Can someone help with an electrical mod?

[Monsta]

I'd like to have my tail light(s) come on when I put the key in the ACCES position. Sometimes at night I pull over for whatever reason and don't want to keep my headlights and everything else on but want to have some lighting on. Most of my other bikes had a "PARK" position where the taillight would be lit.

 

How can I accomplish this without hacking up too many wires?

 

I'm thinking that I would have to relay off the radio as it is the only thing (I think) that is powered up in the ACCES position. What I don't know is what negative affects this could have once the bike is running.

[Guest cdvogan]

Instead of cutting wires why not just use the hazard flashers? or won't they come on without the key turned on? Just a thought.

Cliff

[Carbon_One]

I wanted the exact same results on my bike so what I did was install a 30 amp relay and switch box. In order to do exactly what you want to do I inserted a relay for the low beam light and now use a switch to turn on/off the low beam as desired. High beam is unaffected so works as normal.

I ran a new fused line to supply power to the relay and used the low beam side of the bikes circuit to activate the relay. Once I engage the relay by flipping the switch (ground the circuit in the relay ) the light comes on.

Here's how to hook it up:

On the relay there'll be the following numbers.

#30 Power to the relay vie a battery feed fused line. I use a rubber covered type that matches the oem fuses. This way you have spares if needed.

#87 Key on power source. You can use the original low beam light wire to activate this terminal

#86 Power outlet of the relay. You'll run wire from this terminal to the low beam terminal you took off the headlight

#85 This terminal will go to one side of your on/off switch. Then ground the other side of the switch.

I used a switch box that mounted on the clutch reservoir. Show Chrome makes them for the Wings. They fit our bikes perfectly too. You can get them for the right side as well.

Hope this was helpfull and easy enough to understand.

Larry

[Monsta]

Instead of cutting wires why not just use the hazard flashers? or won't they come on without the key turned on?

Cliff...they don't work unless the key is on RUN. Silly, huh? mandatory for cars/trucks to have hazards that flash without the key in the ignition, they should really make bikes have the same thing.

 

Carbon_One - Okay as I read it you simply placed a relay in to activate the light. I can certainly do that! I'll look for one of those switch boxes. I've seen you guys with them and they look nice! Now maybe I can add a few more functional things that need to be switched like that. Thanks for the tip!!

[GeorgeS]

You could install a Switch ( SPST ) to power a relay, which would take power from the ACC Fuse, and run an extra wire to your left rear turn signal bulb. I think this would work.

 

Another thing I did, was rewired my Rt tail light bulb, thru a new inline fuse holder, to a different 12v source from the " tail " fuse.

This way if the stock " tail " fuse blows, I would still have at least One tail light burning.

 

The way its wired stock, if the tail fuse blows, you loose both of the tail light bulbs.

[BEER30]

I keep a LED strobe light in my saddle bag that I can rest on the trunk when I stop on the side of the road for misc. reasons .

My LED strobe has many functions , flashlight , SOS , Dazzle , Strobe , and blink . I can adjust the amount of light needed . I have the marine version that last up to 1200 hours on 3 AA batteries as well that I keep in the scoot of which is waterproof . There's another version I have for the PU that last 750 hours .

I prefer to use this light rather than monkeying around with the MC electrical . Just a thought !

 

 

You could also add a Red LED trunk light with it's own switch/power supply and be less complicated .

Gene

[GeorgeS]

Or mount a couple extra tail lights, useing LED bulbs, much less current draw on the battery.

[Cougar]

My LED strobe has many functions , flashlight , SOS , Dazzle , Strobe , and blink . I can adjust the amount of light needed . I have the marine version that last up to 1200 hours on 2 AA batteries as well

 

Where did you get this Item?

 

Thanks,

Jeff

[BEER30]

Where did you get this Item?

 

Thanks,

Jeff

 

I have connections as usual to obtain a couple of the Marine and Elitemax versions each for myself . I was thinking of becoming a dealer of these lights , but had other things to do . Here's the link to these lights , http://www.techass.com/ .

 

 

 

Gene

[Cougar]

Thanks for the link Gene, What model

on that page does all that you say it does

in the above post. (some are out of stock now )

Thanks,

Jeff

[Monsta]

I was originally looking for something that would just require me to put the key in the ACCES position when I stop. I usually do this anyway to keep the radio on anyway. I like au-to-ma-tic stuff.

 

The portable strobe idea got me thinking that most of the time I stop I usually have the trunk open. You see, I have a self powered, removable LED light Velcro'd to the lid of the trunk (plus one in each saddlebag). Upon going out tonight in the dark I realized that the trunk light put a rather large swath of light around the back of the bike. It may just suffice for my needs for now.

 

However, I think I'm going to wire one of the additional LED light bars I have to come on when I open the trunk or at least put a switch in side the trunk for them to come on. If I can find an appropriate sized plunger switch that would be even cooler! Au-to-ma-tic!

 

I've decided not to do the additional switches on the master cylinder. Too much dough to spend now. I need cheap mods as my kids are still small(er).

 

One new mod idea I had tonight was a small LED mounted on the plastic cover that goes around the ignition. It will be in that little "nook" pointing right at the key hole. This LED will always be hot and will light up the ignition key area for those nights when I ride. I feel like Ray Charles sometimes when I am trying to get the key in there! I figure the draw will be so minimal that I could probably not ride for a year and have no detrimental affect to the battery charge state.