Controlling spotlights with high beam

[er-minio]

This is something I wondered about over the years, mostly just a curiosity.

On my hex, I only use the spotlights (apart from fog) in low light situations, especially driving up/down mountains in the dark. As a lot of my riding is in Europe, it helps a lot supporting the headlights pointing the wrong side of the road. And I would turn the off if there is incoming traffic.

Now, this "pattern" means that 99% of the times I use the spotlights in situations where I am already using the high beams.

At some point I was thinking (long, boring motorway bits, your mind tends to wander : ) that it would be nice to implement the following logic:

High beams on for >5 seconds, then spotlights are turned on.
High beams off = spotlights off.

The spotlights switch on the steering plate overrides this, so you can still turn them on permanently, if you wish, via the physical switch.


Do products like CANsmart or EZcan allow this type of "programming" as they control the CANbus?

My bike is pretty much stock.
I just have to add one extra USB power point so was considering maybe an EZcan and I was wondering if this type of customisation can be done,
Spotlights I mention are the OEM ones.

 

[siddo]

As far as I'm aware, you can only control the intensity of the spot brightness with the wonder wheel through the Ezcan.

 

[MartinK]

There's also a Skene IQ 275 controller. Had one on my V85TT.
Does a similar job....

I've got a Denali Dial Dim on my V100 Stelvio

 

[Santa-2512]

I need to confirm, but according to hex only the light intensity can be changed via the wiz wheel, or button pressing

However I've found either by accident or sheer luck, you can turn on or off the beast mode, and the combined high low beam on off and intensity by using combinations of button pressing depending on whether you start with low beam triggered or high beam triggered

Dont know whether this helps you,?

 

[er-minio]

Thanks guys,
I considered (long time ago) doing this as a small project using an Arduino board, but beyond my capabilities and also lots of effort for a little thing

If it's mostly just intensity that the ezcan controls, I'll drop the idea and just use one of those fused junction boxes to add the new power points, forget about complex switching behaviour, and save some money.

 

[Barnoe]

There must be a way.
Ive noticed some bike when flushing lights to let cars go etc, flash both headlight and spots.
this must be done with the EZcan or similar

Unless they hard wired it?

 

[Aidan1150]

Unless they hard wired it?

Most likely so.

On 1150's you can fit an Autoswitch which controls driving lights etc, sadly unobtainable now although I do have a spare. A 1.5 second press on the indicator cancel switch turns the lights on or off and a little led lights up when the accessory is powered. I often wondered why they weren't developed for the 1200 when they came out but maybe it was a difficulty with the canbus system.

 

[Barnoe]

I do have Denalis and Can smart system on my 1200, to be honest I haven't really messed with it much.... even though its been on the bike 5 years lol
I did plug the laptop in to it at the start and just nosey at it.
Just happy to be able to turn spots on and off and change brightness.

Think i need another look.

 

[er-minio]

I asked GPT that scoured documentation and confirmed what you guys said.

EZcan will be able to link the high beams and spotlights together, but seems it cannot handle the >5 seconds logic.
This could maybe be done by adding something on the spotlight line that introduces a short delay. So if you just flash the lights you don't flash the spotlights too.

Considering GPT is not always correct (even the paid version I use). I'll have a look at the manual myself when I have some more time.
Looks like I found a way to waste a hundred quid or so

ALSO: GPT might be thinking that we are talking about EZcan-managed spotlights. While I am talking about the original ones, that are not directly connected to the EZcan.

 

[MartinK]

The Skene IQ-270 allows you to dim the lights as DRL, and allows the full beam to come on with the bike's full beam (or flash).
So does the DialDim from Denali
But I think you would have to override the bike's existing wiring if you were using OEM spots...

 

[er-minio]

Yeah. I think what GPT told me about the EZ is the same: override OME wiring and then I can turn them on with the high beams.

Too much of a faff. I'll live without it

 

[Santa-2512]

There must be a way.
Ive noticed some bike when flushing lights to let cars go etc, flash both headlight and spots.
this must be done with the EZcan or similar

Unless they hard wired it?

Its an option on the Hexezcan - strobe on flash to pass

 

[Greg Masters]

Search 12v on-delay relay. They are cheap enough and easy to fit.