Topic: Which headlight relays and where?

[caretta]

I remember looking at cycleterminals web site and it appears his relay setup is identical to Eastern Beavers. I am not sure why I didn't order from cycleterminals but I am sure there was some reason that I can't put my finger on now. Maybe it was because he is in NJ or I just wanted to try and order something from Japan for the fun of it. Never know about late night shopping excursions on the 'net!!

The reason for using a relay in any circuit is two fold. One is to get all the power to the end user with as minimal voltage drop as possible and second to reduce the wear and tear on contacts in switches. 40 year old contacts are probably not able to pass all the amps that they could when new and shiny and they always present more resistance requiring more amps to overcome the resistance. More resistance makes more heat which makes for degrading contacts.

None of this really matters if you don't care about stuff like this. Old Hondas had good quality switch gear and wiring so they do last a long time and still work today.

I like messin' with stuff and I like electrical stuff so I mess with it.

Put a VOM on the battery and see how many volts the regulator is letting the alternator provide the battery. Rev the engine and see what you get at some set RPM points. The manual tells you what you should be getting. You can calculate your load by adding up all of your loads in amps or watts and compare the total to the rated output of the alternator. Simply stuff if you understand a little about generation and use.

I have always put a manual switch, I can control, on the low beam of the headlight. Turn it off when working on the bike or when you want some extra for the battery. I think most US states have mandatory headlight 'on' laws so you should probably remember to turn it back on when riding.

[caretta]

You can't remove an old SAAB key unless the gearbox is in reverse for a manual and park for the auto. The E-brake in all the 99 or 900's I had never had to be engaged. The SAAB headlight thing is and was a lot like the Honda headlight thing when starting. When the start button is engaged the headlight circuit is disengaged. You could also choose NOT to have 99 or 900 headlights on all the time. SAAB gave active drivers many choices and were inherently very strong structurally.

[Deltarider]

You can't remove an old SAAB key unless the gearbox is in reverse for a manual

Don't I know it! Another example of Saab's 'genius'. Can you imagine what will happen to your gearbox when your parked car gets accidentely rearended? 

[PeWe]

About my need of using relays.... I never had a problem without relays except for wires got shorted between handle bar switch and handle bar since I had grinded openings for harness routed outside the handle bar.
EDIT: My bike got the relays just before 100.000km on the meter!

I installed relays when reading about it in this forum and the crappy handle bar switches with wires soldered direct on thin copper knobs. H4 60/55W is 5A. Improvement to let those connections handle the relay coils only. Horn a must when it did not to work withut relay, double snail horn in need of plenty of Amps.

My bike go 5 relays, 4 closing, 1 open.
Headlight: Relay for HI, LO and one opening that switch off parking light when LO is on. Light pattern will be bad otherwise due to bright LED bulb.
All reaöays placed outside the headlight bucket. Before inside but the LED H4 took some space
Ignition: 1 relay placed beside the fuse box
Horn: Relay placed close to the horns when it is activated by std horn wires.

All relays get 12V direct from battery via thick wires (1.5mm2) with hanging fuses close to the battery to ensure no total melt down if wire get shorted.

I started with cheap relays, but replaced the 3 most important with TYCO relays NOT made in China. Hi, Lo and Ign.

[Mantree]

My only relay is on the ignition since the switch is only rated to 15a and bike would draw almost 30a with incandescent bulbs

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[DH]

My 750k5 and 550k0 both have the same type headlite systems with an on/off switch on the right bar handle and hi/lo on the left bar handle. I used bosch micro relays# 0 332 207 109 from the engine fuse box of a 99-2000 (ish) ford taurus. There are several systems, such as compressor clutch that use this relay, and I bought 10 of them for 2.00 at a salvage yard. They are 10/20 amp,12v, 5 terminal, spdt relays that I wired with jumpers made to Hondaman's specifications that I made myself.
the whole thing cost around 5.00 dollars to make, and it's a tight fit,  2 relays each in the headlight of both bikes. the jumpers are available thru Hondaman if you want pre made. also, when wired to Hondaman's schematic, only 1 wire travels from the battery to headlight shell, and I believe that single wire takes the headlight current load off the keyswitch.. All other wiring stays inside the shell. Will post pic for reference if I am able to find one.


EDIT similar to this one in size and configuration

[70CB750]

You know how in scifi, there are sometimes robots taking over?  Well, i think we are already there.  This guy was complaining about a truck diesel going to cat burning mode - which is fine and dandy and ecological - but it was a bucket truck and it would not lower the bucket in the cat burning mode.  So that poor sucker was stuck in the bucket till the diesel engine finished the process.
And I heard of businesses refurbishing old, primitive trucks because they dont have the electronics that keeps going nuts.

You can't remove an old SAAB key unless the gearbox is in reverse for a manual

Don't I know it! Another example of Saab's 'genius'. Can you imagine what will happen to your gearbox when your parked car gets accidentely rearended?

[Mantree]

You know how in scifi, there are sometimes robots taking over?  Well, i think we are already there.  This guy was complaining about a truck diesel going to cat burning mode - which is fine and dandy and ecological - but it was a bucket truck and it would not lower the bucket in the cat burning mode.  So that poor sucker was stuck in the bucket till the diesel engine finished the process.
And I heard of businesses refurbishing old, primitive trucks because they dont have the electronics that keeps going nuts.

You can't remove an old SAAB key unless the gearbox is in reverse for a manual

Don't I know it! Another example of Saab's 'genius'. Can you imagine what will happen to your gearbox when your parked car gets accidentely rearended?

Why do you think I drive a truck built in 1990

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