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Installing auxiliary lights

lue42

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I know this has been asked before but I am confused about it... and also a little paranoid about electrical stuff.

I want to get lights to mount to my engine guards.

I have a 2014 NC750X non-DCT. It has factory heated grips and the factory installed cigarette plug in the frunk. I bought the bike used and with that stuff already installed. I have never done anything electrical other that connect in some admore lights on the back with Positap's.

I was thinking about getting these:
Wecade(R) Motorcycle 125W CREE U5 LED Driving Fog Head Spot Light White Lamp Headlight (Black), LED Light Kits - Amazon Canada

1 - Is that headlight a decent choice?

2 - How/where do I connect it? Would I have the sub harness that people talk about due to the cigarette plug or heated grips? If so, where would it be and how do I wire to it? What plastics would I have to remove to get to where I need to work?

3 - If I were to put a switch on it, how would I wire it in? Would this switch be ok?
Ambuker 12v 16A waterproof Motorcycle CNC aluminium alloy Switches 7/8" 22mm Handlebar headlight Switch and 2 wires with Red Led Light, Switches - Amazon Canada

4 - I heard it is normal to turn off auxilary/fog lights when the high beams are on - or at least that is the way it is on a lot of bikes. What do you think of that? If so, how would that be wired?

Any information/advice is greatly appreciated. Links to threads which already answer it also appreciated.

Thanks everyone!
 
I think the primary issue is whether you have the Honda sub harness or not. If so, then you have one installation path. If not, you have a bunch of different options with varying cost, complexity, and flexibility

I believe with the factory heated grips and 12v plug you likely do have the subharness, but others that have it will have to chime in. If so you can search this forum for several threads on installing auxiliary lights with the harness.


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95% sure you have a subharness. Not sure I would do the job alone if you’ve never done anything similar. Study the instruction manual for subharness install and it’ll give you a good idea on what is involved or watch all three parts of this guy’s video and see if it is something you wanna do. There is a lot of plastics that needs to be removed. For the light, you can add a separate switch so you can manually turn it on and off.

NC700X 12v Accessory Install Part 1 - YouTube



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I’m not sure those lights would work since they are 125w a piece. Someone else with more expertise please confirm or deny this. The sub-harness is all run through a 7.5 amp fuse. Which, if the heated grips and 12v outlet are already through it, then you would definitely not be able to run everything at once, I would imagine.

I bought some cheap 10w LED lights off eBay. But got a couple duds in the process that the seller had to refund me for. Other than that, I love them! I have them run through the sub-harness to be on while the bike is on. I do not have them run through an on/off switch.

From the sub-harness, I basically ran extra wire to the length I needed, soldered and shrink wrapped everything as neat as I could, then ran the wires in routes of other existing wires and tied them to various points to keep them secure.

Put everything back together and you’re done! Although, taking the side panel off for the first time is daunting to the under experienced (me). Only managed to break 1 clip! The tutorial posted above was helpful to me. As well as the diagram in the service manual.

Cycle terminal is where I bought the connectors that I used to connect the wires to the sub-harness. Commonly called hitachi connectors. You’ll need the “3 pin” connectors but will only use two wires per connector. Brown colored wire on the sub- harness is switched power of the bike to be connected to the red wire of the light. Green of the sub-harness is the ground to be connected to the black wire of the light.

All in all, get some help from someone more familiar if you are not comfortable doing this yourself.
 
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Something is seriously wrong with that product listing. Mere 12.5 watt CREE LEDs are quite bright. 125 watt CREE LEDs would ignite the trees beside the road. A pair of these at 250 watts total would not run off the accessory harness, and also would overload the bike's electrical system.

Amazon is notorious for bad product descriptions, and this one is a Prime (pun intended) example.

EDIT:
Upon further inspection, the listing says in the fine print: actual power 15W. Talk about deceptive advertising. . . .
 
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I have heated grips (bike master), led aux lights and 12v/USB (el cheapo) all on my subharness and never had any issues while using all three at once.


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I have heated grips (bike master), led aux lights and 12v/USB (el cheapo) all on my subharness and never had any issues while using all three at once.


