Jump to content
IGNORED

Horn modulated passing lamps


Recommended Posts

I've read this so many times I can't see it any more. Typos and questions: I'll be glad to correct/explain as needed.

 

How to make your passing lamps modulate when the horn is activated. If they are not already on they will be turned on while the horn is activated.

 

Some information: Headlight modulation is authorized throughout the US by the DOT. It is wise to carry a copy of the law in case you find a LEO who doesn't know this. You can't legally modulate at night, and all modulation must be synchronized unless you're a LEO.

 

Most Diamond Star modules have a Heads Up mode. This causes the attached lights to flash for three seconds when the horn is honked. I wanted my passing lamps to flash as long as I hold down the horn button.

 

As I was finishing this up (I thought.) I did a final check for parts availability. It turns out Signal Dynamics has changed models and the newest one won't work. Some old Diamond Stars might be available, but I'd definitely call and check the number. Because of this I added the instructions for Kisan modules as well. I have not used the Kisans myself. (See Notes 3 and 4 at the bottom for more info.)

 

Schematics follow at the end of the article.

 

1 – Using a relay to activate the passing lamps. Lamps installed as per Yamaha instructions.

 

1 normally open horn relay

Wire

Female lugs

Wire loom material

Fuse (inline or mini addon fuse block)

 

Remove seat and tank. Split fairing.

 

Run a wire in wire loom from the battery, up the backbone, through the neck, and into the fairing. Use an inline mini fuse or an addon fuse block. Depending on how much of this mod you want to do you may want to run more than one wire. This is a power wire – 12 or 14 gage. This wire goes to 30 on the relay.

 

Find the wire that's patched into the red/yellow high beam wire. Cut this wire between the switch and the passing lights. Place a female lug on the wire that goes to the headlights and put it on 87 on the relay. Place a female lug on the wire that comes from the switch and put it on 85. Run 86 to ground.

 

If you don't care about the modulation and horns you can use some double stick tape, stick the relay to the bulkhead, and stop here. You'll have your passing light powered from the battery, activated by a relay switched only when the power is on. You've also reduced the load on your headlight circuit.

 

2 – Add a horn activated modulator.

 

1 Diamond Star modulator #01014 (Follow DS instructions – red to power, red and white to light.)

OR

1 Kisan pathBlazer P115W–H3-HD (Follow K - instructions.)

2 horn relays

Wire

2 Piggy back lugs (Radio Shack Quick Disconnect Adapter Set 64-3064)

Some female lugs

Wire loom material.

Double stick tape

 

Remove left lower. Remove tank. Loosen/remove neck plastic. Split fairing.

 

Run two signal wires (16 or 18 gage) in wire loom up from the area of the horn, through the neck, and into the fairing.

 

If you are retaining the stock horn, solder/crimp piggyback lugs to the wires and place on horn. Place plug on piggyback.

 

If you're removing the stock horns use standard male lugs. Put the lugs into the horn plug. Toss the horn.

 

http://s_bumgardner.home.comcast.net/lowerfairing.jpg

(horn area of lower)

 

From the front of the bike run the horn signal wires to your right. Give yourself a foot of wire or so to work with and trim, then add a female lug to each wire.

 

In order to keep some of the wiring under control I made a harness for the relay set. I used double stick tape to stick the relays together side by side, then placed lugs on each 85 and 86. I routed the wires that go to the front connectors toward the back next to the other wire. Once everything was in place I crimped the lugs onto the wires, and wrapped the wire sets with electrical tape in strategic spots. I put male lugs on the ends of the two wires.

 

http://s_bumgardner.home.comcast.net/relays.jpg

(Relays and wiring harness)

 

Plug the two male lugs from the relay harness into the females on the horn signal wires.

 

First relay – doesn't matter which.

DS - Cut the toggle switch off of the modulator, leaving the wire. Solder a female lug to each wire. Hook these to 30 and 87a.

K – Cut the red wire on the light sensor wire set and splice in enough signal wire to reach the relay. Solder a female lug to each new wire. Hook these to 30 and 87.

 

Cut your passing lamp power wire between its switching device (switch or relay) and the lamps. Install the Diamond Star or pathBlazer module on this wire as per its instructions.

 

Decision time: Do you want the lights to flash at night? Technically this is probably illegal. The main headlight may not modulate after dark. Period. These however are passing/auxiliary lamps flashing when you honk the horn. Their use presupposes an emergency wherein I want the clown about to run me over to notice I'm there and change his mind. I don't care how the DOT feels about it.

