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

Once you hack, you can't go back.

Ha just kidding.

On something like a Z1R, stock will always be the rule, but people seem to be more forgiving of minor electrical mods, especially if they can easily be undone. This relay mod seems like it would be a simple plug-and-play normally and should be easy to remove and restore. I think I would try that single y-split-jumper first, as shown.

So to make it reversible, you can make a very short Y-jumper. I'll edit the image above to show that .

If you want to update your original headlight without risking melting wiring I highly recommend using a Wagner H6024 Halogen sealed beam headlight. After melting a connector because I used a 100w off-road halogen bulb I switched to using the Wagner unit. It is much brighter than the1977 KZ650 stock headlight, and it doesn't cost much or damage any wiring or connectors. It's a 60/35 watt sealed beam unit that fits right into the stock headlight housing without any changes. Ed

www.summitracing.com/parts/WAG-H6024

I'd be more than happy to learn how to make a Y jumper.
Can you provide some more details?

The Alt route of a different headlight shell or light might take me too far from stock but I'm willing to try it.
First I want to try the jumper.

Just so you have all the options, both ways 650ed and I suggest are 100% reversible. Neither require cutting any wires or modifications to the original headlight bucket.

Got it.

As for cutting wires, it's too late for that since I already added the relay and cu off the OEM connector.
Minor point.

I'll research a new shell as a good solution. Never thought of that.

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configuration

Mikaw wrote: Just so you have all the options, both ways 650ed and I suggest are 100% reversible. Neither require cutting any wires or modifications to the original headlight bucket.

That's true for all of the mods we've discussed. All of the wiring changes would be reversible, and both the sealed beam and the LED H4 would be bolt in mods. The Z1R came with an H4 bulb and the appropriate housing, so you wouldn't actually need the conversion kit that Mikaw suggested. However, it is possible that the LED H4 bulb would mess with the RLU in the same way that the relays are. It's less likely, but still possible. The Wagner sealed beam should work just fine.

Do you still have the H4 housing in your bike? When I got my Z1R someone had tossed it in favor of a generic automotive sealed beam. Eventually I found the factory part and put it back to stock.

Here are some options, in order of complexity.
1) Stock.
2) Wagner sealed beam. I really shouldn't be brighter than the H4 bulb and reflector the Z1R came with, but it's a very cheap solution and easy to try.
3) LED H4 bulb in stock reflector. Small chance it will mess with the RLU.
4) Try to jumper around the RLU. The easiest way to do this would be to buy a control box from Ebay, cut off the wires, and jump them together. This would cause loss of RLU function and some indicators.



We could help you figure out what wires to jump. Another way to do the same thing is to buy the connectors and pins and make your own. This is definitely harder, but wouldn't destroy a vintage part.

I believe these are correct. Pretty sure...
www.z1enterprises.com/terminal-connector...pin-off-white-1.html
www.z1enterprises.com/terminal-connector...pin-off-white-1.html

5) Use the relay kit you have, and try to reroute signals to the handlebar switch to bypass the RLU.

loudhvx had a really nice idea to use the exising connectors to rewire the headlight, but I would suggest a slightly different method. My method is a little more complicated, but it completely removes the RLU from the headlight power path. With loudvhx's suggestion, it's not clear what the RLU will do if you short the light blue and blue/yellow wires together.

I would prefer to disconnect both the light blue and blue/yellow wires that feed into the high/low switch. Then I would run power from the headlight enable swtich directly to the blue/yellow wire. This is essentially how the base model KZ1000 is wired. The ligth blue wire is left disconnected.

The problem with connecting the headlight on/off directly to the high/low switch is that you bypass the 10A fuse. So in my configuration, you'd need to add an inline fuse holder to the jumper wire you create. But that's the kind of thing you can often find at auto parts stores. That, some bullet connectors, and wire would be all you need.

This would completely bypass the RLU for the headlight circuit, but both the on/off and high/low switches should function as intended. If you want to go down this path I can mark up the wiring diagram and see if I can find parts to recommend.

Here is a fuse holder: www.autozone.com/electrical-and-lighting...with-cover/32420_0_0

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationFor reference, the stock Z1R lens unit is part number 23007-1009, and should look like this:

DOHC, thank you I was not aware the Z1R was a halogen from the factory

Mikaw wrote: DOHC, thank you I was not aware the Z1R was a halogen from the factory

I think that was one of the fancy upgrades they made to the Z1R to justify the price. I think the '78 Z1R was the first model to use the H4 bulb. It looks like even the '80 kz1000 base model was still using a sealed beam (if the partzilla diagrams are correct).

As DOHC points out, it's not clear what the RLU will do with that jumper installed. I think it will work, but another thing you can try is to disconnect the light-blue wire as shown, and also disconnect the blue/yellow wire, then plug the male blue/yellow wire into the female light-blue wire. This assumes the drawing is implying gender on the connectors with the arrow being male and rectangle being female.

Looking back at the test DOHC suggested earlier, and your results, I'm starting to like this approach more.

That's another really great observation. The light blue wire seems to be activated in the fault state. It also seems plausible that the blue/yellow is deactivated in the fault, to not accidentally drive both filaments. That would explain why disconnecting the light blue wire shut everything down.
I also like this idea.

Hi folks.
Sorry to be so distant but I'm in the middle of a home remodel in the midst of Covid-19 so things are little crazy in the house.

I like the last suggestion and I will test a few things and see what I find.
BTW - I have the stock Stanley H4 halogen headlight so I won't be replacing the headlight shell.

With a couple of Posi-taps and disconnect wire where advised I will see how it goes.

But before all that I will put it back to stock now I have Posi-Loks to verify my RLU is fully functional ( I think it is since I had no issues prior to the addition of the relay.