Adventure Bike Rider Forum

Running your headlights on when they are covered in mud can lead to this :

So to avoid my headlight over heating I wanted a way of turning the front and rear lights off independent of whether the engine was running or not.

The standard wiring diagram shows :

The Magneto/Regulator output red/white1 wired into the Hi/Lo switch which feeds the Headlamps via blue1 and white wires.

The Battery red2 wire controlled by Ignition switch feeds black wire which is controlled by Off/On (Position lamp) switch which feeds brown1 wire to the Rear Lamp(Position), Speedo Illumination Lamp, Front Lamp(Position) & Rear Licence Plate.

However my loom had the Rear Lamp(Position) & Rear Licence Plate light fed by a red/white wire and came on when the engine was running


I disconnected the Rear Lamp(Position) & Rear Licence Plate light brown wires from the dual red/white connector and taped/covered it and pushed it back into the rubber boot.

Investigate fitting decent CREE LED bulbs--plenty available now at sensible prices--get fan cooled electronics ones --not Christmas tree. I've done this to several bikes that have the headlamp on all the time--half the wattage and no real heat generated in the lens--a better light and healthier for your battery charge state.

'Investigate fitting decent CREE LED bulbs--plenty available now at sensible prices--get fan cooled electronics '
Thanks for the tip Chris, I'll look into this.

Next I cut/stopped the red/white1/engine running feed wire into the Hi/Lo switch.
Then joined the now unused red/white1 wire of the Hi/Lo switch with the brown1 of the Off/On (Position lamp) switch.

I also added a new seperate brown wire to the output of the Off/On (Position lamp) switch brown1 wire, this new brown wire I ran along the frame

to the battery area and teminated it with a new dual round female connector. I then connected this to the Rear Lamp(Position) & Rear Licence Plate light brown wires.

I believe my loom is like this now :

crikey, wiring's not my strong point , may have missed it but what switch will be used to switch the lights on and off from the wiring change?

Have a look at the Auxbeam NF-03 [2 for $31 +$17 delivery] its one recommended in a lamp review I was put on to recently.Theyve just arrived today 5 days from ordering on their US website so no reviews as yet but no ballast or fan is a plus point for me.
https://www.auxbeam.com/88621857

' what switch will be used to switch the lights on and off from the wiring change?'
The normal one on the left hand switch gear (left of Lo/Hi Dip/Main switch) labelled 'Off / On' & 'Position Lamp' on the diagram. If you take off the left hand switch gear and see the wire colours, along with wiring diagram in front of you, makes it easier to see what goes where.