Jump to content

Can I disable 'always-on' headlights in the wiring loom - 6th Gen


Bluehawk

Recommended Posts

I have a (2008-9) 6th gen interceptor. The headlights come on, the moment the ignition switch is turned on.  Is there a way to alter this, so that the bike can be started first, and then the lights turned on afterward?? Even if it means buying new relevant switchgear?? This would save the strain and drain on the battery, on initial start-up. Does the wiring loom and setup, have this capability??

Surely someone has done this before??

Maybe in the US it's a legal requirement - but here in the UK (Scotland, to be more precise) it is not, and i would rather do it manually.

Thanks.

BH

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

Your bike already does this!!

Pressing your starter switch, the first thing it does is to disable your headlights.

OR..... Sorry if I have misinterpreted you. Do you want the lights to be OFF at ignition switch On? Having the lights on for a short period prior to a start will not worry a reasonably healthy battery.

To do this manually would be a simple wiring mod and the install of a single pole switch. You would just need to wire this into the Blue/White Or Brown/Blue wire for the Starter Switch. You now have manual control over both headlight relays.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

Just thought of another method. You could make this function automatic by utilizing the Oil Pressure Switch and Normally Closed relay!

The Pressure Switch provides a ground to the Oil Pressure LED until the oil pressure builds up.

Using this ground to energize a Normally Closed relay to open preferably the Brown/Blue wire to the Starter Switch when the oil pressure is low, disabling your headlights.

When the oil pressure builds, the LED goes out and the relay will denergize returning the headlight control to normal.

 

Food for thought. Could knock up a drawing for you if needed.:fing02:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

Doesn't European bikes have additional switch to turn headlights on & off?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
20 minutes ago, DannoXYZ said:

Doesn't European bikes have additional switch to turn headlights on & off?

Hi Danno. Don't quote me, could be completely wrong, but I think that was the case with the 5gen or earlier.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Grum said:

Hi Danno. Don't quote me, could be completely wrong, but I think that was the case with the 5gen or earlier.

It was/is the case on 5th gens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
3 hours ago, DannoXYZ said:

Doesn't European bikes have additional switch to turn headlights on & off?

They used to then the law in the UK changed requiring "always on" head and tail lights on motorcycles. I think it was around 2000/2001 but don't quote me. 

 

I've never had an issue in 300k+ miles and as Grum says, as long as the battery is looked after properly, there isn't one. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
On 7/6/2021 at 4:07 AM, Sparkie said:

Just because you can doesn't mean you should.  Just leave it alone.

 

 

On 7/6/2021 at 12:41 AM, daved said:

It was/is the case on 5th gens.

 

yeah, was thinking you can just get left-hand controls from earlier bike and install them for headlight on/off switch.

 

Grum's idea on tying to oil-pressure switch is awesome! Another technique is how Kawasaki does it, similar to fuel-pump on earlier VFRs. Have stator output rectified and activate headlight relay. Which is then self-powered and latching.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
7 hours ago, Skids said:

They used to then the law in the UK changed requiring "always on" head and tail lights on motorcycles. I think it was around 2000/2001 but don't quote me. 

 

I've never had an issue in 300k+ miles and as Grum says, as long as the battery is looked after properly, there isn't one. 

 

IIRC, it was actually never a law, but an agreement among the Japanese manufacturers towards having always-on headlights for motorcycles (and towards harmonising worldwide manufacturing).  Having a switch on your headlights was never illegal in the UK (and still isn't an MOT failure, AFAIK).

 

I doubt much changed between the 5th and 6th gens in terms of headlight wiring, so it would probably be fairly easy to "reverse engineer" that feature by fitting parts from the previous model.  I converted a VFR750 and a CBR1000F from US-spec to UK-spec back in the day and I recall that I had to run only one or two extra wires into the switch pods in order to get the Passing switch to work.  I think all I did on the other side was fit the lower pod from the UK model, which has a simpler starter switch.  (I may have had to swap some of the wires in the connectors, too--it's been a few years, sorry!) 

 

In any case, it is very do-able.

 

As Grum mentioned, however, the always-on bikes disconnect the lights when the starter button is pressed, thus allowing all of the battery's power to go towards starting the engine, so that's not really a concern.  I like having control of the lights, however, but also bear in mind that you will have to remember to turn them on...

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/6/2021 at 6:23 AM, Grum said:

Just thought of another method. You could make this function automatic by utilizing the Oil Pressure Switch and Normally Closed relay!

The Pressure Switch provides a ground to the Oil Pressure LED until the oil pressure builds up.

Using this ground to energize a Normally Closed relay to open preferably the Brown/Blue wire to the Starter Switch when the oil pressure is low, disabling your headlights.

When the oil pressure builds, the LED goes out and the relay will denergize returning the headlight control to normal.

