Garage Door Opener

[OneWound]

So I'm wanting to add a garage door opener on the FJR.  My current plan is to add a switch on the right-hand side...

The one thing I can't get over is, I'd like for the garage door opener to be "off" while the bike is off.  Has anyone done this before?  There are two ways I can think of...

1) Add a relay in there to block the momentary switch, when the bike is off

2) Add a 12V to 3V DC to DC converter, that can provide power to the garage door opener (i.e., in place of the battery)

 

[lnewlf]

if memory serves.the outlet in the storage compartment is off when the key is off..you could take power for the converter easily from there...

 

[OneWound]

You are correct... but that's 12V.  I also have a fuse block under the passenger seat, so my plan was to grab it from there.  I just don't know the best way to get that to a garage door opener (as none take 12V that I can find).

 

[RossKean]

A regular garage door opener battery lasts for YEARS.  Why try to power one off the bike?  

I never bothered to try to mount one on the bike - I have a small one that I keep in my jacket pocket.  No worries about fuses, relays, voltage converters waterproof switches or wiring.  I can activate it without taking it out of the pocket - just press the button from outside.  Why make it so complicated?

 

[BigOgre]

Might the Flash to Pass do what you're looking for?

Either that or go with what others have done:

 

[OneWound]

A regular garage door opener battery lasts for YEARS.  Why try to power one off the bike?  

I never bothered to try to mount one on the bike - I have a small one that I keep in my jacket pocket.  No worries about fuses, relays, voltage converters waterproof switches or wiring.  I can activate it without taking it out of the pocket - just press the button from outside.  Why make it so complicated?

As this bike will be used as a daily rider for commuting to work, I won’t always wear the same jacket.  As for “making it complicated”, I’ve never like the fact that if you attach a garage door opener to a MC it’s always “on”, regardless if the bike is running or not.  My idea to fix that is to power it off a bike or add a relay.

I haven’t seen any product in the market offer that

 

[art miller]

A regular garage door opener battery lasts for YEARS.  Why try to power one off the bike?  

I never bothered to try to mount one on the bike - I have a small one that I keep in my jacket pocket.  No worries about fuses, relays, voltage converters waterproof switches or wiring.  I can activate it without taking it out of the pocket - just press the button from outside.  Why make it so complicated?

+++^^^  What is the benefit of wiring  a door opener? Get a key fob type like RoKean suggested and either carry it or keep it in the glove box. Why attach an opener to the bike and have it exposed t the elements?? 

 

[OneWound]

+++^^^  What is the benefit of wiring  a door opener? Get a key fob type like RoKean suggested and either carry it or keep it in the glove box. Why attach an opener to the bike and have it exposed t the elements?? 

Opener would be under seat. Planned to run a switch to front for easy access, wire it in, etc

 

[dravnx]

The garage door opener is not always "on". It is only on when you mash the button, whether its the button on the remote or a the button on the end of the two wires that are solder into the remote. As previously mentioned, the batteries will last for years. Don't over complicate it. 

 

[OneWound]

I think what I want has been lost...

Here's what I want: Integrate garage door opener into MC.  Can be done, easily enough.

Challenge: When the bike is off, I don't want the garage door opener to work.  When the bike is running or in the accessory position, I'd like to have the garage door opener to work.

Misc things:

1. Will be running a switch to garage door opener (with opener under seat).
   
2. Putting garage door opener in locked glove box won't work in this application.
   
3. I have a switched power fuse block.
   

 

[mcatrophy]

I think what I want has been lost...

Here's what I want: Integrate garage door opener into MC.  Can be done, easily enough.

Challenge: When the bike is off, I don't want the garage door opener to work.  When the bike is running or in the accessory position, I'd like to have the garage door opener to work.

