Long distance motorcyclists often rely on electronic devices and what more convenient way to keep those electronic devices powered or charged than with a 12 volt power port on your motorcycle. There are 2 styles of 12 volt ports you can choose from; a car cigarette lighter port or the smaller and less common style of motorcycle included from the factory on many BMW and Victory motorcycles.
The advantage of the most common automotive style 12 volt port is that your standard cell phone and GPS chargers will connect directly to them. If you have multiple electronic devices that you want to use at different times with the same port, a car cigarette lighter port is the cheapest. There are many options for installing a cigarette lighter port on your motorcycle. These options range from a $ 20 China-made plug found on eBay to high-quality, American-made products from the Powerlet brand. Powerlet’s top-of-the-line cigarette-style port (AKT 005 and 6 available in black or chrome, $ 130) mounts to the handlebar bars and includes a heavy-duty fused battery cable, a lighter element, and a waterproof cap. attached. It also includes a threaded hole for a Ram Mount ball, a great place to mount your GPS, phone, or radar detector cleanly. These handlebar mount models are ideal for cruisers with space in the handlebars and relatively no Powerlet also has other options like a simple cable-mounted plug (PKT-101, $ 29) that can be attached to a frame member, models of pole mount and flush panel mount kits. Panel mount kits are ideal for sports bikes and touring sports bikes that have a plastic area but not much space on the handlebars.
The other design, sometimes called Powerlet-style ports and other times BMW-style ports, has some advantages of its own. The biggest advantage is that the connection between the port and the device’s charging cable remains much tighter than a cigarette-style port. This is especially useful for dual sport cruisers and motorcycles that often have higher vibrations and is ideal for anyone who wants a more secure connection. Having a loose charging cable while driving can mean more than just a dead battery for your electronic devices, it could create a distraction or a safety hazard. The BMW style power port is available on Powerlet in all of the above mentioned applications, as well as bike specific kits that have been designed by Powerlet to have the proper cable length and support positions for many different bikes. From the great horn mount kit for the Harley Davidson to the dual rear mount kit for the FJR1300 Powerlet you probably have a kit to suit your 12 volt power needs. If not, you can purchase ports, adapters, cables, and brackets and do your own custom installation to get the power where you want it.
The downside to the Powerlet or BMW style 12 volt port is that the standard charging cables from your cell phone, GPS or other device will not work as they are designed for the port the size of a cigarette lighter. But Powerlet has you covered with 12 “straight, 36” coil charging cables for most devices like mini USB, micro USB, iPod / iPhone, and Escort radar detectors. If the Powerlet doesn’t have a cable that will fit your device, you can buy a do-it-yourself plug, cut off the end of the cigarette lighter, and connect the BMW-style plug to your device’s charging cable.
