Hello all,
My first post here. I am thinking about adding a pair of driving lights like one of these (http://optronicsinc.com/proburners.htm) on the fairing under the headlight on my GS500F. They are rated at 50-watt with halogen bulbs.
Can I just splice them into the current wires to the headlights or should I directly connect them to the battery?
I am a total novice in terms of electric stuff and any help would be appreciated?
Howard
If you go directly to the battery you will have to install a separate switch for the lights, otherwise they will always be on. You could probably splice it into the headlight wire, or just the general orange or red wire that is hot whenever the ignition is on. It depends on what type of control you want over the lights. I think you would want a separate switch either way.
I don't know much about electricity, especially on bikes so hopefully someone else with chime in.
For now check the wiki, I think it has a copy of the wiring diagram which can be very helpful.
Don't go direct to the battery, it is not required and if you do you will need to fuse-protect whatever you connect - just another complication.
I recently fitted a powered cradle for my sat-nav on the bandit also a turn signal bleeper device. You best bet is to pick up an existing cable that is live when ignition is on, Bluesmuge say red or Orange, I can't recall the colours myself but I'm sure he is right, somewhere on this site there is a col-coded wiring diagram but if you have a simple multi-meter or tester it is simple enough to find out. Very often one of the wires to the horn is convenient to get into or go into the back of your existing headlamp.
If John Bates chips in with any advice - take it!
I added two driving lights on my front fairings of the bike under the headlight but i am pretty sure mine were only 10 watt lights that i found at a local autopart store once. 2-50 watt lights will be putting alot more load on the battery and the electrical system from how i understand it and i am sure someone will chime in soon with if that much additional wattage will be ok or not. But anyway i hooked my two lights directly to the wiring harness that was going into the back of the headlight. I connected them to the power wire for the low beam on the headlight so then when you flip the hi-lo beam switch on the headlight they turn off when the hi beams are on. Since as i recall it is illegal to have an additional set of driving lights on when your hi beam lights are on which is why in cars that come with factory fog lights the fog lights turn off when you turn on your hi beams.
from the 89-99 service manual I have, on page 1-8 (general information - specifications - electrical) the "FUSE" is 20A, at 13 V your electrical system is then rated for 260W.
the sum of electrical loads listed is 124.7W (Highbeam + brakelight on, worst case), leaving 135.3 W for battery charging and additional loads.
keep in mind that the battery is probably discharging at idle, i think our bikes dont start making good charging voltage until they hit cruising RPM (this is why your headlight brightens when you blip the throttle)
so 100W of additional load leaves only 35W of headroom to charge the battery after starting or launching from a long light.
also keep in mind that the listed loads are steady state, and all your lighting will consume FAR MORE power when lighting up from a dim/off condition.
given these facts i would avoid running those lights in city, and just after starting the bike - not to mention if you're using extra bright lights in the city I harbour a secret and powerful hate for you which burns me to the depths of my soul.
Wow. Thanks for some great advice. Now I am thinking I should look for bulbs that are around 25 watts each. Any good place to find them?
I also noticed that a lot of touring bikes have their extra driving lights low to the ground on the front forks here in Texas. Is that because it is illegal to put extra lights up high next to the headlight?
Putting additional lights up high near the headlight to the best of my knowledge are not illegal. I know some people that have put additional lights down on the forks just because they said it was easier to get a bracket to put them on the forks easily. I don't know where you might be able to find some 25 watt lights but i do know that PIAA makes 35 watt driving lights but they are easily $200 plus for a pair which is pretty pricey for some. I remember looking for a while for something in the $100 and under range for a decent set of lights and couldn't find anything that was less that 50 watts for a pair but then came across the ones i have on my bike which were in my garage from 10 years ago. They are i believe 10 watts but i honestly can't even tell when they are on as far as producing actual light. If you are looking for additional lighting you might be better off looking into an HID light kit to replace the headlight or maybe just a higher wattage light. On my cars i have used 90/100 watt bulbs that aren't technically street legal and are for off road use but definitely will produce more light and as long as you don't aim them to high you will never get bothered for them atleast in NJ. Aiming them to high is another story as my friend was pulled over for following a cop with them aimed really high one time. That would only be adding a total of 50 watts to the electrical system which shouldn't be bad. Just a warning the higher wattage headlights do burn out quicker so you will be replacing it more frequently than the stock bulb.
Also, if you're using a 100w light on the headlight circuit your wires might get pretty hot. Melty hot. I wouldn't recommend that.
Quote from: s0crates82 on July 02, 2009, 02:03:39 PM
Also, if you're using a 100w light on the headlight circuit your wires might get pretty hot. Melty hot. I wouldn't recommend that.
I think you'll find the Wire can handle the 100w load - but - the switch is another thing entirely. Which is why, when installing driving lights onto Cars it is advised to use a relay. So the normal switch triggers the relay which allows the power to flow directly from the battery to the light via an inline fuse (which usually comes with the lights and is already wired up). Failure will result in a melted switch - either melted in the highbeam on position or melted not to work again. Which results in the only way to turn off the additional lights being a quick snip of the wire or turn off your engine - or you have no lights whatsoever.
When the switch melted in my car I lost constantly on highbeam while the driving lights stayed on. I also lost low beam. But did have Flash high beam. So I angled the lights down to the ground and drove around at night with my hand holding the lever in the Flash/Pass mode. Difficult to change gears in a manual car. I'd hate to lose my bike's lights at night.
Michael
Do you just want more light on the road? If so, you may be better off just switching to an HID headlight. If you're going for a light triangle I suggest going the led route. Get a couple of ultrabright LED modules, cree is the brand you want and you'd be surprised how bright you can get them. There latest MC-E light can output 800 lumens, about as much as a 50w halogen bulb but only consumes 8 watts. You'll have to do some electrical work but if you stick with a prebuilt one with regulator the electrical work is minimal.
dealextreme.com is where I go for all my led lighting needs.
I know the older (89-2001) models in the US/CANADA have an extra wire behind the headlamp that is not attached to anything. In other markets, it powered a running or parking light. Check to see if the F models still have this -- I bet they do. If so, you have a ready-made 'hot' wire to power any accessory. I have mine wired to a pair of internal handlebar warmers, and spliced to a pair of X-tra loud horns (fused and across a relay).
Anyway, just to say that you may already have a power wire there.