 660 mounts in production behave exactly like the BMW Navigator IV mount. He stated that when the current production Zumo 660 mount is connected to the CANbus system, via the adapter under the oil cooler of a R1200GSA for example, and the bike is turned off, the mount does completely shut off and does not go into a sleep mode causing an electrical draw from the bike. He stated that the earlier Zumo 660 mounts did draw electricity but the current ones don’t just like the BMW Navigator IV mount. This information appears to confirm what I've read in various forums. The older postings seem to reflect more issues with current draw and the more recent postings, such as your's, appear to confirm the inline production change to the Zumo 660 mount where there seems to be no issues with current draw.

I think I'm going to pursue the Zumo 660 and power it through the CANbus with the adapter. I'll also probably pursue the Baehr Verso XL communications system.

M1Tanker