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I thought that due to the 125w description on amazon. Knew that would be an insane draw of power! 670cc has helped clear that up. There won’t be a problem running them all at once with 10-20w per light.
 
The sub harness is rated 7.5 amps. Heated grips typically are 4, USB plug up to 2, and a pair of 15W lights close to 3. Hopefully not all are on full power simultaneously, but there is no room left so do not exceed 15W per light if you plan to connect through the sub harness.

The presented model has an annoying multi mode behavior, and you have to switch them off - on repeatedly to change mode. I personally hate having to fiddle with a switch, so I would advise against it. You would also have a hard time linking them to high beam or a dimmer without internal modification.

I got this type myself (but flood, not spot) and am happy with them : WEISIJI 10W Motorcycle Auxiliary Lights Led Work Light Modular Spot Lamp Truck Light for Offroad Led Lights Truck Car ATV SUV Jeep Boat Small Driving Lamp (Pack of 2 ), Accessory Lighting & Kits - Amazon Canada
 
And as for the additional questions, I have a switch on the handlebar to turn them off when I feel like it, this switch is simply in-line between the sub harness and the lights (custom cabling required). To turn them on when using high beam you would need an extra relay or a dimming controller. You could power them from the high beam wiring but I advise against modifying the bike electrical harness.

In my case I ended up preferring simple manual control through a switch.
 
red-neck engineering aux lights

I have [THESE] $18 on a separate (fused) circuit coming directly off the battery.

Auxbeam 4" LED Light Bar 2Pcs 18W LED Pods 6Pcs 3W CREE LEDs 1800LM Spot Beam Waterproof LED
lights.jpg
They are controlled from a switch mounted on the left mirror root. It's close to the existing "bright" switch and easy to reach without looking.
switch.jpg

I have [THIS] connected to the battery:
([FONT=&amp]Battery[/FONT] Tender 081-0069-6 Ring Terminal Harness with Black Fused 2-Pin Quick Disconnect Plug)
saebatt.jpg
and then [THIS] connected to it
(NOCO ISCC2 5-Way SAE Adapter Connector)
sae5.jpg
This setup powers the four accessories on my motorcycle, the lights being one of them.
Each accessory has it's own relay triggered by the running light wire from the left turn indicator.
That wire is HOT only when the key is turned on, so all accessories go OFF when the key goes OFF.

The wiring for all these and the relays is stored under the left "fake vent" plastic siding.

[THESE] are the realays I used:
(5 Pack - EPAuto 30/40 AMP Relay Harness Spdt 12V Bosch Style)
relays.jpg
I should have been smarter and used a single relay for all the accessories, but I didn't. I was learning how to do it as I went. Version II would be different.

Here is a picture of the lights installed.
frontview.jpg

Yes, the harness thing IS a better idea. Use that if you know how.

Annecdote: I was out riding in a remote area and burned out the headlight bulb. The headlight was completely dark and would NOT come on. (turned out it had come un-plugged). I had NO headlights, so the AUX light worked as a stand in for the headlights. I was darned glad to have them in place. (switched them off for the few on-coming vehicles I saw.)
 
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With the number of questions you have I would suggest finding a mechanically/electrically inclined friend, buy a case a beer and invite them over.


Personally I would not use those particular lights as they are on a motorcycle. They may be fine but scream cheap Chinese crap (no offense to the chinese). I would have trouble trusting the claims or any seller/manufacturer who advertises the incandescent wattage equivalent as actual power draw.

The pictures appear to show the light with a extremely abrupt cutoff and a round beam pattern, If you want them to provide additional lighting on a dark road they would likely create new dark spots. Depending on what you want the lights for I would probably go with a slightly more expensive pair of pod lights similar to the auxbeams mentioned above, or upgrading your main beam, or both.


If that switch can really handle 16A you won't *need* a relay, but the switch will last longer if it simply trips a relay rather than carry the load, especially on a DC circuit.


Fog lights and Aux lights have different purposes. Depending on your local laws the rules differ but "fog" lights generally have to be aimed level to or lower than the low beam cutoff with a crisp cutoff themselves. Fog lights often turn off when high beam is activated. Their function is to have more light on the road in front of the vehicle in foggy conditions where a higher beam would scatter reducing visibility.

