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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Headlight wiring and ignition switch question
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Message started by John in Kalifornia on 10/27/14 at 21:22:49

Title: Headlight wiring and ignition switch question
Post by John in Kalifornia on 10/27/14 at 21:22:49

Still working on the street tracker project. Well, I finally have all the sheet metal work done and have places to mount the electrics. Bike has been sorta hotwired with a big battery disconnect switch instead of the stock key switch. (Maybe somebody lost the key or??) I'm going to install a simple single throw on/off key switch for the ignition, etc. And I'm removing all the side stand/clutch/neutral interlocks and decompression solenoid etc. garbage.

I would like to turn the lights on and off with a separate switch. As the bike is originally wired there is no light switch, just a hi/lo beam switch for the headlight on the left grip. There is no way to just run the ignition without also draining the battery with all the lights. Yes, I know that it's safer to run the lights in the daytime and would probably have them on all the time when riding.

Why not use the "engine stop" switch on the right handlebar to turn the lights on and off? The ignition can be run directly to the key switch. Why do I need another switch in series with the one I already have? Anybody see a problem with this approach? I don't really see a problem with reaching down under the seat to turn the bike off.

John in Kalifornia

Title: Re: Headlight wiring and ignition switch question
Post by Serowbot on 10/27/14 at 21:44:44

Although I'm not a fan of redundancy... I find myself using the kill switch often... because of the ignition switch being on the left... same as the clutch... and me being too lazy to hunt for neutral every stop...
;D...

If you want a headlight shut-off... I'd use an illuminated switch on the headlight ground, and mount it on the light bucket...
...if you want all lights switchable... I think you need to tap from the ignition switch... (it will get complicated)...

...(I keep meaning to add a headlight shut-off myself... Just for a power boost when starting with a weak battery)... (I just never think of it when I have time,.. and never have time when I think of it)...
:-?...

Title: Re: Headlight wiring and ignition switch question
Post by verslagen1 on 10/27/14 at 22:42:15

I would not recommend re-purposing any engine operation switch.
couple years ago witness a rider go down, ran out to help him out.
it was a bmw, all the controls were unfamiliar icons and looking at them upside down didn't help. finally figured out which switch cut off the ignition. imagine someone trying to help you out and not being able to cut off the engine?

Title: Re: Headlight wiring and ignition switch question
Post by John in Kalifornia on 10/28/14 at 00:34:56

OK, you have convinced me to leave the kill switch to its original task. Better idea that was mentioned is to just switch the ground in or out for the headlight. Since I have to run new wires for the tail lights anyway I can just connect the head and tail light grounds together and switch them both off or on with the same switch. Where to locate it? Too bad I don't have a 3 position key switch like on older bikes.

John in Kalifornia

Title: Re: Headlight wiring and ignition switch question
Post by engineer on 10/28/14 at 10:56:46

I have an old Honda that a previous owner modified by wiring in a toggle switch into the ground just as Serowbot suggested. The switch is mounted on the bucket just a little off center where it is clearly visible and easy to reach.

I sometimes turn it off while starting the engine but I believe it is illegal to ride without the headlight on in this state.

Title: Re: Headlight wiring and ignition switch question
Post by John in Kalifornia on 10/28/14 at 11:26:04

I think I got it. The original always hot power wire that goes to the headlight dimmer switch would be rerouted to a switch installed on the headlight bucket. The other side of the switch then could go back to the dimmer switch to provide power to the headlight, and also a wire spliced in to go to the tail light.

BTW, I am using 3.5 mm bullet connectors when I need new wiring. They are ones that are used in R/C models for power from the speed control to the brushless electric motors. Easy to solder to. To identify the various systems in the bike I'm using colored heat shrink at the connections. This worked well when I rewired my son's 72 Comet for sequential tailights.

Color code is as follows based on sorta standard Japanese m/c wiring convention.

Yellow - left turn signal
Green - right turn signal
Blue- lights
Red - hot always battery power
White- switched battery power
Black- ground

In the schematics sometimes battery power is black. If you use some of the original wiring it can be confusing. Just have to remember on the new connections it's the color of the heat shrink over the connectors that determines the function, not necessarily the wire color. The original square plastic connectors are of good quality and it make little sense to replace them if they are still being used for the same task.

I am eliminating the "safety" interlock switches and the decompression solenoid but most of the other connectors are retained.

John in Kalifornia