Adding Aux Front light (pictures)

[StratTuner]

OK, gentlemen, I'm considering adding a secondary bright light in the front for those especially dark roads.

I found [THIS] (see photo)....but I confess I don't know the first thing about how to wire one
or even what light to use! (Suggestions on what light to use are MOST welcome)

'Be nice if it had a separate ON/OFF switch.

caution: if you use the word harness in your explanation, I will presume you're talking about a horse.
(yes, it's that bad)

What is the simplest way to add a light like the one below?


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[StratTuner]

How I picture it:

seems like you would:

• run a hot wire (from something that's hot when the bike is ON) to an ON/OFF toggle switch. (High beam hot wire maybe?)
• run the hot wire from the toggle switch to the light
• connect the light's ground wire to any convenient ground

Flip the toggle from OFF to ON, the circuit is now complete, and the light comes on.

How am I doin' so far?

 

[Ruggybuggy]

So far so good. The nice thing about LED's is that they use nothing for power. I connected mine directly to my high beam wire and used the same ground that ran to my headlight. I didn't bother with with a switch but you could add one anywhere in the ciciut.

 

[Brillot2000]

How I picture it:

seems like you would:

• run a hot wire (from something that's hot when the bike is ON) to an ON/OFF toggle switch. (High beam hot wire maybe?)
• run the hot wire from the toggle switch to the light
• connect the light's ground wire to any convenient ground

Flip the toggle from OFF to ON, the circuit is now complete, and the light comes on.

How am I doin' so far?

I would suggest that you purchase both the Honda Accessory Harness (08A71-MSG-D30) and the Relay Kit (08A70-MSG-D30) if you do not have these on the bike already. These will help the installation of any other auxiliary lighting a breeze.

You can never go wrong with LED lighting, as you are staring to see now. Also there are so many to choose from out there now, some are "Good" while others are "Garbage"...

As I mentioned to you before, I'd be willing to assist you with the installation of any electrical item/s you want to put on your bike. You were out in the "High Desert" on this past Sunday. I am not that far out, just off the I-5 near the Bob Hope Airport. You could come down Saturday and we could "knock it" in a couple of hours. Let me know if you would be interested in taking me up on that offer.

 

[Old Can Ride]

LED lights are going to make running lights a lot more reliable.

 

[lootzyan]

For a "hot wire" to your switch you can connect to one of wires from a bundle to left handlebar switch.
Locate 14P connector like on picture #1 and select Blue/White (Bu/W) wire (fuse #5) or Pink/Blue (P/Bu) (fuse #2), from receiving side of 14P connector.
For your ground connection tap into Green (G) wire from head light 3P connector.

Correction! Those cut-outs are taken from digitized service manual for the rest of the world.
For U.S. wiring diagram for left handlebar switch are different (?!). There is 14P(Gray) connector. (pp. 1-28 & 23-2). But colors of wires are the same and the points you may tap to.
If you have a problem to reach to this connector you may try to locate connector to right handlebar switch 8P (Blue) and connect to P/Bu (Pink/Blue) wire (fuse #2).

View attachment 27282

View attachment 27283

 

[itlives]

That's the one I have. It comes with instructions . your job is to decide switched or unswitched . One thing to remember is it is an off-road light and you can get a ticket if you have a run-in with cop having a bad day.

 

[StratTuner]

Lootzan, I'll look for the gray connector under the left handlebar. I'll take of the fake vent ...see if I can "see" it... Maybe its wire color coding is the same as the headlight? I need only to find the "hot" wire there and tap that.

I've taken off the fake vent panel, but never the siding under that. 'Seems like it's time to bite the bullet and figure that out too.

The geometric squared off lines thing... is pretty.

 

[StratTuner]

OK....on faith I'm going to get the light AND the wiring harness. [HERE] I'm hoping all that gear will fit above the access panel under the nose.

NB: that wiring harness looks wrong to me since it will take up to 40 amps... intuition tells me I won't be using anything like that much. Anyone know of a better harness for that?

The harness... now that I'm getting the idea of what that is...seems to control on/off. (gives you a nice little on/off button as well)
I'll put two pictures below: 1) the harness, and 2) the schematic. (with the pretty geometric lines!)

At least three of the wires seem to be connected to the "Chicago Cubs" baseball logo... that's still a mystery.

 

[lootzyan]

That's a big guns for so small target.

 

[StratTuner]

That's a big guns for so small target.

I don't understand this comment. (?)

 

[lootzyan]

I don't understand this comment. (?)

Sorry.
I think that for you to connect additional 18W lights you don't need extra relay and fuse. Switch only, maybe.

 

[itlives]

That's true lootzy . I added the relay and switch for total control. The harness can be cut down so you don't have to hide a rats nest of wires.

