Topic: Headlight switch wiring question

[Zane]

I'd like to put a switch on my headlight bucket that will turn the headlight on and off.  (Just so it's easier than popping the fuse out to turn off the headlight.)  This probably seems like a pretty dumb question, but which of the three wires leading to the headlight itself (and inside the pot) do I place the switch in? 

There are blue, white, and green leads. 

[TwoTired]

Blue is hi beam power, White is lo beam power, and Green is ground.

If you want the light off regardless of hi/lo switch position, use a double pole single throw switch to interupt both the blue and white wires.

10 Amp contact rating should work okay.

Cheers,

[Zane]

Thanks Two Tired.  You're great!

I actually already have a single pole toggle switch (with a waterproof cover).  If I wanted to use it, in conjunction with the hi-lo switch on the bar control, could I get away with wiring that single pole switch into one or the other of the blue or white wires?  Whichever is the low beam maybe?? 

I should say that I'm doing this not for any road use.  It's just so that when I'm working on the bike I can kill that big draw.

[TwoTired]

Yep, should work.  Low beam is white.

[Zane]

Thanks again Two Tired.  I'll slip downstairs right away and try that after I re-gap my spark plugs to the wider gap you recommend for my "new" coils.

[KB02]

Couldn't you just plug that single pole switch into the ground for the light? Wouldn't that work?

[gkw120649]

I did the ground and the High Beam light would glow but it works.  Which way is better or correct?

[Zane]

Couldn't you just plug that single pole switch into the ground for the light? Wouldn't that work?

I don't know KB.  That's why I asked.  If the headlight lamp was easy to find, and inexpensive (neither of which is the case) I'd probably give 'er a trial and error attempt.

I suppose it's not like house wiring - where you can put 220 volts through a 110 circuit by mistake (24/12 volts)  12 volts or less has to be the most you can summon on a bike (unless your regulator's shot, I suppose).

I did the ground and the High Beam light would glow but it works. Which way is better or correct?

Do you mean it would glow when the switch was in the "off" position?  Maybe if you do the ground wire, the juice makes it to the filaments okay, but then has no where to go after that.  Any glow you see is the result of a (limited) leak to ground, before the switch.  I really don't know. 

I was going to do it (put the switch in) last night, but after I reset my plug gaps (to the wider gap recommended by Two Tired, to go with my "new" GL 1000 coils) I was so pleased with the further improvement in the engine performance, I couldn't stop riding.  It's supposed to snow later today, so I'll instal the switch then.....

[750duo]

Putting the single pole switch in the green lead (ground/earth) should turn off both the high and low beams. If it doesn't, there is a short circuit somewhere to the frame. This would not normally be a problem since the green wire goes to the frame eventually anyway. (frame=ground/earth)

It is a problem if you are trying to turn off the light completely. You will need to trace that wire to find the short - this is usually the wire rubbing against the frame somewhere.

Or as TwoTired suggested - invest in a double pole single throw switch.

Good Luck

Tom

[cadler]

just make sure that you do not switch the high beam and regular beam on at the same time.

[Zane]

just make sure that you do not switch the high beam and regular beam on at the same time.

If it's wired how, cadler?  Into the green wire, or into the white wire?  (Or either?)

Whatever, it's looking more and more like the sensible thing to do is get a single throw, two pole switch; just do the thing right instead of cheaping out and using something I have lying around.

[TwoTired]

Diagrammatically, the headlight has three posts in a row with a filament each connected from center to the outer ones.  Two filaments, Hi/Lo.

The center is ground, green, or battery minus.  Apply battery plus to either of the outer connections and a filament glows.  One of them is high watts the other is low watts.  The High/Low switch routinely handles this power routing.

The design of some switches will ground unused contacts when not needed for the circuit.  I don't have a 400F switch to check the design of that particular switch.  However, if it IS designed to ground unused terminals and you interupt the ground lead with a separate switch.  Applying power to one of the outer posts will find a ground at the opposite post through BOTH filaments.  The voltage will be divided by each filament and will operate at reduced power accordingly, I.E. they will be very dim, but they will still draw power.

If the Hi/Lo switch doesn't ground unused contacts then a single pole single throw switch can be employed in the ground path to douse the headlight regardless of Hi/Lo switch position.

However, if you leave the ground path intact, place your single pole switch in either the White or blue lead path at the headlight, it will douse the headlight whenever the lead is selected by the Hi/Lo switch.

If you can't be bothered to manually set two switches to douse the headlight.  Then either install a DPST switch to interrupt both the white and blue leads at the headlight, OR, run two wires from your SPST switch down to the junction area under your fuel tank and insert the switch between the Black/red male and female bullet connectors.

I'm done, now...

[Zane]

You're the best, Mr. T. Tired.  And I agree (and I'm jealous) biffta.  Maybe sometime in the future I can get my hands on a Brit switch for a reasonable price.  (Although knowing this country, installing it on a Canadian bike would probably be felonious.)

I'm amazed how thick I can be when it comes to some stuff - I just don't get it.  So thanks for laying it out so thoroughly for me.  I'll still have to make a visual aid though - somehow it's incredibly difficult (if not impossible) for me to turn the words into pictures in my head.  (I think I'm what's called a "kinesthetic" learner - I bloody well have to do the thing to learn it.)

You've given me a good idea T.T., I think though.  I'll post a snap shot when I'm done.

With appreciation, men.

All the best....

[seaweb11]

Nice carpet in your garage

[Zane]

I can't speak about any bike lighting switches but the US and Canadian 400/4's.  It seems pretty dumb to me, but our right hand switches look like the crude job I did on your photo .....

We don't have "a parking bulb" (although if you turn the ignition switch all the way to the right, the running light in the tail (brake) light stays on.  (Which, design wise, also just seems plain dumb to me....)

The only choice we have when it comes to the headlight is the beam strength - low or high.  The headlight comes on immediatly after ignition occurs.

Interestingly enough, I've heard from people who've had more experince than me with this type of system, that because of the peculiar wiring inside our right hand switches (peculiar because it's wired to interrupt the headlight during ignition, and then slam the headlight back on as soon as the starter stops) those switches melt down more easily and frequently than the switches with the actual headlight switch available to the operator.  It all just seems to me like yet another instance of (petty) bureaucrats and government officials thinking they know what's best for me and also believing I'm too stupid to take care of myself.  (Yeah, right - if I had control of the headlight I'd drive around at night all the time with my head light off!)   Arrrghh!  I just don't have the hair to pull out any more over such idiotic reasoning.




All the best,

Oh yeah - nice carpet!

[supersport_CB400F]

That switch looks strange with no off/parking bulb/parking bulb and main bulb positions indeed! The left hand switch on my bike if you push the horn button sideways (PA in the photo) flashes the main beam it’s spring loaded so if you want to keep it on you need to hold it across, it’s very useful on motorways.

Thanks for the compliments on my carpet guy’s, but I may have to get a new one when my project is finished 

[Zane]

Wow!  Okay, so now I officially have switch envy.  The configuration(s) of your handlebar controls over there makes so much more sense, on every level IMHO.  Even though "big brother" was conceived in England, he's really quite alive and well in the "colonies". 

If I knew something about actuarial science, I'm certain I'd be able to show statistically where and how the attempts of regulatory officials actually have the opposite effect that was intended.

And I certainly don't know why we don't have that brilliant little headlight brightening, spring switch on the horn button. 

So between having a left hand switch where many folks (with smaller hands) must struggle to dim or brighten the headlight (and experience the resultant control difficulties the reach demands - and the undue pressure and stress placed on the motorcycles entire electrical system caused by the poorly thought through, removal of the headlight on off switch ........  yeeesh!  If I were a person of true wealth I'd start getting those legislations changed.

But since I'm not (a person of true monetary wealth) I'll start watching UK ebay for those, more sensible switches.

[supersport_CB400F]

I think they only started fitting the “pass button” (PA) on bikes from 76> if you start looking for one.
BTW the front and rear lights are smaller over here

Dave

[Zane]

You've given me a good idea T.T., I think though.  I'll post a snap shot when I'm done.

I opted for a switch in the headlight power line under the tank (left front) before the handlebar switch.  I encased my single throw, single pole switch in epoxy and mounted it on the part of that piece I couldn't figure out a use for (but that on some other bikes holds an electrical box of some sort).  I works just fine.

If I had to do it again, I'd make a couple of changes.  I made all my measurements by installing that little bracket, but I was lazy and disn't instal the tank as well - when measuring.  As a result the bottom bit of the switch is visible with the tank on.  I would also run the wires a little differently, off of the switch.  Just to reduce strain a bit is all.

It's great to have the option to kill the headlight now.  Buzzing around in the underground it just really saves the battery - since I can't really sustain adequet rpm's for enough time to effectively charge much.

i like a few things about this route.  I didn't have to modify or change any stock bits (like the headlight bucket or existing wiring).  I did drill a hole in that little bracket - but that part or that bracket (to the best of my reckoning through the post about it) doesn't have a use on my motorcycle.  Now it has a use though.....

Thanks for all the help guys.  I know it seems pretty simple, but I really didn't know how to approach it.  I'm pleased with this solution though - it'll get me through until I can find a European right handlebar control.