Spotlight advice/help

L'Escargot

L'Escargot

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Just bought a pair of Cree 10w LED round spotlights and as my 2014 GS LC was in the dealers having a new engine fitted !!!! I asked that the spots be wired up as I have no idea how to do it.OK said the service dept.:D
A while later I received a call to say they wouldn't wire them in as I didn't have any sort of connectors and anyhow if they chopped in to the can bus wiring system ( Again I have no knowledge of what a can bus system is !! ) it would void the warranty.:eek:
I now have my bike back,no corrosion on engine now (yet) and still with the clunky gearbox I had hoped would have been sorted,but my lovely spotlights are not wired up.:blast
If anyone out there has the knowledge/knowhow to do this job for me or advise what would be the best course to follow,I would be very grateful,I don't want to mess with it myself and bugger owt up !!
I would of course pay for installation of the wiring etc etc.
Cash, or I have a virtually brand new front seat off my 2011 GSA and two of the bags that fit to the GSA crash bars in my garage if these would help to oil the cogs,so to speak. (or will sell separately )
Also for sale I have an adaptor plate to fit a GIVI topbox to the GSA rack,complete with fittings that I don't need anymore !

Any takers/helpers ??

Cheers,
Charlie.
 
The fogs won't make your gearbox any better you no :D

Tis easy to wire the fogs up without voiding the warranty using a switched relay, one question have you got a handle bar on/off switch for the fogs !
 
It's really very easy to wire in a relay without cutting open wiring looms. I recommend using posi-taps. You'll want a toggle switch, I recommend the AS7 Autoswitch. It might be worth you fitting a fuse block for future electronic gadgets. I reccomend the PDM60.

I was a complete novice and learnt hoe to DIY, check out YouTube, there's loads of tutorials.
 
Hi Dave,no I haven't,yet ! As for the gearbox,I'm hoping the Lights will make the gears better !!!!!!
DING-DONG said:
The fogs won't make your gearbox any better you no :D

Tis easy to wire the fogs up without voiding the warranty using a switched relay, one question have you got a handle bar on/off switch for the fogs !
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for that Mr Stallebrass,knew someone would help,didn't want to set the closet on fire !!! :D
 
Last edited:
You really will be surprised how easy it is. Here is a good video to help you understand what a basic relay does:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/UAeKTlieYhw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Here is the autoswitch install diagram... it might look complicated but when you understand what a relay does this diagram makes sense:

as7-wiring-diagram.jpg
 
And no, you wont void any warranty.

Chopping into a wire to get a switched feed to trigger a relay is fine.

They manage to fit towbar electrics to cars by chopping into wires on the lighting circuit without voiding any warranty. No different for bikes. Canbus or no canbus.
 
Am I right in thinking that the Cree LEDs could be wired to a suitable plug and then used from the headstock GPS socket without upsetting the CANbus or needing a relay (less than 2.0A draw)?
 
Charlie, get all the bits needed to fit the fogs and the on/off bar switch and if you cannot do it yourself, i will come and do it for you when I'm passing.

Payment: cuppa char and a choccy biscuit will be enough .
 
Kritou said:
Am I right in thinking that the Cree LEDs could be wired to a suitable plug and then used from the headstock GPS socket without upsetting the CANbus or needing a relay (less than 2.0A draw)?
Click to expand...

You can use the canbus GPS socket to trigger the rely, i doubt it will power the fogs alone, (canbus does not usually allow it) and would result in them flickering or bringing light on the dash + its bodging doing it like that and at great expense if you fry the canbus, stand alone relay is the the way forward and the safest.
 
DING-DONG said:
You can use the canbus GPS socket to trigger the rely, i doubt it will power the fogs alone, (canbus does not usually allow it) and would result in them flickering or bringing light on the dash + its bodging doing it like that and at great expense if you fry the canbus, stand alone relay is the the way forward and the safest.
Click to expand...

All this talk of Can Bus makes me chuckle.

CAN Bus = Controller Area Network. Its a Network that allows data/messages to be passed around a system, usually between control units, using a binary code. Benefits are its bi-directional and you only need 2 wires.

BUS = Broadcast Unknown Subscriber. Same as CAN but usually SWS (Single Wire System). Does the same job but usually at a lower speeds.

The power sockets are supplied with a std 12v signal, from a transistor in a control unit. This means they are usually turned off after about 60 seconds (network sleeping) to reduce power consumption in the idle state.

Its very UNLIKELY you will fry any can bus, as there is basically nothing to fry? You would need to be careful though not to overload the system but adding too high consumers. Although in theory a transistor is normally used in place of a fuse so would not fry, just not work, although this is a dangerous theory to put to the test!!!

The power sockets are rated, from memory, up to 500Ma so should be fine running anything up to that.

HTH.
 
WOW

Thanks everyone,what brilliant response and no sarcasm to be seen !! Restored my faith in the site :thumb2
 
If you overload a canbus socket the only thing that will happen is the socket will shut off but it can be reset by switching the ignition on and off... I've used the canbus socket on my F800GS to power an air compressor but at higher pressures when it begins to struggle it just shits off.

I wouldn't run lights off it directly, you go down the relay-toggle route but as said the canbus can be used as a switched power source because it's only activated when the ignition is on.

:thumb
 
Spotlights

The accessory socket is on the same feed as the sat nav and rated 5A,
The supply is from an electronic circuit breaker in the central electrics control unit,
The 2A load plus sat nav charging will be within the load rating, provided you aren't adding other stuff, you are not connecting to can just a provided power source for Acessories, so no risk of damage or warranty rejection,
The tidy way to wire up is from the sat nav plug at the navigator side of the plug,
Run the switch wiring down directly to control the lights, no dismantling required other than fitting brackets for the lights
I would be cautious and seal any joints from water ingress,
The reasoning is to not bypass the system by connecting to the battery as the central electrics manages the loading safely and automatically controls it,
As an example ducati run their fogs off a t lead into the sat nav supply with a switch
I speak from experience of these systems,
Roamer,,
 
Interested in this trail of thought, which seems to be suggesting that wiring into either the accessory socket or the sat nav will be OK, provided an enourmous load is not added. Does that suggest that a heated vest will be too much? Yet a phone charge will be OK?
I need to look at my bike again but arent there wires on the left hand side within the 'beak, housing area' which appear 'available' to be wired in - has anyone used these.
If anyone has got any photo's of which wires they used I would really appreciate it as I'm going down the same route using COB lights.
Thanks Keith.
 
Fit a fuse box then you can run what you like,Iv got two pairs of lights on mine led switched & Hella halogens fixed on high beam,love it when some asshole in a cage flashes me :D plus dark country lanes are no more :)

Everyone likes to talk about wiring this that or other way fuse box is the proper safe way :thumb
 
keithquad said:
Interested in this trail of thought, which seems to be suggesting that wiring into either the accessory socket or the sat nav will be OK, provided an enourmous load is not added. Does that suggest that a heated vest will be too much? Yet a phone charge will be OK?
I need to look at my bike again but arent there wires on the left hand side within the 'beak, housing area' which appear 'available' to be wired in - has anyone used these.
If anyone has got any photo's of which wires they used I would really appreciate it as I'm going down the same route using COB lights.
Thanks Keith.
Click to expand...

Hi Keith, The left side plug is separately supplied from the fuse block under the seat that looks like a relay,,
it is there for daytime running lights and fog lights, which are direct switched without relay due to the low current consumption,
it's a terminal 15 supply ignition controlled,
Roamer,
 
Escargot, did you get any decent mounting brackets with your Crees, if yes, what and where?
Ta!
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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