 

[Brillot2000]

OK....on faith I'm going to get the light AND the wiring harness. I'm hoping all that gear will fit above the access panel under the nose.
The harness... now that I'm getting the idea of what that is...seems to control on/off. (gives you a nice little on/off button as well)
I'll put two pictures below: 1) the harness, and 2) the schematic. (with the pretty geometric lines!)

At least three of the wires seem to be connected to the "Chicago Cubs" baseball logo... that's still a mystery.

View attachment 27286

Relay harness method is the cleanest when used in conjunction with both the Honda Accessory Harness (08A71-MSG-D30) and the Relay Kit (08A70-MSG-D30). The Relay Method will give the ability to both isolate it from rest of the wiring and to be able to turn it on and off at will. That's what I did with NaNCy. Yes, its an over-kill for a single LED Light.

I would recommend a pre-fab wiring harness from these guys, Cycleterminal.com - HRK1G, the 30" length should be fine to reach the battery and the remote light. Simply connect the Red & Black wires directly to the battery. There will be a set of leads for the control switch and the "Load" (light, horn or etc...). I would recommend using the Honda Accessory harness for the control voltage lead, that way the light cannot be left on to drain the battery when the ignition is off. I would also install a "Cut Off" switch in series to that wire to have the ability to turn it "ON & OFF".

StratTurner, If you have any further questions regarding this matter, PM me.

 

[spets]

Again, this depends if you have the Honda accessory harness or not.

If you already have the accessory harness, then you don't need that wiring mess. Get the matching male connectors (search this board), wire it up to the 3-pin highbeam plug, and done.

Depending on your budget, the Denali D2 lights come with dual brightness mode, so you can run them at 50% power for increased visibility to other drivers, then on full brightness when your highbeams are on.

Denali D2 Dual Intensity LED Lighting Kit with Full Wiring Harness and M8 Mount - TwistedThrottle.com


Alternatively, you can also wire in a light controller like the Skene Designs IQ-175 with any light you purchase, like I have done on my bike. I have it set with a switch to an off, 40% brightness, and full brightness with the high beams. the brightness percentages can be reprogrammed.

Skene Design Motorcycle Visibility Lights

 

[lootzyan]

How I picture it:

seems like you would:

• run a hot wire (from something that's hot when the bike is ON) to an ON/OFF toggle switch. (High beam hot wire maybe?)
• run the hot wire from the toggle switch to the light
• connect the light's ground wire to any convenient ground

Flip the toggle from OFF to ON, the circuit is now complete, and the light comes on.

How am I doin' so far?

Your initial idea how to connect those lights is simple, and that's a beauty of it.
But if you plan in a future to add more "stuff", get Honda harness.

 

[Brillot2000]

Sorry.
I think that for you to connect additional 18W lights you don't need extra relay and fuse. Switch only, maybe.

There are many approaches that can be taken to accomplish the same task. Some are simple and others not as much. It all depends on how StratTurner wants to be able to use this light and the desired mode of operation.

Here are my thought regarding an application such as this:

• Minimal harness connections. No Cuts or Splices if all possible.
• Use what is available, such as unused wires on the OEM harness that would fit the need, if all possible.
• Use what the engineers have provided, sometimes they provide connections for a sub-harnesses. If so, find and purchase them.
• Use as much "Off The Shelf" items that are commercially available.
• Use external wiring harnesses that are relay controlled and fuse protected when things are not available for your application.
• Look for "Pre-Fab" harnesses whenever possible.
• Make your own if you cannot find what you need specific for the application.

Poor connections such as insulation piercing splices, cutting wires and twist them together and then wrapping then with a lot of electrical tape are sources of corrosion and electrical circuit failures. I always recommend to use crimp contacts or connectors and to use heat-shrink tubing over any un-insulated connections, either soldered or crimped. These practices will minimize corrosion related issues.

 

[StratTuner]

OK...the honda accessory harness... I can see that two of the connectors connect directly to the battery.
Where do the other four go?

 

[lootzyan]

OK...the honda accessory harness... I can see that two of the connectors connect directly to the battery.
Where do the other four go?

For Honda harness you need to locate 6P Option connector.

 

[StratTuner]

StratTurner, If you have any further questions regarding this matter, PM me.

Well... I value expert help very much, but doing this via PM means no one else can read it and learn anything. If I look like an idiot, that's OK if someone else benefits from the info!

The wiring harness is like a hornet's nest. Every time I bring it up, the complexity of the install goes off the scale for me.
I'm suddenly faced with more wires than I know what to do with.

I think it's "back up" time. I'll order the light.
It has two wires: black and red. black is ground and red is hot.

If I use the headlight high beam "hot" wire as source, then the extra light comes on ONLY when the high beams do... makes sense.

If I get really fancy, I could ad an ON/OFF toggle switch (two connections posts, one for IN and one for OUT)
in the middle of the aux. light's "hot" wire. That would allow me to turn the light ON/OFF manually.

This much I understand.