Aux lights (on cars trucks etc.) are traditionally the opposite. Designed to supplement the high beams for better visibility in dark conditions away from other vehicles. They are generally wired to turn off when switching to low beam.

Motorcyclists add lights for a third reason, to make themselves more conspicuous to other road users. Remember you want to make other drivers see you better, not blind them while they are driving toward you, so it's important not to shine super bright auxiliary lights right into their eyes at night. Adding lights to improve others perception of you that you need to turn off for oncoming traffic is counter-productive.


Myself I have replaced the stock Halogen headlight with an LED retrofit, which made a marked improvement, then added two 10W light pods that run at 10% on low beam and 100% on high beam. I used the Skene light dimmer to accomplish that so I had both extra "bee seen" aux lights for riding in the day and for oncoming traffic, and impressively bright "see" aux lights when on empty roads at night. The dimmer is kind of pricey but I feel it is worth it if you really need more light.
 
I actually feel comfortable doing this work - I am just the type that researches to death beforehand.

I don't have the bike out of storage yet, so I don't know if I have the subharness. But, since i have the frunk outlet and factory grips it is same to assume it does.

(see edit below)

Can anyone confirm that I would be ok to hook into this harness if I bought the lights and switch in my original post and this harness (connecting ground and power to the harness, replace fuse with 7.5a and replacing with the handlebar switch)

TURBOSII Offroad Led Work Light Bar Wiring Harness Kit 12V 40A Fuse Relay On/Off Switch Fog Light Heavy Duty Wire 2 Lead for Polaris Ford Harley Chevy Jeep Wrangler Jk Tj Truck Tacoma Dodge GMC Toyota ( 2 LEAD UP TO 180W), Accessory Lighting & Kits - Amazon Canada

I think buying a properly wired harness with a fuse and relay is better and cheaper for me than buying the individual components. I don't know if those lights will work out in the end. Yes, they are cheap and have fairly direct spot but from the videos I have seen when they work, they work well and the light looks ok. If they don't work out I can look into better lights to replace them.

****
EDIT
****

Ok, final update/question... I am going to buy these:

Reasoning is... I would need to buy inline fuse and wire anyway, so might as well just go with the harness and add a relay:

Harness (relay, fuse etc)
MicTuning MIC-B1001 Wiring Harness (for LED Light Bar Off Road Power 40A Relay Fuse On-Off Switch (2 Lead 12Feet)): Amazon.ca: Office Products

Lights (cheap u5 cree lights)
Wecade(R) Motorcycle 125W CREE U5 LED Driving Fog Head Spot Light White Lamp Headlight (Black-Pack of 2), LED Light Kits - Amazon Canada

Switch (3 wire)
iztor 12v 10A Motorcycle CNC aluminium alloy rocker Switches 7/8" 22mm Handlebar headlight Switch with indicator light Sport Dirt iztor Electric Bike Interrupteur Moto, Pushbutton Switches - Amazon Canada

Any last minute warnings/advice?
 
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FWIW - here’s my post about installing driving lights (primarily to be seen during the day and some addl light at night) using low cost lights and the Skene controller that makes the electrical installation simple and integrates the new lights with the headlight switch ( you can set the level of the lights when the headlight switch is in high or low). Not the cheapest option but not crazy (like Denali) and very simple to do. I also use an Innov Powerhub for power distribution but that’s not necessary just for the lights.

4th post lists everything.

LED Spot Lights
LED Spot Lights


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Here's the link to the subharness connectors and where you can buy them.

Corresponding connectors

I wouldn't bother if the wiring harness. Just go straight to the lights to the subharness and so they turn on when the motorcycle is on. If you want to have a way to turn it off, add a simple switch, like the diagram below. Just imagine instead of the battery, it'll be coming from the two wires from the harness connector.

on_off_toggle_switch_diagram.jpg
 
I actually feel comfortable doing this work - I am just the type that researches to death beforehand.

I don't have the bike out of storage yet, so I don't know if I have the subharness. But, since i have the frunk outlet and factory grips it is same to assume it does.

