Fire and Steel Kawasaki light bar

[eagleman]

I bought the Fire and Steel light bar for the Nomad and was wondering how otheres have wired it to their bikes. It comes with an adapter that will plug into the head light and then remain on all the time to be turned off with the switch that comes with the light bar. Not sure I like the idea of having them on and off with a switch as I ride with them on during the day and know I would forget to turn them off. By law in PA I understand that they should be wired to run with the brights on and when the regular head light is used they are off. That is what a PA motorcycle mechanic told me. Is he correct? Has anyone wired them so they turn off and on with the key or should they be wired so they come on when the engine is running like the head light. I am not sure what to do and if I follow the directions that come with the light bar it has them on and off with the switch on the bar - which means they could be on with the bike parked and not running. How do you have yours wired and have you had any problems? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks.

Eagleman

[ice793]

Mine came installed when i bought the nomad but it comes on with the ignition turned on or i can use the switch at the light bar and turn them on and off as i please,not sure if that helps.

[cactusjack]

I would recommend running a fused, dedicated wire from the (+) battery terminal to the headlight bucket, and using that to power a standard automotive relay. Use the high beam wire to trigger the relay. Your driving lights will only be powered when the high beam is on, and you can turn them on or off as desired with the switch.

[jd01]

Wired my F&S lightbar to the front running lights. Went into the headlight bucket, spliced to the wires going to the running lights. Come on and off when the key is turned on and off. Can also turn them off while the key is on, from the switch mounted on the lightbar. I've been running them this way for the past 8 years with no problems whatsoever.

[macmac]

I have cobra, but it shouldn't matter. I set mine up totally independant of anything.. I used a switch that has a led lite up when on.

I wouldn't run it off the hi beam direct with out a relay if i were you. That will fry the ign switch or the fuse box itself. (note it will work for a while, but when it doesn't there will a real mess to fix..)

[pagemastr]

I had the dealer install mine so I am not sure where he wired them to in the headlight bucket. Mine would not be according you what you said is law in PA. and am curious about that being the case.

Mine are wired in so when I turn the key on, then I can turn them on and off with the switch on the light bar. Tells me it is not wired through the headlight relay nor directly to my battery. I like the way this works as I can't forget to turn them off as they go off when the key is turned off.

[poppy]

My F&S bar was wired by the dealer when I purchased the bike. The lights come on after the bike is started. The bar lights are on when the low beam is selected, off during high beam. The switch on the bar turns them off whenever the switch is utilized.

[mercianbike]

I have the F&S light bar and wired them up following Gadget's instructions.

http://www.gadgetjq.com/wiredrivinglights.htm

I did not, however, install a separate on/off switch on the handlebars since the light bar already has an on/off switch. Gadget warns against wiring them directly into the headlight circuits although some folks do, as noted in a previous post, with no problems. In my case, however, I replaced the stock 25W bulbs with amber 50W bulbs so I'd probably be blowing fuses all the time if I was wired directly into the headlight.

As far as your laws in Pennsylvania, you might want to check out this statute rather than just talking to individuals who may or may not know the law:

http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms.../section_h.pdf

specifically Section 175.146(k) Auxiliary Driving Lamps and Fog Lamps. After reading this I personally wouldn't worry about whether they remained on with both high and low beam.

[damark115]

I wired mine thru a relay run from battery power direct. The relay is switched by the headlight. Works with high or low beam. There is also a manual switch on the bar if I want to turn them off (almost never).

[yoda]

I had my Suzuki wired to come on only with low beams (as an inpection tech told me that was PA law) but after reading the link provided by mercianbike, I would think that only applies to fogs. I don't have a light bar on the Nomad yet, but was thinking about how I wanted to wire it as well.

[zoom45]

Mine came wired to the bike separate from the headlights but it does have an on/off switch on the right side of the light bar. It is not on a relay and has not caused problems in almost 75,000 miles. I plan on changing it to run through a relay this weekend since I was doing some other wiring. I usually run with them on all the time but I can cut them off with the switch.
Zoom45

[oledawg]

Originally Posted by Eagleman

I bought the Fire and Steel light bar for the Nomad and was wondering how otheres have wired it to their bikes. It comes with an adapter that will plug into the head light and then remain on all the time to be turned off with the switch that comes with the light bar. Not sure I like the idea of having them on and off with a switch as I ride with them on during the day and know I would forget to turn them off. Is hBy law in PA I understand that they should be wired to run with the brights on and when the regular head light is used they are off. That is what a PA motorcycle mechanic told me.e correct? Has anyone wired them so they turn off and on with the key or should they be wired so they come on when the engine is running like the head light. I am not sure what to do and if I follow the directions that come with the light bar it has them on and off with the switch on the bar - which means they could be on with the bike parked and not running. How do you have yours wired and have you had any problems? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks.

Eagleman

In Fact Pa law is they can only be on with the low beam. ;)

[kpmhspirit]

http://www.wykedilluzionz.com/laws/

Pete

[oledawg]

::) http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms.../section_h.pdf

[Top Cat]

NY State law says only on at low beam but that sounded stupid to me so I wired mine to be on low and high beam. It has passed inspection both years I have had the lights on it.
I have a Cobra lightbar but don't remember how I wired it. I know I put a relay under the left side cover. Hey, I'm old OK :-/