Misc things:

1. Will be running a switch to garage door opener (with opener under seat).
   
2. Putting garage door opener in locked glove box won't work in this application.
   
3. I have a switched power fuse block.
   

The ideal for many people would probably be my recent opener, bought as an (expensive) accessory when I had my garage door opening mechanism replaced (after many years of frequent daily operation).

This opener is shaped to fit in a car's cigarette lighter socket (though internal-battery powered), so fits nicely in the glovebox (the rubber cover is a bit of a nuisance, I used some duct tape to stick it to one side). I can operate it with a gloved finger, though I had to learn how to steer my hand, finger extended, to get to it):

(Click on image for larger view)

 

Ok, you say a glove-box mounting is not wanted, in any case I suspect this opener is specific to my opener manufacturer - Hormann.

Before that, my opener was a bit(?) larger,



I found space for it under the front of the seat, picture shows trial fitting and final fitting in a plastic bag (I do ride in the rain a lot!):

 

Soldered wires on to the printed circuit board appropriately. I wanted a connector so I could remove it easily, then ran the wires out under the battery cover:

   

Mounted a (sealed) pushbutton switch to a bracket using the front screw of the under-seat side fairing panel, easy to operate and not obvious to the ungodly:

 

I thought about powering it from the bike's 12 volts, but it is so easy to change the battery (the alkaline battery lasted typically 3 years in my instance, a more modern lithium would last longer still) that I left it battery powered. It worked perfectly for many years, fitted to two FJRs.

I fully understand your wanting it inactive if the ignition is off, it would be very easy to run the remote button's wire through an ignition-powered relay contact.

I do really prefer BigOgre's solution, though.

PS. Mine's not getting much use at the moment, my daughter has banned me from doing my own shopping. "I don't want to be clearing your house out" (amidst tears). So I have no excuse to take the bike out.

 

[lnewlf]

slick setup..^^^^^^ assuming the remote has a strong enough signal to get thru the bike...

this is the best arrangement

 

[Old Guy]

By bikes live in another building without a garage door opener, but I keep getting home and finding my door open anyway.  My wife uses the "Find My" app on our phones to watch for me and opens it before I get home.  It's similar to above except I don't even have to honk  

 

[mcatrophy]

slick setup..^^^^^^ assuming the remote has a strong enough signal to get thru the bike...

Never once has that ever occurred to me, simply never a problem. If I was in sight of the door it always worked.  (I would never have used it out of sight, too risky when Wifey might have had it open and put something in its way when my operation would have closed it.)

I only changed its battery once after 3 years "just because", it never actually failed to open the door.

 

[FJReady]

I tackled this years ago.  Solution was a momentary switch mounted in a discreet location thats easily accessible when on the bike (be creative) and I soldered two 24g wires to the PCB mounted switch inside the remote and ran them to the momentary switch.   The remote is out of the weather under the fairing.  Battery replacement is over two years.

 

[Bugs]

My garage remote sits at home right next to my bike key. When I grab my key, I also grab the remote. Not rocket surgery.

 

[blchandl2]

I have a garage remote velcroed to the underside of the glove box lid. FYI, my garage remote uses the 12V battery (A23). The battery lasts 4-5 years. The remote is a generic remote. 

 

[OneWound]

I have a garage remote velcroed to the underside of the glove box lid. FYI, my garage remote uses the 12V battery (A23). The battery lasts 4-5 years. The remote is a generic remote. 

Do you have any sort of name brand? 

Other than that, I think I'll go fwd with my original plan.  Thank y'all for the help.

 

[BkerChuck]

A few years ago when I worked for a Harley Davidson dealership Harley came out with a universal garage door remote that I think would work well for you. It worked with any brand of opener  and consisted of 2 pieces. One was an adapter that plugged into your existing door opener to act as a receiver and the second was the bike mounted unit. That unit was fairly small and easily hidden and tied into the wiring for your high beam switch. When you approached your garage you simply flashed your high beam and it would trigger the opener.I sold quite a few of these to both HD and non HD owners. You might want to check it out.