 

If you decide to have them flash at night you need to:

 

DS - cut the sensor off, then solder the wires together and insulate the end, then tape it out of the way.

K - mount the sensor where it receives light from the headlight. The pathBlazer uses an adjustable sensor, so cutting it off probably won't work.

 

If you want the light to not flash at night follow the standard sensor mounting instructions for each. I mounted the one for my headlight in the plastic piece at the bottom of the fork, toward the back, pointing down. There's room for two. I removed the sensor for the passing lamp modulator.

 

http://s_bumgardner.home.comcast.net/lightsensor.jpg

(Sensor placement)

 

Pick a second relay. Splice into the light power wire before the existing switch/relay. Run this wire to 30. Splice into the light power wire after the existing switch/relay and run this wire to 87.

 

http://s_bumgardner.home.comcast.net/relayswired.jpg

(Relays - from left: Horn - Headlight modulation - Passing light modulation - Passing light power with horn. Separate - Switched passing lamp power for normal operation.)

 

Use double sided tape to stick the relays and modulators to the bulkhead. If you're doing the horn and/or headlight modulator, save this step for later.

 

http://s_bumgardner.home.comcast.net/relaysinplace.jpg

(Relays in place on front right, lower bulkhead)

 

You can stop here, your passing lamps will now flash when you honk the horn. If they are not turned on, the second relay will turn them on while the horn is activated. Power on, test, and button up.

 

3 - You can add a set of Fiamm Extra Loud electric horns inside the fairing. Just add another relay in parallel with the others (85 and 86), then use this to power the horns.

 

The Fiamms will fit inside the fairing. The supplied mounting brackets must be attached to the radio mounting bracket, one on each side. The brackets must be massaged to get the horns to fit without touching the fairing. I used two of the mounting brackets on each horn to get good strength. One seemed too weak. You may find that the upper bolts yield a better position than the lower bolts.

 

Run a fused wire from the battery to 30 on its relay, then from 87 to both horns. Ground the horns to the radio framework.

 

http://s_bumgardner.home.comcast.net/horns.jpg

(Fiamm horns)

 

Parts for this:

1 set of Fiamm Extra Loud electric horns (132 db)

1 horn relay

A couple more lugs

A bit more wire

 

4 - You can also add a headlight modulator on the high beam. If you do, add another relay to the horn circuit, same as above. You will need to turn off the headlight modulator when the passing lamps are modulating.

 

DS - Cut the toggle switch off the headlight modulator and add lugs. Put these on 30 and 87. It'll turn off the headlight modulator while the passing lamps are flashing.

K – Cut the red wire to the light sensor and add two wires with female lugs on the ends. Route these to 30 and 87a. This will turn off the headlight modulator while the passing lamps are flashing.

 

Parts for that:

A Diamond Star module installed to the high beam as per instructions (red to power source, red and white to light).

OR

A pathBlazer P115W–H3-HD module installed to the high beam as per instructions.

1 horn relay

A couple more lugs

A little more wire

 

If you didn't stick it all to the bulkhead earlier, now's the time. Power up, test, and button everything up.

 

Note 1: I went to Pep Boys, in the horn department, and found good quality relays for three bucks each. They have both normally open and normally closed terminals. I've found low end relays with 87a cut off. These will work for all but one place on the Diamond Star install. The relays used on lighting systems cost five bucks each and all require a fancy harness and plug to remain fully rigid. Used without the plug these relays can be activated by moving the wires attached to the switch lugs.

 

Note 2: If you get the Fiamms from this place, you'll get a five lug relay and all the rest of the stuff you need to add the horns.

 

Note 3: Any Kisan pathBlazer will probably work for the main headlight. All you need to be able to do is interrupt the signal from the light sensor. I contacted Kisan and a tech there verified that opening the sensor circuit would cause the modulator to return the light to solid operation. That's what we want.

 

Note 4: Newer Diamond Star modulators (#01013) will not work. If it hooks up to a single light and has a switch, and/or light sensor, it should work. Bear in mind that the Diamond Star module # 01014 modulates when the switch is OFF and stays on solid when the switch is ON. The Kisans modulate when ON and stay on solid when OFF. In other words, if it flashes at the wrong time move 87/87a to the other.

 

(Schematics)

http://s_bumgardner.home.comcast.net/circuitDScolorFinal.jpg

(Diamond Star #01014)

http://s_bumgardner.home.comcast.net/circuitKisanColorFinal.jpg

(Kisan pathBlazer)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...