SuzukiSavage.com - Anyone done a model A tail light?

Biddie

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Anyone done a model A tail light?
12/22/09 at 12:37:11

I am in the process of bobbing and can not figure out how to wire my model A taillight/tag light combo. The light has two single filament bulbs with only one wire coming from each. one is supposed to constantly burn as a tag light and the other should light with I depress the brake. Have any of y'all done this with success? The first pic is the taillight/tag combo. Also included are picture of the bobber conversion.

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Biddie YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 48	Re: Anyone done a model A taillihght? Reply #1 - 12/22/09 at 12:38:36 I don't know why the pics are so big. The green wire goes to the top light and the black goes to the bottom.
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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28642 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: Anyone done a model A tail light? Reply #2 - 12/22/09 at 13:55:12 Green = brake black = tail ground is through the housing,... must bolt to grounded metal... on bike... white w/black tracer = brake brown = tail black w/white tracer = ground and attaches to nothing...
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marine5317 Full Member Alliance Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 181 Lecanto,FL Gender:	Re: Anyone done a model A tail light? Reply #3 - 12/22/09 at 17:01:35 If that's a real mod. A tail light it is 6v. I think everything went to 12v in 1955. You will need 1156 single or 1157 duel bulbs. Ride Safe Marine5317
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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28642 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: Anyone done a model A tail light? Reply #4 - 12/22/09 at 17:25:38 marine5317 wrote on 12/22/09 at 17:01:35: If that's a real mod. A tail light it is 6v. I think everything went to 12v in 1955. You will need 1156 single or 1157 duel bulbs. Ride Safe Marine5317 It's not,.. look at the connectors...
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Paladin.

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Re: Anyone done a model A tail light?
Reply #5 - 12/22/09 at 18:23:06

Serowbot wrote on 12/22/09 at 13:55:12:

...black w/white tracer = ground and attaches to nothing...

ALMOST right.

Green wire, brake, ties to the bike's white/black.
Black wire, tail, ties to bike's brown wire.
The bike's black/white tracer, ground, attaches to the lamp housing, mounting screw, etc.. Because of the swingarm/fender/whatever being bolted but not strapped, getting a chassis ground for the taillight is not reliable. Connecting the Black/White ground wire insures a reliable ground connection to the taillight.

Faulty grounds are *not* fun to troubleshoot.

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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28642 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: Anyone done a model A tail light? Reply #6 - 12/22/09 at 22:42:15 Quote: Faulty grounds are not fun to troubleshoot. The majority of my electrical troubleshooting involves chasing the flames..... better go with Paladin's advice...
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Biddie

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Re: Anyone done a model A tail light?
Reply #7 - 12/26/09 at 12:15:43

I have tried Paladin's. However; only the top light comes on and nothing happens when I depress the brake. But I also noticed that if I switch green&white/black&brown the other light comes on. The brake still does nothing. Also if the whole thing is off the bike none of the above applies, both lights come on but are dim. The brake does nothing, while the whole thing id off the bike. I have never claimed to be an electrician and this why.

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Paladin.

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Re: Anyone done a model A tail light?
Reply #8 - 12/26/09 at 15:06:34

OK, lets restart from square one. Obtain 12 volt source, I like to use a car battery charger as it has handy clips on it. Clip one side to the lamp housing. Touch the second clip to a wire, a lamp should light. Touch the second clip to the other wire, the other lamp should light. If this happens, the tail light is good.

On to the bike. The black-white tracer is supposed to be ground. Attach to the lamp housing. Ignition on, touch brown bike wire to one of the lamp wires, one lamp should light. Touch to the other wire, the other lamp shoudl light. Leave brownb wire connected to the tail light. The bike's White-black tracer attaches to the not taillight wire to the lamp -- the brake light should now work.

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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Anyone done a model A tail light? Reply #9 - 12/26/09 at 16:33:36 You might want to have a look at the brake light switch. The rear one can get outta whack. They sometimes lose the spring that pulls the switch.
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Biddie YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 48	Re: Anyone done a model A tail light? Reply #10 - 12/28/09 at 11:39:02 Paladin I tried everything you said, but it just results in a blown fuse when I depress the brake. Also another quirky thing is instead of it being the brown wire that makes the light come on it is the white/black tracer. On a good note though I can hook up LED running lights to the old taillight wires.
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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28884 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Anyone done a model A tail light? Reply #11 - 12/28/09 at 12:14:43 Serowbot wrote on 12/22/09 at 13:55:12: on bike...... white w/black tracer = brake [light] brown = tail [tag light] black w/white tracer = ground and attaches to [the mounting bolt of the tail light.] If you're still blowing fuses, check the wattage of the lights, and of course check for shorts.
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Biddie YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 48	Re: Anyone done a model A tail light? Reply #12 - 12/28/09 at 14:44:39 Bulbs are 12v23w.
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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28884 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Anyone done a model A tail light? Reply #13 - 12/28/09 at 14:52:46 If both bulbs are 2 amp (23watts/12volts=amperage), that might be the problem. Tag light should be less.
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justin_o_guy2

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Re: Anyone done a model A tail light?
Reply #14 - 12/29/09 at 08:29:01

verslagen1 wrote on 12/28/09 at 12:14:43:

Serowbot wrote on 12/22/09 at 13:55:12:

on bike......

white w/black tracer = brake [light]
brown = tail [tag light]
black w/white tracer = ground and attaches to [the mounting bolt of the tail light.]

If you're still blowing fuses, check the wattage of the lights, and of course check for shorts.

If theres a short, shouldnt it pop the fuse even with no bulb installed?

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The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.- Edmund Burke.

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