Installation Guide
This is a step by step guide to installing the HEX ezCAN on BMW R1200 series bikes. The following bikes are supported in the BMW R1200 series:
- R1200GS - K25
- R1200GS Adventure - K25
- R1200RT - K26
- R1200R - K27
- R1200ST - K26
Locate your bike's battery, DWA connector and horn input
The R1200GS’ DWA is located under the rear seat, under the cowling.
Remove both seats to expose the cowling underneath them.
You’ll need a T25 torx driver and a 10mm wrench to remove the cowling and the luggage plate.
The DWA connector is close to the brake light in the tail of the bike.
Your battery is easily accessed when you remove the seat.
Find your battery here. Remember to undo the negative terminal first and connect it last to avoid any risk to your bike’s electronics.
The horn is located on the right side of the bike, next to the front suspension coils.
This is the horn before it is connected to the HEX ezCAN.
Here the horn is connected to the HEX ezCAN.
Finally, we connect the horn extension wire to the matching wire on the ezCAN.
Remove the seat to see the DWA
The DWA connector is located in the rear of the bike.
Close-up of the DWA connector.
The battery is also accessible when the seat is removed.
The horn is located on the right side of the bike, under the side panel.
Install and configure the software
Download and install the HEX ezCAN configuration software from the Software page.
Our Software page sets out the process of configuring the installation with the HEX ezCAN configuration software.
Connect your ezCAN to the computer and make sure your unit has the latest firmware.
Determine the channel configuration, see below.
Install the ezCAN under the seat
You can secure the ezCAN with the velcro strips provided after the accessories have been plugged in.
Route and connect the battery wires
The battery is located under the rider's seat, just behind the fuel tank. Route both the ezCAN power supply cables to the battery. Disconnect the battery wiring harness terminals from the battery and connect the ezCAN wires to the battery before re-connecting the factory wires.
HEX ezCAN Power supply cables
IMPORTANT NOTE: First, unplug the battery negative wire and only attach it at the end again. This is good practice whenever you work on your bike's electronics.
Plug the ezCAN into CAN-Bus
Note: DWA is the German abbreviation for ‘Diebstahl Warnanlage’ (anti-theft alarm system)
On R1200R, R1200S, R1200ST and R1200RT models, you will see the DWA or anti-theft alarm system connections, in the small compartment under the rear half of the seat, in front of the taillight. Note the wiring harness plug connected to the DWA module.
On R1200GS and R1200GS Adventure models, you must remove the plastic luggage rack located under the rear seat to access the DWA connections.
Bike with DWA control unit (Alarm)
- If your bike has a DWA, that is, ‘anti-theft alarm system’, you will see the DWA module in the small compartment under the rear half of the seat, in front of the taillight. Note the wiring harness plug connected to the module.
- Start by unplugging the CAN-Bus connector from the DWA control unit.
- The HEX ezCAN has two CAN-Bus connectors. Plug the male HEX ezCAN terminal into the CAN-Bus wiring harness and plug the female HEX ezCAN terminal into the DWA Control unit.
Bike without DWA control unit (Alarm)
If your R1200 does not have a DWA system, the end of the wiring harness plug will be covered by a plastic blanking plug containing an alarm-terminating resistor.
- Start by unplugging the cap from the DWA connector plug
- Plug the male HEX ezCAN terminal into the CAN-Bus connector.
- Replace the cap on the female HEX ezCAN terminal.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Both the male and female ezCAN CAN-Bus terminals must be connected correctly. Do not connect to any other component or to any other part of the motorcycle's wiring harness. If you do, the ezCAN will not function.
Connect the green horn input connector
The HEX ezCAN kit contains a green wiring harness with one terminal pin, branching out to two sets of two terminal pins.
1. One terminal pin 2. Male two-pin plug 3. Female two-pin plug
Connect the end of the green wire with one terminal pin to the one-pin terminal on the ezCAN.
Find the standard BMW horn on your R-series motorcycle. On most models, the horn is located underneath the headlight or front fairing, near the Telelever suspension strut or fork. Disconnect the motorcycle’s horn connection from the standard horn. Connect the male two-pin plug of the green wire to the horn connection on the BMW wiring harness.
Connect the female two-pin plug of the green wire to the standard BMW horn.
If you want to install an accessory horn, connect the accessory horn to the chosen high-power output stub connector on the ezCAN.
Connect accessories using colour-coding
The HEX ezCAN kit includes eight stub connectors with male connection terminals. Four of the stub connectors have three wires while the remaining four connectors have two wires.
Three Wire stub connector
Three wire stub connectors
If your auxiliary lights have three wires use the three wire stub connectors. If not the two-wire stub connectors must be used for accessories that have power and ground wires only.
If you are not going to use one or more of the power output channels, it is recommended that you install a blanking plug over the unused output. The HEX ezCAN product contains two blanking plugs.
The colour-coding on the output wires must match the colours in the output configuration you select from the HEX ezCAN channel mapping software. Red to red, orange to orange, etc. (Black wire is Battery Negative and the Red, Orange,Yellow and White are the Positive Supply.)
Connect the terminals of the high-power and low-power stub connectors to the correct female terminals on the ezCAN.
Connect the spotlight’s ground wire to the ground wire of the stub connector.
If you are installing spotlights equipped with a third wire for light-intensity control, connect the spotlight control wire to the control wire of the stub connector. If the spotlight only has two wires, use the two wire stub connectors.
Test the installation
Most newly installed accessories can be tested simply with the ignition "ON", but some brake functions will require the bike to be in motion and traveling above a certain speed. For example, emergency braking requires deceleration of more than 21km/h/s (kilometres per hour per second).
SAFETY NOTICE: Test and check your installations and accessories in a safe, controlled environment. Caution is advised at all times. Extra vigilance is required when testing new features or accessories. You do so at your own risk.
DISCLAIMER: HEX ezCAN is not liable for any injury or damage howsoever caused and all products and services are used at your own risk.
