Member Contributer chris2992 Posted January 31, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted January 31, 2007 More choices - there is a kit available ( I don't know if for VFR, but probably) that runs direct high output wire Say high grade 12 or 14 ga vs 16 ga standard.? from the battery to the h'lights, so the H'bar switches only get low amp. Supposed to make the H'bar switches last longer, and boost volts at the lights from about 10 to nearer the 13.5 or so that's sortof 'normal' ( apparently the H'bar switches, extra wiring, etc eats up some juice.) The kit you are discribing is how the bike is wired origionally. There is only around 0.1 amps at 13.8v flowing through the switch housing on the handle bar, just enough to trip and hold the relay closed. The current that the headlight draws flows directly from the battery into the switched side of the relay and directly to the headlight. OEM wire from the battery to the relay and from the relay to the lights is 14ga, but each circut only draws around 5 amps, so that size wire is actually overkill. Watts/volts=amps, so 65w headlight/ 13 volts = 5amps. The wire coming from the switch housing is likely around 20ga, but as stated above, it is only carrying signal current, not opperating current. What is being shown in this thread is a way to run both high and low beams at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AB-Oz Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 I have part numbers and pictures at home, I'll update this post with that infromation tonight. Nice and neat, I'd like to see the pix and parts of that please Chris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer chris2992 Posted February 1, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted February 1, 2007 Nice and neat, I'd like to see the pix and parts of that please Chris. See above post, modified with pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AB-Oz Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 cheers big ears As an aside, I see you still have those noob stickers on your tank, are they required by law over there? I hair-driered mine off the first day... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer chris2992 Posted February 1, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted February 1, 2007 I'm scared that the paint will be faded underneath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspanglish Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 (edited) Great stuff!! As you probably all know, my silver rocket is from the UK and has a one-sided low beam which doesn't light much up, although the height at which the headlights sit has them shining right in the rear window of most cars so I'm sure they're well aware of my presence. Maybe it's due to my biking history but I find it difficult to mistake twin headlights on a bike with a car far off in the distance!!! :blink: Anyway, (my) visibility on dark roads would obviously be an improvement if I could A) have both sides running on low beam and B) B ) optional switch up to High and Low beams when running High beam. So, I've been staring at your diagram Hispanic, and I've finally got my head around which way things flow and such (electrics has been a phobia of mine). What I would love is some MORE inspirational and instructional photos (with arrows pointing to bits etc.), as well as some MORE descriptions of the process. ¡¡¡Por favorcito!!! For example, when you say "splice" is this just twisting the wires together or is there a special connector available? Does the current flow where it has to flow, or is there a particular method to this join to make that happen. (I'm green I know it). Does the relay need a special housing? If so, does it come with that? I'm really keen to do A and B. Perhaps I could even have one-sided and two-sided lo-beam circuitry as well!! Any other tips to keep in mind if I'm going to do this?? Type of wire, specifiactions for the bits and pieces!! Judging by your nick, you would speak Spanish, the Spanish terms would come in handy as I live in Spain!! Am I asking too much?? :unsure: I think I am!! I need an idiot's guide to this mod as when it comes to electronics, my battery's flat!! Edited February 4, 2007 by Auspañol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer chris2992 Posted February 4, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted February 4, 2007 Splice - Two wires connected in any fassion. I used the twist together and solder method. You can also splice with crimp connectors. I don't know exactly how the your bike is wired, but my best adcice would be to stay on the low voltage side of the relay, harder to tear something up there, plus you can use higher gauge wire. I used 16ga, but that is hugely over kill, you could easily use 18-20 ga. With electricity, anything is possiable, but you have to understand what each part is doing to make it happen. If you have a full wiring diagram of your bike, send it to me or post it on here, I'll mark it up for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspanglish Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 (edited) Thanks Chris, you've cleared up splicing for me. I was thinking the only way you can influence the direction of flow would be with a diode but didn't want to make any assumptions. What exactly do relays do and how? Also, if I understand rightly, the higher the number (gauge) the less current (or is it voltage) it will tolerate, right? That is, it will burn out easier? I know voltage and current are different things, I know that it's not the voltage (precisely) that kills you if eletrocuted, but the current, the rate of flow right? (So long as there's a certain amount of voltage I suppose.) So I imagine it's current that will burn out a wire. As far as the wiring on my bike, a '98 VFR from the UK, I imagine the only difference is they've omitted the supply for low beam to one of the bulbs, (the left one in my case). That is, they haven't run the wire (Blue/Black) you can see in the middle of the three which reach the top of the two bulbs in HS' diagram down to the lower bulb. Right? Or maybe they dioded it!!! I also imagine and hope and pray that the wiring's colour scheme is the same!!! The manual I have I downloaded off this site which is the Honda Service Manual, maybe the Hayne's would shed some light on the UK issue. Anyway, I would really like to get my mitts into some mods on this bike. Would like to have a powerplug for charging stuff up, like GPS and such, don't need grip warmers here, and the fuse box under the seat sounds good. If only I had step by step, illustrated instructions for doing them all at the same time in order to make the most of having the tank up and the necessary bits and pieces off the bike, thus saving time etc. Staying on the lower voltage side of the relay means??? Let me make a stab at it, this would be close to the handlebar switch, as I recall reading that it's lower there for stretching out the longevity of the switch, right? On the wire leading to the switch from the relay? Hmmmm, I dig the third relay HS installed, if that makes the system more fail-safe. I'll see what I can find out about differences in UK wiring and get back to you, thanks a million!!! :thumbsup: Edited February 4, 2007 by Auspañol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer chris2992 Posted February 4, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted February 4, 2007 Simple terms, Diode - only allows current to flow through one way. Also it only lets positive current to flow through, there fore taking AC and chopping off the lower half of the sine wave. But in this case the only thing you are worried about is the fact that current only flows through one way. Wire - The smaller the number the larger the wire. I.E. 22ga is smaller than 12ga etc...... This is true with wire that you will be working with, however on the really big wires, you go from 0ga to 1 aut, 2 aut 3 aut etc... So after 0 ga the wire gauge number gets larger with size. Relay - A relay is just a powered switch. It allows you to switch a high voltage item (lights) with a low voltage switch (handle bar high-low switch). It works by charging a coil with low voltage pulling a contact closed that then turns on the light. When you switch from low to high beam, you can hear a click under the dash, that click is the relay tripping. To have a switch large enough to handle the current for the headlights, it wouldn't fit on the handle bars, therefore you can use a much smaller switch and run them through a relay. Other good uses for a relay is to power an aux. fuse block for the bike. You can find a circuit that is only on when the bike is turned on (for me the license plate light), and use that to power the coil in the relay to provide power to your fuse block. This way the block is only under power when the bike is on, and you will never kill the battery when you leave heated grips on or other farkles. On your bike, I doubt that the factory used some sort of diode to prevent the bulb from coming on. My Thought would be that they are identical to what they did on the 6th gen H4 bulbs, where they simply didn't energize one of the filaments. On your bike there will be a connector on the back of the bulb, I would guess that the right connector only has 2 wires going to it. One would be ground, and the other the 12v supply for the high beam. If you take the bulb out of the socket, It will have 3 contacts, one for ground, one for high supply and one for low supply. What you will have to do is to replace the OEM socket, with an aftermarket H4 socket with all 3 wires coming from it. If you still want to tackle this, I can draw you up a diagram to follow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspanglish Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 (edited) Following you loud and clear. I am very interested in doing the mods, the materials are cheap, and if you do it yourself the manhours are too!! I've been reading up on the thread 747Fixer wrote up (based on an older thread) for the same mod to the 6th gens. I can follow most of what he describes although you've answered my main doubt on his way of describing the 2 point socket which fits to the three-connector-stemed bulb issue. I couldn't tell whether he was saying the bulb had three and the socket two, or the bulb two and the socket three but now I have it down thanks to you!! You must have read my mind as I didn't mention that!!! :thumbsup: I'm also glad you've confirmed most of my postulated basic understandings of diodes and such (although in more precise detail). Good to know I CAN get a grasp of it all if I set my mind to it. I also imagine you're right and the fact our Euromodels only have one side lit up is not via use of a diode on our Euromodels but is simply not connected by using a two connection socket. Cool!! I'm keen to give it a go, I guess I'll need an ampmeter or such as well. Great explanation of the fuse box set up as well, running it off a permanent (when bike is running) secondary power source. Slick!! I reckon I can follow HS's map for the lights, it's the nitty gritty details of how and what to avoid "hands on" that would come in handy. The required tools etc. as well. I would need a rundown and perhaps a diagram for the fuse box and powerplug set up though. Sounds like a lot of work on your behalf, feel a little squeemish accepting your offer. Would be much obliged. Is this info alread somewhere on VFRD to save you precious time? It goes without saying that there is no ruch, I respect the effort involved from you, please don't let it retract from other more important stuff you might have on your plate!! I imagine it could all be done in a one-day session if I get all that can be prepared set up before actually placing it all on the bike. Eternally indebted to you!! Edited February 4, 2007 by Auspañol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer chris2992 Posted February 8, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted February 8, 2007 Auspanol, you have an email. Diagrams done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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