(see edit below)

Can anyone confirm that I would be ok to hook into this harness if I bought the lights and switch in my original post and this harness (connecting ground and power to the harness, replace fuse with 7.5a and replacing with the handlebar switch)

TURBOSII Offroad Led Work Light Bar Wiring Harness Kit 12V 40A Fuse Relay On/Off Switch Fog Light Heavy Duty Wire 2 Lead for Polaris Ford Harley Chevy Jeep Wrangler Jk Tj Truck Tacoma Dodge GMC Toyota ( 2 LEAD UP TO 180W), Accessory Lighting & Kits - Amazon Canada

I think buying a properly wired harness with a fuse and relay is better and cheaper for me than buying the individual components. I don't know if those lights will work out in the end. Yes, they are cheap and have fairly direct spot but from the videos I have seen when they work, they work well and the light looks ok. If they don't work out I can look into better lights to replace them.

****
EDIT
****

Ok, final update/question... I am going to buy these:

Reasoning is... I would need to buy inline fuse and wire anyway, so might as well just go with the harness and add a relay:

Harness (relay, fuse etc)
MicTuning MIC-B1001 Wiring Harness (for LED Light Bar Off Road Power 40A Relay Fuse On-Off Switch (2 Lead 12Feet)): Amazon.ca: Office Products

Lights (cheap u5 cree lights)
Wecade(R) Motorcycle 125W CREE U5 LED Driving Fog Head Spot Light White Lamp Headlight (Black-Pack of 2), LED Light Kits - Amazon Canada

Switch (3 wire)
iztor 12v 10A Motorcycle CNC aluminium alloy rocker Switches 7/8" 22mm Handlebar headlight Switch with indicator light Sport Dirt iztor Electric Bike Interrupteur Moto, Pushbutton Switches - Amazon Canada

Any last minute warnings/advice?
The lights you are looking at have some not so stellar reviews. The high low function is kinda wonky, people complain that they don't stay synched up. Both lights on high, power off and on to change to dim, and they somehow glitch so that one is high and one is low. This would annoy the hell out of me.

Was looking into these lights before(not these exact ones but anther Chinese iteration) and this issue popped up often.

Just my .02

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The high low function is kinda wonky, people complain that they don't stay synched up.

Yeah, noticed that too... but it is mainly an issue if you don't have a switch installed AND... I found a hack to make them only go to high beam (crazy as it sounds, it is removing a chip from the board - check youtube).

Honestly, i don't do a lot of night or bad weather riding. I got caught in some bad weather a few times last year and when I do go out at night I feel a little more light might help. It is really just a proof of concept that is worth buying at this price for the fun of it. All this research and questions are just to make sure I don't frig anything up. With the harness and everything I learned I don't think there is much risk at all. If I like it, and it works well then I will add "good" lights to my farkle spending wish list.

Also, it doesn't look like much good weather for riding for a couple more weeks so might as well do something fun with the bike.
 
I'm installing some Denali lights with the DataDim option. i got them all wired in, but they only seem to work on low. Email exchange with Denali service, tried various combinations and it appears the controller is bad. Does anyone know if wiring into the hi and low wires per the installation instructions works for the DataDim on the NC700X? When I go from low to hi, I lose all aux lighting. Not sure if this is due to the controller or if the low beam on the bike loses power when the hi beam is on. Do I have to find another switched source to power the low beam on the aux lights?
 
I'm installing some Denali lights with the DataDim option. i got them all wired in, but they only seem to work on low. Email exchange with Denali service, tried various combinations and it appears the controller is bad. Does anyone know if wiring into the hi and low wires per the installation instructions works for the DataDim on the NC700X? When I go from low to hi, I lose all aux lighting. Not sure if this is due to the controller or if the low beam on the bike loses power when the hi beam is on. Do I have to find another switched source to power the low beam on the aux lights?

To answer one of your questions: the low beam goes off when the high beam comes on. Both filaments are not lit at the same time.
 
Thanks. I'll find another power source for the low beam.

If the thought should cross your mind about using a front running light as a power source, remember that the running light filament goes off during the time that the turn signal is flashing.
 
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