Adding Headlight Switch

Does anyone know if a '78 or earlier RH control assembly (with headlight switch, starter button, etc...) can be installed on the '79 and later 1000's that don't have the headlight switch? Is there an easier way to add a switch for the headlight/tail light circuit?
Thanks

Post edited by: 79MKII, at: 2006/09/13 10:07

Hasn't anyone added a light switch? Anyone? Anyone?

I am not sure But isnt law to have the headlight on,, That is the Bike manufactures started making them that way ?? But only after a certain year ?? Around 1980 ?

I'm pretty sure they would fit. HOWEVER, I'm not 100% SURE.
I plan on doing this myself to my 1982 KZ.

Shoe48, yes it's the law, but if you can shut it off when you start the bike you are not wasting electricity at the headlight.

Shoe48 wrote:

I am not sure But isnt law to have the headlight on,, That is the Bike manufactures started making them that way ?? But only after a certain year ?? Around 1980 ?

It is a law in many states, but I don't think it is in OH. It wasn't the last time I checked, anyway. That's been several years ago though. The point is to have it off when I'm not on the road. I would probably use it on the street for safety anyway.

I was thinking (hoping) that the wires from another 1000, like the 77 or 78 would actually plug right into my harness with no problems. Hopefully someone here has already checked it out and will chime in.

My other thought was that my housing could be modified to accept the parts from the 78 to make it switchable. It would be more of a "conversion" that way.

Post edited by: 79MKII, at: 2006/09/13 12:55

My '89 KZ1000-P8 has a switch for the headlight...don't know if it was just for the cops to use or not.

Post edited by: hmondo, at: 2006/09/13 13:56

79MKII - If you don't know if the switch will work, it will be a chore to make it work. Here is how it works... switched VDC comes from the ignition switch and goes to the kill switch. Out of the kill switch is is split and one leg goes to the ON/PO/OFF switch on the right switchgear where it comes off as this is not just a simple on/off switch. The PO position also has wires coming out. One of the wires that comes off the switch in the ON position is a BLUE wire which is hot when in the "on" position and it comes off the switch and down the wiring bundle where it splits off on its own and doesn't terminate in the multipin connector like the rest of the pins.

OK... the way your headlight works is that there are two wires going to the headlight... a red/black and a red/yellow. One is to light the high beam and the other the low (can't recall which is which at the moment but I THINK the red/black is the low beam. You can tell by opening the right hand switch gear and looking at the switch and noting which wire corresponds to which switch position. Anyway, you will note a BLUE wire feeds the headlight wires. This wire comes OUT of the left switch gear and ON YOUR BIKE, joins into the MAIN wiring harness where it comes directly off the ignition switch. In other words, when you turn the key on, your headlight comes on.

On the earlier models, the blue wire OUT of the left switch gear didn't go into the main harness but plugged into that blue wire coming off the right hand switch gear.

Geesh, this sounds complicated but if you want to use an earlier right switch gear, you will have to pull the blue wire from the LEFT switchgear and hook it to the blue wire from the right switch gear. Keep in mind that the PO position on the switch won't work right as this is the parking light stuff and they can be turned on separately from the headlight and a similar mod would have to be done to them to get those lights to work. I am thinking they are on the brown sub-circuit and will skip the long explanation for that.

Anyway, it MIGHT be simpler to leave your current switch gear in place and put a simple in-line switch that can be mounted somewhere (like on the handlebar). You would just cut into the blue wire going to the left hand switch gear to install the swtich.

Thanks George! That really helps. Just knowing that it's the blue wire from the LEFT switch makes things much easier whatever route I take. I have the entire bike apart right now, so I thought it would be a good time to finally add a switch. Thanks again for the info.

I don't know about the 1000's, but the 79 and 80 750 twins have all the wiring for the headlight switch, it's just jumpered.

Do you want to run without your lights or just turn them off for starting? If the latter, use a normally closed relay after the lighting fuse and run it off the starter side of the solenoid. When you push the starter button the solenoid will engage and activate the relay to turn your lights off. This way the battery is only supplying the starter and ignition during starting. you could run off the coil side of the solinoid if the rest of the ciruitry can handle the additional relay. For a typical lighting relay it's not a problem to do it this way.

-Duck

Duck, where do you find this type relay and how does it work? You just use the starter black wire to trigger the relay open? Ground (black/yellow), hot to lights and use the normal blue wire from the ON/PO/OFF switch as the power in feed? Seems like a good idea if the switch isn't hard to find. I often forget to turn my lights on when I ride because I always turn them off when I shut the bike down to avoid starting with the light on.

I had a '99 Shadow; the starter button wiring would momentarily disconnect the power to the headlight when you pushed it, giving more juice to the starter. I thought that was a fairly intelligent design. Of course, the only reason that I know how it worked was cause it broke and I had to put in a new one.