Looking for fused live wire to connect USB socket

[Ukebob]

I have installed a USB socket on the sooter's legshield, wired directly from the battery terminals. The unit also has an led battery voltage indicator, which is rather neat, but contributes, although slightly, to battery drain while the scooter is parked for any length of time.
I would prefer to wire the unit to a lead which is dead until the ignition is turned on. Unfortunately my electronic knowledge is not even enough to be dangerous and trying to figure out the wiring diagram gives me a headache! Can some knowledgeable person advise me the best place to hook up this unit, without having to remove all the plastic preferably! Thanks!

Bob

[TommyXP]

Well, my friend, this will be a good time to practice NOT getting a headache when expanding ones knowledge while venturing forth into unfamiliar territory (learning) or be like me and many others and throw the damned phone away, or you might end up begging for the ease of removing tons of more plastic to accomplish this easy (with the right mind-set) task in exchange for where you MUST go......

Keep in mind, that I am speaking from vague memories of having done this in 2012:
To begin, don't be squeamish and look at the nice fold-out schematic wiring diagram and at the top left locate Ignition Switch and note it only has two wires on it: RED (R) and RED w/BLACK STRIPE (R/Bl). The R/Bl is the one you want to 'tap' into. Note how it runs to the main fuse block which is 'normally' accessed from the front of the bike but affords no access to the wires; damn. So it must be accessed from behind and the removal of that panel you are now somewhat familiar with.
Memory fails me here BUT find a bunch of wires (harness) coming from the ignition switch side and running towards the fuse block, and carefully, with a razor-knife, cut and begin removing some tape that holds the small or large bundle together and begin to find RED w/BLACK STRIPE and expose it totally at a point along-the-way where you can best 'work' on it in these very tight quarters.
You now have two choices. One is to just cut the wire in two (consider: your going to have to find some 'slop' to gain at least one inch of EXTRA wire to put it back together), strip them back, and incorporate your 'new' wire into a 'threesome' twisted grouping and solder them and tape them well and presto-f*cko: your done!
The other choice which is my preferred though experienced method, which is to leave the RED w/BLACK STRIPE whole and intact and with extreme caution and care remove about ¾" of the insulation WITHOUT cutting into ANY of the multiple strands beneath, and then wrap that damned phone wire around it and solder and tape.......
If you were within a 100 mile radius I'd have preferred taking a ride than trying to pry these vague hardly remembered notions out of my head.

I hope this is enough to at least get you started. Normally I would recommend getting the old book "ZEN and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" and putting your life on HOLD for a couple days and reading it; so instead, seeing how impracticable that is in this damned phone-age, I recommend you gain your composure, maintain it, and you'll see when you are done that it was easy!
We'll be standing by here encase you wander off into one of the many false rabbit holes that exist between our minds and our ability to bring things to fruition in REALITY. Best of Luck. We all CAN do it.

[Ukebob]

Thanks, Tommy for taking the time to reply in such a detailed manner! I knew all the time that the rear cover would have to come off, since I have to retrieve the wires I had already put there, but I guess I was hoping for a miracle! I had also made a note of the fuse block when I had the front cover off and the fact that the wiring leading to it was inaccessible, darn!
Anyway, the answer I needed and which you gave me, was an alternate place I could tap into the wiring. (Actually, I was hoping for an auxillary plug hidden somewhere.)
Thanks again. Now back to work.

Bob

[Ukebob]

I'm assuming that the aforementioned wires are not "hot" until the ignition is switched on, right? After all, that is the object of the exercise!

[TommyXP]

The RED wire on the ignition is always 'hot' until 'switched' thereby energizing the entire fuse block.......You shouldn't have any concerns but just exercise maximum caution and try not to cut into the insulation of any other wires; though, that is not the end-of-the-world in itself.....

[Ukebob]

Ok, I hope you're still around, Tommy, because I'm stumped! I found the wires coming from the ignition switch after some searching with flashlight amongst the maze of cables wires and rubber flaps and whatnot. There were only two wires, the red and the red/black just like you said. I stripped a 1/4" section from each and temporarily twisted the positive lead from the unit to the positive of the ignition wire and did the same with the negative lead to the negative of the switch. So far so good, BUT, the unit lit up when the ignition was switched OFF and quit when the switch was turned on! Exactly the opposite to what I had expected What gives?

Bob

[TommyXP]

You ONLY are supposed to use the Red with blk stripe, and connect that to the positive of your installation. The negative on the installation must go to ground/frame/metal/negative battery post.......you should have a neg wire already there from before, right?

[TommyXP]

I never realized that you have yet to realize, that the red wire on the switch is hot (+12v) and when you switch-the-switch it makes the other (redwblk) go hot too......Both are now at the same potential (12v)....My bad. I should have been more implicit.

[Ukebob]

No problem, after your post explaining the wiring setup, it became clear to me and I went back and got the whole thing wrapped up in about an hour.
I did reply at the time thanking you profusely for standing by while I got things figured out, but for some reason it did not appear here. I guess I must have previewed it but forgot to hit "submit" So, once again, thank you so much, you're DA MAN!

Bob