Driving lights connect

[pcarrell]

Pastor Dude, I appreciate your detailed instructions. I am sure others will also appreciate this information.

No problem Mike!

So that was the "Best" way to do it, but not the only way.

The "Simple" way is to just wire them to your headlight leads in the headlight bucket. This is how most lightbars are connected and saves a lot of time. Some are even wired to the turn signal lights. Big downside. Two more lights put a strain on the 10 amp fuse handling headlight and taillight power. If that fuse blows you lose everything. Headlight, driving lights, instrument lights.... Some just put in a bigger fuse but to my mind that isn't a solution, it's a bandaid. The way I outlined earlier is a much better solution.

[CDNRatMan]

  so you can not go to those states and so WI must be one of them  and that is why you are not going to join us right......

[Pilgrim]

wired mine with relay also but so they stay on with high and low beam. More light the better. Some states have a law that they can't be on with high beams.

[Diddly squatt]

Thank you for the good advise and info. Pastor Dude, I appreciate your detailed instructions. I am sure others will also appreciate this information. Mike

[Old Drifter]

I also wired mine on their own circuit with a relay, separate switch. They work when the low beam is on and go off on high beam.

[CDNRatMan]

  I can not help with the spots because mine were done at the local shop and they come on with the key and off with the key. But PC is right on what he is telling you, so once we should listen to him.......

[pcarrell]

The "Best" way to wire your new lights is to their own circuit. That way if anything goes wrong, like you blow a fuse, you always have some light in front. This only requires a small switch, a 12 volt relay and a bit of wire.

The circuit:
Battery + to the 30 post of a 12v relay (available at any automotive place) the other side of the relay (87) to both of your lights. Route the wire right along with the original harness (left side of bike under edge of tank) using zip ties. Suggest 14 or 16 Gauge. Overkill maybe but what the heck. You'll want to put a 10 amp fuse in this line if you are running two 35 watt bulbs. If you ride in the rain a lot you can find waterproof fuse holders at a local boating store.
You still have two posts on the relay. One (85) goes to ground. If you're putting the relay under your seat (mine wouldn't fit there, so it's on the tray inside the left side cover) just use one of the ground connections available there. From the remaining post (86) run a wire, you can use 20 gauge or maybe smaller for this, right along with your new spotlight wire along the original harness. A fuse in this line is also recommended. The tidy, but not absolutely necessary next routing is through the original equipment tubing, into the headlight bucket and then back to the area of your left hand grip, again through the O.E. tubing (use a piece of wire to fish your electrical wire through). Look carefully and you'll see what I mean. Here (or anyplace you choose) you connect the wire to one side of a small spst switch (you can skip this switch if you just want the spots on anytime the headlight is on). Wire from the "other" side of the switch goes back to the headlight bucket where you have several options. My suggestion, connect it to the one wire (blue with yellow strip) that's energized after hitting the "start" button (supplying power to the headlight). This way you have driving lights whether you're on high or low beam. Other options sometimes dictated by state laws are connections to the high beam or low beam wires. You can check all these with a cheap test light or multimeter.

Result: Turn the new switch on and your new spotlights will come on at the same time as your headlight (after you've hit the starter). You have complete control of when the lights are on or off (if you installed the switch by the left hand grip). The lights will automatically turn off when the key is turned off. As for switch location, there's ample space in the rear portion of the switch box on your left grip for another. (two actually)

[Diddly squatt]

I installed a set of driving lights and wired them to the accessory tap in the headlight housing through a on/off switch mounted on the handlebar. I would like to change to a connect point where the lights will turn off when the key is off. I can just imagine that I'm asking for a dead battery some morning. Would you share where you connected your lights so I can reconnect them? Appreciate your help. Mike