How to Install A USB Phone Charger For A Motorcycle – My TBR7 Bike.

With the continued upgrades my TaoTao TBR7 Chinese dual-sport motorcycle, it has become more fun to ride longer and further away from home. My cellphone battery life was coming into question and made me wonder how I could install a USB phone charger for a motorcycle?

So I installed a motorcycle cellphone holder to open my GPS maps, which I depend on to find my way home since I like to get lost. With the longer rides, my cellphone battery was dying, so I wanted to figure out how to install a USB charger for a motorcycle.

FAQ: Can I Charge My Phone While Riding A Motorcycle?

I made a stupid easy purchase online for a cheap USB phone charger designed to be mounted on a motorcycle, and here are the steps I took.

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Click for prices: SAE to USB Cable Adapter Waterproof USB Charger Quick 2.1A Port

This quick how-to will help you move forward with your USB phone charger installation. If you have any questions or advice, please leave a comment below.

Install A USB Phone Charger For A Motorcycle:

Again, my first time installing a phone charger, so always looking for feedback. So for now, here are the steps I took.

1.- Safety First!

Yes, I get nuts about safety, but if you don’t take steps to prevent injuries, aren’t you just planning on having them? It’s no accident if you could have prevented getting hurt.

So follow common sense garage safety tips( FAQ: Motorcycle Garage Safety Rules ) and read the manufacturer’s instructions with any new motorcycle installation.

2.- Remove Obstacles For Routing Charging Cable To Battery.

For me, this was plastic body panels, the gas tank, and the motorcycle seat.

I planned to have the USB port as close to the handlebar cellphone holder as possible.   

Other people route the USB to the bike’s rear and use the same cable as a quick connection for a battery trickle charger, and I’m not doing this, and I have a separate quick-connect for my battery trickle charger.

3.- Where To Install The USB Charger?

Face it, a motorcycle only has some room in the world, and you need to make drastic adjustments on the road. So plan out where you want the USB port to go first.

I installed my cellphone holder on the left side of the handlebar, so I plan to install the USB phone charger next to it.

This time would be an excellent time to use your preferred mounting method to position the USB port. 

Some kits came with double-sided solid tape, and others with handlebar clamps. I went cheap since my preferred method would be with wire ties directly to the handlebar.

So I mounted my USB charging port and secured it with plastic wire ties.

4.- Routing The Charging Cable.

The goal is to connect the USB charging port to the power supply. In this case, I went to the battery directly. 

The charging cables have overload and short circuit protection with an inline fuse, but I am taking steps to avoid having to worry about shorts by routing the wires along areas where it is protected.

Once I lined up the cable where I wanted it, I used additional plastic wire ties to secure it.

5.- Connecting To The Battery.

The ends of the charging cables are color coded. The red wire is positive on this motorcycle USB charger, and the black wire is negative on this USB motorcycle charger.

The nice thing is I didn’t have to worry about which wire was positive or negative since my motorcycle battery has color-coded terminals.  

I connected the red cable end to the red post and the black cable end to the black post.  

Ensured all connections were tight/strong and then the big test.

6.- Test Your USB Phone Charger.

I grabbed a type-c USB cable, which my phone uses, and plugged it in. My phone was charging. 

Now the bike is off, so I am not checking how fast it charges; I’m concerned I wired up the connections correctly. And I did.

7.- Clean Up the Installation.

Find loose wires, and secure them with plastic wire ties. If the charging cable is too long, make a loop with the excess wires and secure it with a plastic wire tie.

8.- Re-install Bike Body Panels, Tank, And Seat.

When I re-installed my motorcycle body panels, gas tank, and seat, I checked if the new charging cable could be pinched or hit a worn spot while riding.

It was a sound installation; the charging cable was routed well, with no pinch points found.

Click for prices: SAE to USB Waterproof USB Charger Quick 2.1A Port

Motorcycle USB Phone Charger Installation Is Done.

This upgrade was a relatively easy one and so convenient. I’m not limited on my ride by the life of my battery charge.  

The USB cellphone charger actually charges while I’m riding my TBR7 motorcycle. I picked up a cheap version and wanted to know if it would work, and it does. FYI: Did simular motorcycle cellphone charger upgrade to my Boom Vader Motorcycle.

So, now with a cellphone holder and charger on my motorcycle, I can plan longer all-day rides, and with the TBR7 being a dual-sport motorcycle, I can plan a few overnights on the trail. Hoping to ride it hard like she is a real dirt bike.

Thanks for reading along, and leave feedback if you can.

Ride Safe, Ride Fun!

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TBR7 Upgrades

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