Topic: park light? which models have this?

[Hush]

I'm redoing some of my headlight spaghetti and there is a wee bulb just under the main headlight bulb, common sense tells me it's a park light but none of my Clymer books show how it's wired or which colours etc.
Does anyone else have a bike with a park light, I'm thinking the guys from the rising sun must have added this on a few models.

[Jonesy]

I think that was a European thing, as the U.S. models used standard sealed-beam units.

[HondaMan]

On all of the 1960s-70s era bikes, there is a brown wire circuit that gets power when the key is turned UP, or past the IGN position, for PARK lights. This was required in Germany and France, and was considered the European feature. Apparently, the requirement was that the PARK taillight and front light had to run for at least 30 minutes after the bike was parked on a sidewalk or other temporary location: this was due to the severe parking constraints in some of their cities.

The police required it as a way to self-enforce the limited-parking rules: if you parked longer than 30 minutes, the philosophy goes, the lights would go out, the bike would not start, and it could easily be hauled away by a tow truck. We use to say that this rule "set the size of the battery" on the bikes, and it may well be true! It wasn't until the big American touring bike mood, with stereos, multiple headlights, and accessory lighting, appeared that the alternators and batteries got "serious" on the whole Japanese bike thing.

[upperlake04]

 Damn, HM. you're an encyclopedia.   I've seen that wire and wondered, briefly.  You should write a book, really.

[bryanj]

In UK its actualy the small light that is the legaly required one. The main and dip is optional but must work if its there!!

[HondaMan]

Damn, HM. you're an encyclopedia.   I've seen that wire and wondered, briefly.  You should write a book, really.

It's over half done: I keep adding things. I wasn't going to do a "Performance" chapter, but decided after a while that I would anyway, without going into aftermarket parts. Anyone can drop in a big bore kit or wide cam and go faster, but getting 70+ HP on the ground from a stock engine, well, that's just more fun! So, that's going to be my "performance" chapter.

Dang thing...it's got over 1000 pictures and drawings so far....

[Hush]

OK I got it sussed now, turn the key fully to the right and the wee front  light and the tail light comes on and you can remove the key, obviously not stock for standard road bikes as not covered in any manuals I've seen.
Probably useful for the cops when they pulled someone over and needed to be away from the bike for some period.

[bryanj]

Absolutely bog standard in lots of countries just not us

[jeepster]

I'm redoing some of my headlight spaghetti and there is a wee bulb just under the main headlight bulb, common sense tells me it's a park light but none of my Clymer books show how it's wired or which colours etc.
Does anyone else have a bike with a park light, I'm thinking the guys from the rising sun must have added this on a few models.

My 82 Nighthawk 650 has a "park" setting on the ignition where the lights stay on without the key. Kind of ambitious for a bike with inherent charging problems eh Honda?

[HondaMan]

I'm redoing some of my headlight spaghetti and there is a wee bulb just under the main headlight bulb, common sense tells me it's a park light but none of my Clymer books show how it's wired or which colours etc.
Does anyone else have a bike with a park light, I'm thinking the guys from the rising sun must have added this on a few models.

My 82 Nighthawk 650 has a "park" setting on the ignition where the lights stay on without the key. Kind of ambitious for a bike with inherent charging problems eh Honda?

It's just a good thing the DOT doesn't force in on US, too!