aux lights

[bugman]

want to hook up some kury lights 35 watts. was thinking of going into the bucket and splicing into headlight so they come on with headlight, will that work or do i need a seperate line/ will i blow fuse

[Yellow Jacket]

If you connect them directly to the headlight circuit you will probably blow the headlight fuse. Then you have no lights at all!

You would do better to power the lights through a relay and a dedicated circuit. You can use the wire feeding the headlights to trigger the relay so they come on with the headlight. Three choices actually, on with low beam, on with high beam or on with either. Just a matter of picking where the trigger is connected.

[macmac]

These add up to just over 6 amps, but this is all you can add to the acc wires. If ever you, or someone else installed 55 watt lamps you will fry the fuse bow, or ignition switch , maybe both.

But with the (2) 35 watts bulbs the acc wires will support them, if that is all you have on them.

My 06 has a set of each, and the 55 watters are run from a relay, while the 35 watters are run off the acc wires. Both are switched to be On any time I want engine or no engine, and or no keys.

First of all I may want lights with no engine to set up a camp after dark, in a public camp ground. Many times coming home in dark I want lights to get my stuff off the bike and not have to run the bike to see the battery maintainer plug in.

Then there is enough ON in the system with out adding to it to just start the engine. But that's my opinion.

I use illuminated switches too, which assist in me not leaving lights on in day time parked, but still I have, just once.

[dkdixie]

Yesterday helped a friend wire his spot lights exactly the way Mac described. He too wanted the option of being able to leave on whenever the key is on.

Regardless of the way you want to go, put on a relay!!

[jandreu]

+1, I used a headlight relay from a car and connected the relay trip to the low beam and the power for the running lights to the yellow assy. wire in the headlight bucket. Also installed a separate in line fuse just to be sure. The driving act the same as the low beams.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by bugman

want to hook up some kury lights 35 watts. was thinking of going into the bucket and splicing into headlight so they come on with headlight, will that work or do i need a seperate line/ will i blow fuse

Wire them on a separate circuit, controlled by a relay. I would also include a separate on/off switch for the lights. There may be times when you don't want them on.

[macmac]

Mine can be on with the key switch locked OFF. Either of 2 sets both On any time i want.

There are several ways to have them on, but I don't know what works for everyone. Might be with the key On and not much else, might be with just low beams, or just high beams, or some other way for another time.

Mine can be used if the keys are in a lake and the main switch is locked OFF.

[hammer]

I am with cactusjack on this one. I don't like having driving lights hooked up direct to the existing headlights on either low or high beam. I do use a relay because all it draws from the running light wire I tapped into is to switch the relay on. The relay draws power from whatever source (could be the aux in the headlight bucket). This way, should I lose the headlight bulb, or fuse, I still have lights.

I made up a cheap and easy switch pod on the left handlebar. It's just toggle switch and project box from Radio Shack. One switch for the headlights with a red LED to tell me they are on. The last is not necessary. The other switch was added to switch on my ridiculous number of blue LEDs I have.

[spirello]

I have mine tapped into the front signals with 55w bulbs in them and have had no issues 3 years now.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by hammer

I am with cactusjack on this one. I don't like having driving lights hooked up direct to the existing headlights on either low or high beam. I do use a relay because all it draws from the running light wire I tapped into is to switch the relay on. The relay draws power from whatever source (could be the aux in the headlight bucket). This way, should I lose the headlight bulb, or fuse, I still have lights.

I made up a cheap and easy switch pod on the left handlebar. It's just toggle switch and project box from Radio Shack. One switch for the headlights with a red LED to tell me they are on. The last is not necessary. The other switch was added to switch on my ridiculous number of blue LEDs I have.

Here's another (rather expensive) option for controlling lights: