Inexpensive Headlight Upgrade in 20 minutes under $20
#1
09-16-2012, 01:02 AM
Inexpensive Headlight Upgrade in 20 minutes under $20
I just got back from a test night-ride and I have to say that this is my favorite upgrade/modification to date! I almost DOUBLED the light output from my headlights, and it only took me about 15-20 minutes to do it. No, I didn't put in silverstars, H4's, HID or LED's. I didn't add any auxiliary lights, either. In fact, I'm still running the stock twin headlights that came on my bike, still in their stock location and stock trim around them.
How is this possible? Relays!
Follow the voltage as it travels through small gauge, 22 year old wiring and several connectors and switches from the battery, through the main breaker and the starter relay, up to the dash, through the ignition switch, through the lights breaker, out the bars to the high/low beam switch and back to the dash, then out to the fairing through a big connector block before finally reaching the headlights. Can you say "voltage drop"?
Automotive/motorcycle grade headlights can handle 14 volts all day long and bursts of up to 16 volts without frying, yet they usually only receive 12 volts or less(usually less, even on newer vehicles) mainly due to the smaller gauge wire, the length of the wire runs and the multiple switches and connectors along the way. The older the vehicle gets, the worse the problem is due to corrosion and dirty, loose contacts.
If only there were some way to run a heavy gauge wire from the battery directly to the lights without them being on all the time, have them controlled by the original switches so it looks and acts just like original, but with MUCH more voltage. There is, that's where relays come in. They are basically a remotely-controlled switch. Hook up a heavy gauge wire from the battery to the relay, then the relay to the lights, then connect the relay's control side to the old light's wires to tell it when to turn on and off.
That's exactly what I just did on Ruby, and let me tell you, the light output is MUCH brighter now. The low beams are almost as bright as the old high beams! The highbeams make most road signs almost blinding now.
If you know how to strip wires and crimp on connectors, you can do this modification yourself pretty easily. Follow along as I explain how I did it:
A little while ago I knew I was going to be doing this as well as possibly adding aux lights to the crash bar. So when I had the tank off doing something else, I routed a nice big 8 gauge power cable from the battery, under the seat, under the tank, straight out to the fairing. I drilled a small hole between the stock connector blocks to route the cable into the fairing. The cable I had leftover from the winch I had installed on my ATV. It was perfect for the job, really thick, tough insulation and plenty big to handle all the current I could ask for. Under the seat I cut the cable, stripped it and crimped on yellow ring terminals and put a 30 amp circuit breaker in line to protect against shorts.
I always have plenty of crimp-on connectors around, as well as wire scraps and such, so I don't really count the cost of those. I just stopped at a local auto parts store and picked up two 30amp heavy duty fog light relays for $4.99 each(you need two; one for low beam and one for high beam).
I removed the trim ring around the headlights, then pulled the 4 screws that held the dual headlight basket to the fairing and pulled it out. The basket had 3 wires going to the connector block; white, yellow, and black. The black was the ground. I cut all three wires about half way between the connector block and the headlight basket.
Now for the connections. On the end of the 8 gauge wire, I crimped on a yellow butt connector. in the other end of this connector, I stripped and twisted together 3 14gauge wires, then crimped that into the other end of the yellow butt connector. The 14 gauge wires were maybe 6 inches long each. On the ends of these wires, I crimped on blue, insulated, female, flat plug style connectors. One of these is currently run to my radio, the other two are for the headlight relays. Plug these wires onto the "30" tab of each relay.
Now strip and crimp on blue female plugs onto the yellow and white wires from the connector block and plug them onto the "85" tab of each relay(yellow onto one, white onto the other). Now strip the black wire from the connector block and twist it together with another short piece of black wire and crimp on another blue, female plug. Strip and crimp on another blue female plug onto the end of the short black wire. Plug these two black wires onto the "86" tab of each relay.
Almost there. Trust me, it goes quicker doing it than typing it out!
Strip and crimp on blue female plugs to the yellow and white wires coming from the headlight basket. Plug the yellow wire onto the "87" tab of the relay that has the other yellow wire and plug the white wire onto the "87" tab of the relay that has the other white wire. Strip and crimp on a ring terminal to the black wire coming from the basket and connect it to a good ground, in my case the fairing's center mounting bolts.
Tuck the relays into the fairing off to the side, maybe even wrap them with foam or bubble wrap to quiet any possible vibration-induced rattles, and put the headlight basket back into place, securing it with the original 4 screws. Re-install the trim ring, make your final battery connection and you're done.
Not only have I managed to make my headlights much brighter now, but I've also lessened the current load going through the ignition switch. Each relay only takes .3 of an amp to trip, so the factory headlight wiring is now only seeing .3 of an amp as opposed to the approximate 10 amp load of the lamps. As an added benefit that was unforseen, my voltage gauge appears to be reading more accurately and without the small bouncing it used to do.
Considering I had most of the supplies laying around and all I had to buy was the 2 relays, this mod only cost me $10 and about 20 minutes of my time. I would say it is WELL worth it!
How is this possible? Relays!
