Headlight Relay - problem not switching Hi / Low - KZ1000-D1 Restoration

This is my first time on this forum.
I'm in the final stages of a restoration of a 1978 Z1-R.
I installed a H4 headlight relay kit from Beaver Power in Japan.
After connecting it directly to the battery and then plugging in the old headlight power, there is no difference between Hi or Low.
Plus the bike now thinks there is no headlight and the Headlight Warning lights up on the dash.

The relay kit says to disconnect the original Bk/Y ground wire since it's not used but this is the common ground for the warning system.

I contacted John at Beaver Power and suggested removing the headlight warning system.

Anyone have thoughts on how to do this?

The reserve lighting system is likely the problem, or at least a problem. It turns the other headlight filament on when it senses offer is blown open. Your aftermarket light is not going to be detected correctly, so that might be why both are on. Did you try unplugging the control box? It's under the right side cover. I'll have to look at the wiring diagram to see if you need to jumper around it to disable the system.

In case you need a diagram...

kzrider.com/forum/4-electrical/612678-z1...iring-diagram#822008

In case anyone need a coloured wiring diagram....

Here's a wiring diagram from the Kawasaki FSM. Open image in new window to enlarge.

...1978 KZ1000-D1 (Z1-R) wiring diagram

That last diagram is the correct one to use. The one that says (US, Canadian model).

Looking over the diagram, it looks like you can't remove the reserve lighting box. The headlight power passes through this box on the way to the hi/low switch. However it does look like you can disconnect the resistor pack that is also part of this system. That would prevent the reserve lighting box from sending power to the high beam filament when it detects a fault.

This resistor pack is mounted under and between the two coil packs. There is a connector right on the pack. Unplug this connector and the reserve lighting system should be disabled.

Although there is some chance that your tail light might stop working. I can't tell as I don't know what logic or connections are inside the control box. But the stop/tail light is connected directly to the reserve lighting box, so who knows.

If disabling the reserve lighting helps your problem, you may be able to remove reserve lighting control box by buying the correct mating connector and creating a jumper plug. Many of these connectors and contacts are available.

This is great information. I'll try your suggestion about the resistor and let you know the outcome.
Also thank you for the wiring diagrams.

Update: unplugging the resistor resulted in the high beam dash light to now function as intended, off on Lo, on with Hi.
Tail light works fine.
Warning lamp for blown headlight still is staying on.
And still no difference between switching Hi/Lo.

Can you post a shematic or any info on the relay wiring you added?

Here are screen shots of the part I installed.

Website is www.easterbeaver.com

Owner suggested I disconnect the headlight warning system.

I have instructions printed out to see them

The problem with using the relay and the reserve lighting unit simultaneously is that the relay becomes what the RLU thinks is the bulb. The relay will always look like a blown bulb so the RLU will always try to switch to the "other" filament. Your switch input will be ignored by the RLU so the power to the relay will not get switched when you flip the switch.

The reserve lighting unit on your model seems to also be part of the brake light and tail light system, probably to detect blown bulbs, so you probably don't want to remove the RLU.

The question becomes how close to original do you want the bike?

If you want to retain all of the bulb detecting and RLU features, I think you have to ditch the relay . Or if you want to use the relay to use powerful headlight bulbs you will have to disable the headlight control portion of the RLU by splicing some wires.

To Martin: do you have a link for the full-size version of that diagram? Some of the fine print is difficult to read.

Removing the resister pack should prevent the reserve lighting box from enabling the high beam circuit, based on my reading of the diagram. But maybe I missed a connection.

As a quick check, does the headlight work normally when connected directly to the bike harness?

Next, do you have a trouble light or a volt meter? If so, with the bike harness headlight connector disconnected, what do you see on the two pins that drive the filaments (not the ground wire)? Are they both at 12V relative to ground/chassis? Does flipping the high/low beam switch change anything?