Topic: going crazy with wiring. 75 750K brown wire in headlight bucket ???

[greenjeans]

Trying to sort out the wiring on my 75 750K.  Long story short, it had bags etc came with no head light.  The wiring that attached all the lighting on the bags and faring was well done. 

Got the bike running last week.   Went to put on a headlight and that's where the fun begins...

In the headlight bucket, I have a female brown wire.  On my diagram I don't see what it could be.  From the fuse box, the wiring diagram shows 2 brown wires leaving it.  One goes straight to the tail light, the other goes straight to the ignition switch.

From the stray wire in the bucket, there is continuity between it and all the other brown wires. (at the fuse box and the ignition switch)

I can't get the tail light to light up with the head lamp.   The bulb is good.

Any ideas ?

[rklystron]

Just curious... do you have continuity from the tail light to the 15 amp fuse with the battery disconnected and the key on? Its a direct shot once the key is on.

[rklystron]

If your bike is a K2 the tail light comes right off the ignition switch (Brown wire) TL2 is the connection

[cookindaddy]

Yes, but the current for the brown wire comes from the taillight fuse (at least it does on the 77/78). The brown wire is associated with the Park position of the ignition switch and allows you to only have on your rear lights if you are Parked.

I had thought that the loose ended brown wire in the bucket was for an accessory, so that you could listen to your radio or CB while you were parked but someone else thought that it was for a European requirement of some sort. You could use it for a radio.

Check the circuit a bit more and satisfy yourself where the current comes from in the brown wire and you will likely find the cause of the taillights not coming on. Check the taillight fuse?

[bryanj]

In the UK you legaly have to have a front "Sidelight" which is a 5watt bulb in the headlamp reflector(which also has a replaceable main bulb) and the brown wire is for this, along with a different RH switch which alows for lights OFF--SIDE--MAIN/DIP

[HondaMan]

Most (not all) K5 bikes have a Brn/Red wire from the headlight START button circuit that runs back to the fuse. The other side of this fuse will have typically a Brn/Red or Brn/Wht wire that returns to the headlight bucket. From there it goes to the left handlebar Hi/Lo switch and returns as Wht for Lo and Blu for Hi Beam. That's about it...

Sometimes the Brn/Red from the START button may be Blk/Red or Blk/Yel instead, and that color will run back to the middle fuse. So, checking the middle fuse's wire colors will help you see where it's coming and going with the headlight. When you look at the fuse as mounted, the power from the START button (in the relaxed position) comes into the left side of the middle fuse, goes out to the headlight bucket on the right side. 

[Silverback]

A few of the headlight buckets I have been into have a jumper from the the black (usually a female four input connector) to the brown tail light. This turns the tail light on when you turn the ignition on. Sounds like this jumper is not connected. Can't remember the color off hand, but I think it is a very short red/black wire. Look to see if you have a jumper from this black wire connection that is not connected. If it isn't, hook it up to your female brown connector. This should do the trick.