Follow the voltage as it travels through small gauge, 22 year old wiring and several connectors and switches from the battery, through the main breaker and the starter relay, up to the dash, through the ignition switch, through the lights breaker, out the bars to the high/low beam switch and back to the dash, then out to the fairing through a big connector block before finally reaching the headlights. Can you say "voltage drop"?
Automotive/motorcycle grade headlights can handle 14 volts all day long and bursts of up to 16 volts without frying, yet they usually only receive 12 volts or less(usually less, even on newer vehicles) mainly due to the smaller gauge wire, the length of the wire runs and the multiple switches and connectors along the way. The older the vehicle gets, the worse the problem is due to corrosion and dirty, loose contacts.
If only there were some way to run a heavy gauge wire from the battery directly to the lights without them being on all the time, have them controlled by the original switches so it looks and acts just like original, but with MUCH more voltage. There is, that's where relays come in. They are basically a remotely-controlled switch. Hook up a heavy gauge wire from the battery to the relay, then the relay to the lights, then connect the relay's control side to the old light's wires to tell it when to turn on and off.
That's exactly what I just did on Ruby, and let me tell you, the light output is MUCH brighter now. The low beams are almost as bright as the old high beams! The highbeams make most road signs almost blinding now.
If you know how to strip wires and crimp on connectors, you can do this modification yourself pretty easily. Follow along as I explain how I did it:
A little while ago I knew I was going to be doing this as well as possibly adding aux lights to the crash bar. So when I had the tank off doing something else, I routed a nice big 8 gauge power cable from the battery, under the seat, under the tank, straight out to the fairing. I drilled a small hole between the stock connector blocks to route the cable into the fairing. The cable I had leftover from the winch I had installed on my ATV. It was perfect for the job, really thick, tough insulation and plenty big to handle all the current I could ask for. Under the seat I cut the cable, stripped it and crimped on yellow ring terminals and put a 30 amp circuit breaker in line to protect against shorts.
I always have plenty of crimp-on connectors around, as well as wire scraps and such, so I don't really count the cost of those. I just stopped at a local auto parts store and picked up two 30amp heavy duty fog light relays for $4.99 each(you need two; one for low beam and one for high beam).
I removed the trim ring around the headlights, then pulled the 4 screws that held the dual headlight basket to the fairing and pulled it out. The basket had 3 wires going to the connector block; white, yellow, and black. The black was the ground. I cut all three wires about half way between the connector block and the headlight basket.
Now for the connections. On the end of the 8 gauge wire, I crimped on a yellow butt connector. in the other end of this connector, I stripped and twisted together 3 14gauge wires, then crimped that into the other end of the yellow butt connector. The 14 gauge wires were maybe 6 inches long each. On the ends of these wires, I crimped on blue, insulated, female, flat plug style connectors. One of these is currently run to my radio, the other two are for the headlight relays. Plug these wires onto the "30" tab of each relay.
Now strip and crimp on blue female plugs onto the yellow and white wires from the connector block and plug them onto the "85" tab of each relay(yellow onto one, white onto the other). Now strip the black wire from the connector block and twist it together with another short piece of black wire and crimp on another blue, female plug. Strip and crimp on another blue female plug onto the end of the short black wire. Plug these two black wires onto the "86" tab of each relay.
Almost there. Trust me, it goes quicker doing it than typing it out!
Strip and crimp on blue female plugs to the yellow and white wires coming from the headlight basket. Plug the yellow wire onto the "87" tab of the relay that has the other yellow wire and plug the white wire onto the "87" tab of the relay that has the other white wire. Strip and crimp on a ring terminal to the black wire coming from the basket and connect it to a good ground, in my case the fairing's center mounting bolts.
Tuck the relays into the fairing off to the side, maybe even wrap them with foam or bubble wrap to quiet any possible vibration-induced rattles, and put the headlight basket back into place, securing it with the original 4 screws. Re-install the trim ring, make your final battery connection and you're done.
Not only have I managed to make my headlights much brighter now, but I've also lessened the current load going through the ignition switch. Each relay only takes .3 of an amp to trip, so the factory headlight wiring is now only seeing .3 of an amp as opposed to the approximate 10 amp load of the lamps. As an added benefit that was unforseen, my voltage gauge appears to be reading more accurately and without the small bouncing it used to do.
Considering I had most of the supplies laying around and all I had to buy was the 2 relays, this mod only cost me $10 and about 20 minutes of my time. I would say it is WELL worth it!
#2
09-16-2012, 01:43 AM
#5
09-16-2012, 07:59 AM
Road Warrior
#6
09-16-2012, 02:52 PM
Keep in mind that my instructions are specifically for the Tour Glide/shark nose with dual headlights. The Road Glide should be very similar. For everyone else, you might have to get creative with relay placement and wire colors might vary, but the connections are still the same. Once you get an understanding of how relays operate, you start to see all sort of places you can use them.
For any of you that do this mod, please report back on your results! I'd love to hear them.
For any of you that do this mod, please report back on your results! I'd love to hear them.
#7
09-16-2012, 05:14 PM
Grand HDF Member
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#8
09-17-2012, 09:24 PM
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09-17-2012, 09:30 PM
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