Additional lighting with Canbus?

[Fecpod]

Has anybody experience of fitting supplementary driving lamps to one of the modern oilheads/hexheads with canbus electrics?

I have a set of PIAA lamps which I want to come on with the main (high) beam. The supplied wiring loom is equipped with a relay and all the wiring. The harness has substantial ring connectors which are to be connected directly to the battery. The instructions show a ‘switch power’ wire which they say should be connected to a “power source which is only powered when the high beam is on.”

On my 1150 the instructions recommended the high beam indicator lamp wire as a “switch power” source, and my understanding this circuit was used to switch on the supplied relay. There are no instructions as to what is a suitable ‘switch power’ source on a canbus bike.

Will the same procedure work on a canbus bike? Is there an alternative?

Any ideas welcome.

 

[Pressurized]

I wired the relay into the high beam positive wire actually in the headlamp unit. The relay draws something like 0.1A and the main beam bulb itself about 5A. I did not think that the Canbus would mind/notice the difference. For over a year it worked perfectly. Then, when I went to get my second gear position indicator repaired under warranty, the dealer said they couldn't get it to 'be recognised' by the Canbus and blamed my 'extra electrics'.

On the way home, the gear indicator started working apparently of its own accord.

A week later, my headlamp stopped working.

Hmm, I thought, perhaps the dealer was right. Perhaps you can do nothing to the Canbus.

Last week I took the multifunction switch on the handlebar apart and checked the connectors. The headlamp one's not working.

So, the fault with my headlamp is down to the switch, not the extra lights or the Canbus.

Bottom line, I suppose, is that you do need to do a neat job and face the possibility that, even if your mod doesn't affect the Canbus, the dealer might cry warranty fowl and you're on your own.

Do I think the Canbus is a good thing? Well, it's very clever and in itself it does seem reliable but, if it does go wrong, you're not going to be able to fix it and, given my experience at my dealer, neither might they...

 

[Trevor Phillips]

suggest you need a microswitch
for a German site try
http://www.motobozzo.com/
for info. Their lights work for me
Trevor

 

[abrasion]

Little red rooster may be able to help you with this one.

 

[littleredrooster]

I've got both Fogs and Spots wired into the dip/main beam circuits (via relays, of course!) on my 12 and have had no issues.

 

[Fecpod]

Cheers Rooster and others,

I take it you just took a draw from the main beam wire to switch the relay?

Ta

 

[Pressurized]

I take it you just took a draw from the main beam wire to switch the relay?

Yes. I definitely wouldn't recommend running the extra lights through the main beam lead.

 

[Fecpod]

Cheers all,

The relay is part of a pre-supplied well finished wiring loom. The concern was where to tap into for a 'switch power' to operate the relay, i.e switch on the additional lamps with the main beam automatically.

I will try a tap into the main beam supply (positive lead to bulb) to switch on the relay and work from there.

As I said, I previously did this job on an R1150RT (not canbus) and the PIAA instructions on that occasion said to tap into the wire that operates the dashbard high beam warning lamp (yeah the little blue light on your panel). I couldn't understand why they told me to do that and not tap into the positive supply to the high beam bulb. The new instructions simply say to tap into a positive supply that only comes on with the main beam.

Shit, but do I wish I had paid more attention in physics class or what?

Thanks all
Bill

 

[littleredrooster]

Have a look in the 'Vendors of Innovations' forum.