 

Food for thought. Could knock up a drawing for you if needed.:fing02:

 

Hey Grum! Thanks so much for your comments on wiring, and the offer of drawing. 😉 Cheers! But i'm not that tech enough to do that.. Also, i'm an idiot because, ....you said "Your bike already does this!! Pressing your starter switch, the first thing it does it to disable your headlights."  ...  I didn't know this!  Never had a modern bike that did this!  My Blackbird doesn't.. So this afternoon (b4 i read any of these replies) I flew by my Honda dealer and they checked it was working properly and it DOES 'shut off' momentarily until engine starts. Great!  As i don't start VFR for a week or 2, it is reluctant to start (when left for a long time), suggesting battery is not 100% healthy (as you said). So i will deal with that. Sorted. Thanks ever so much.  

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/6/2021 at 7:10 AM, DannoXYZ said:

Doesn't European bikes have additional switch to turn headlights on & off?

Not European i'm afraid. Turned out, even tho the previous owner once worked for honda UK, she bough a US Interceptor? Got it from a UK dealer?  Dunno Danno! (sorry, couldn't resist that). It doesn't even have a PASS switch. The UK VFR does. I have to put main beam ON then OFF to flash - a slight pain, but in reality it's easy enough!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/6/2021 at 12:07 PM, Sparkie said:

Just because you can doesn't mean you should.  Just leave it alone.

Thanks Sparkie, I tend to agree, but i didnt want it to strain the battery when starting [i'm old school], but i have learnt today that it DOES disengage from the battery momentarily then once engine starts, lights come back on.  My garage is deep so there was no way of noticing this 'dip' in the lights at startup. [nothing to reflect off, if you get what it mean?]. Thnx for your comment tho.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
7 hours ago, Bluehawk said:

 

Hey Grum! Thanks so much for your comments on wiring, and the offer of drawing. 😉 Cheers! But i'm not that tech enough to do that.. Also, i'm an idiot because, ....you said "Your bike already does this!! Pressing your starter switch, the first thing it does it to disable your headlights."  ...  I didn't know this!  Never had a modern bike that did this!  My Blackbird doesn't.. So this afternoon (b4 i read any of these replies) I flew by my Honda dealer and they checked it was working properly and it DOES 'shut off' momentarily until engine starts. Great!  As i don't start VFR for a week or 2, it is reluctant to start (when left for a long time), suggesting battery is not 100% healthy (as you said). So i will deal with that. Sorted. Thanks ever so much.  

 

Hi Bluehawk.

Just a bit more info for you, assume your 6gen headlights are the same as the Aussie U version.

If you switched Ignition to On with Hi Beam also selected then you are sucking 220watts (4×55watt halogens)=18amps from the battery. Don't have your bike sitting with engine not running in this state for too long!

Just as well the Starter Switch disables your lights while starting!.

 

And .... its a good reason for NOT using the Kill Switch as some folk do when you stop the engine, (its meant for emergency use only) get distracted and forget to turn off the ignition will = dead battery!

 

The 8gen having LED headlights doesn't have the disable function, lights remain on while cranking due to their much lower current draw. Makes the wiring and starter switch a lot simpler.

 

Also you are not "an idiot" the bike and it's functions are new to you.

 

Your battery really needs to be connected up to an intelligent charger/maintainer if you are not riding for extended periods. Months without use will destroy it!

 

Cheers.:fing02:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/8/2021 at 7:26 AM, Grum said:

Just a bit more info for you, assume your 6gen headlights are the same as the Aussie U version.

If you switched Ignition to On with Hi Beam also selected then you are sucking 220watts (4×55watt halogens)=18amps from the battery.

And .... its a good reason for NOT using the Kill Switch as some folk do when you stop the engine, (

The 8gen having LED headlights doesn't have the disable function, lights remain on while cranking due to their much lower current draw. Makes the wiring and starter switch a lot simpler.

Your battery really needs to be connected up to an intelligent charger/maintainer if you are not riding for extended periods. Months without use will destroy 

Thnx so much G!

Who switches their engine on with high beam on? :wacko:  (It's great tech info tho. thnx)

Who switches engine off with a kill switch? I do neither, and never have done.

 

I cant help not starting or using these bikes regularly, as too busy, so will invest in an intelli charger as you say. Often thought of it with 1 bike, but never bothered. Over the years, ive plugged in the old std charger (as & when required) to ensure it got rolling, like the First of Each Month, do a plug-in/top up. The blackbird is happy with that.  But buying one now is a better, practical fix.

Shall lnvestigate the brands....? Easy enuf i'm sure

FYI: The bike came with a black plug connector block dangling/hanging out the battery side (with green corrosion) which i thort was untidy fit for a honda. Thort it was factory fit rubber socket and used by Honda mech to log-in  something.  Turns out it was for a certain type of round pin charger?? (I took it off but only found out what it was). At least nothing dangling here!! :laugh:

 

You suggesting i move to an 8th gen next then? Only just got a 6th. ha. 

thnx :cool:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy.