Ok folks, i previously struggled to get the RAM sccops off, but with a little gentle persuasion they came out. Once screws are out, They have a plastic bit with an arrow profiled head that sits in a rubber housing within the frame an just needs jiggling to get it out. Consider this though, it is essential to remove these or fitting lights these just wont happen!
I sourced the lights from this site. www.bikevis.com Service was good, postage was a bit overinflated (twice actual cost - as price in uk is printed on the stamp!!) the items themeselves were ok. The LED pods themselves can be found cheaper else where on tinternet as can some of their other items however i have not yet seen their LED bullets elsewhere, so i ordered a few bits together.
As for the install i made a couple of brackets by bending some flat aluminium (please note i have spelt and pronounced it correctly!!) and mounted the bullet LEDs to them then bolted it to the inside of the fairing frame. The side pods were easier just a matter of measuring and drilling carefully. What was a nightmare was running the wiring. Its about the only time in my life i have ever wished i had small 'lady' hands. There is not a lot of free space behind there but i made it work (after about 5 hours!! and that was without making and painting brackets). I was advised re cautious use of solder, so i hedged my bets and used solder and connector blocks, once done i didnt fancy having to go backe and do it all again). All worked out well, in the end.
In the end i used the Pink and brown feeds on the right hand side located just behind the Right RAM scoop (these are the permanent live feeds to the horn) to power the LEDs. They dont use alot of juice 0.06 for the bullets and 0.12 for the pods. Was advised it was optional to use an in line blade fuse of about one amp, but smallest i have found at local motor factors is a 3 amp, anyone think i even need the fuse at all!!
I also replaced the park light with an x5 LED small bayonet cap bulb (loads on ebay). I wouldnt say this is brighter (in terms of Lumen) but it is a clearer/whiter light.
My aim for this was for it all to be reversible, look as close to stock as possible and not too be obtrusive. I think i have achieved it!?!
(http://fjowners.com/gallery/4/2484_07_11_12_9_31_18.jpeg)
(http://fjowners.com/gallery/4/2484_07_11_12_9_25_04.jpeg)
(http://fjowners.com/gallery/4/2484_07_11_12_9_27_42.jpeg)
let there be light
(http://fjowners.com/gallery/4/2484_07_11_12_9_49_00.jpeg)
That looks really good, keep the fuse, better to find out later if you have a problem by finding the fuse blown first. Consider it an early warning device that might prevent a fire or catastrophic failure.
Good onya Mate, I`m seriously impressed. You`ve taken the best look`n bike of a daytime and turned it inta tha romerlisa of night. (all while keeping a foot on three tin lids & a smile for tha cheese and kisses).
What`s it like from the cockpit?
Quote from: The General on November 07, 2012, 11:01:50 AM
Good onya Mate, I`m seriously impressed. You`ve taken the best look`n bike of a daytime and turned it inta tha romerlisa of night. (all while keeping a foot on three tin lids & a smile for tha cheese and kisses).
What`s it like from the cockpit?
How is it we speak exactly the same language and yet I can't understand a word?? I was with ya right up until romerlisa?? What's romerlisa? And I haven't got a clue about the next bit!
From the cockpit, it looks ok, it lights up the garage wall in the daylight, so it's fairly bright!
Thanks for the advice monkey, guess I had better get back in there and find space for an in line fuse! Will have to track down a 1 amp flavoured variety first!
Yeah sorry mate, my mis spell`ns thrown ya out. Should have been "Romalisa". It`s in tha Aussie Dictionary referring ta some famous painting of a sheila with a great smile on her dial......didn`t mean ta get deep & artistic.....just tha pic of that model bike makes me all sensitive ....True Blue Beauty does that.
The Aussies like to take words and phrases and replac/mix in words that ryme to color things up a bit. Try this, a good read for us Seppos http://alldownunder.com/australian-slang/index.html (http://alldownunder.com/australian-slang/index.html)
(http://fjowners.com/gallery/4/2484_07_11_12_9_31_18.jpeg)
They do look swell! But yes, a fuse would be in order... and I would recommend a grommet where the wires run through the hole in the mounting plate. .02
Quote from: Dads_FJ on November 07, 2012, 02:26:29 PM
They do look swell! But yes, a fuse would be in order... and I would recommend a grommet where the wires run through the hole in the mounting plate. .02
I know what you mean about the grommet but the tolerance is so fine it would push the bracket down and back therefore making it foul the forks. It was also a bloody nightmare to feed the wires through there without any extra restrictions. It is well cable tied so should have little or no movement, and u can't see it vibrating through in a hurry!
Just thinking about the fuse, if it blows whilst out I only loose the horn (so no massive loss) but I wouldn't be able to replace fuse until back home as I would need to remive the scoops. Anyone happen to know of somewhere else easier I can pick up that brown or pink feed that is more accessible?
Adding accessories is never ending for me, this was my solution on my Yamaha TDM850, but can be applied to any bike.
http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=7007.msg62059#msg62059 (http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=7007.msg62059#msg62059)
Nurse,
You said, "Just thinking about the fuse, if it blows whilst out I only loose the horn (so no massive loss) but I wouldn't be able to replace fuse until back home as I would need to remive the scoops. Anyone happen to know of somewhere else easier I can pick up that brown or pink feed that is more accessible?"
The Horn and Turn Indicators are already fused with the "SIGNALS" fuse under the seat. You could separately fuse the running lights with an additional inline fuse, but it doesn't have to be a BIG fuse. There are some inline bladed fuses and some inline mini bladed fuse holders available at electronics components shops. BTW a short that blows a 1A fuse will probably also blow a 3A fuse. The LED lights you bought are cheap enough that fusing them will not keep them from failing and it will also blow the "Signals" fuse. With the minimal draw these lights have, if you really want to fuse them you could use a 1/2A or even a 1/4A fuse.
Arnie
Thinking on this, if i chop in an in-line fuse at 1 amp and (for arguements sake the horn uses say 2-3amp) wont the fuse blow every time i try to give some useless driver a 'toot' (not that they could hear the stock horn anyway!)
Depends on where you put the fuse.
The "Signals" fuse already protects the circuit the horn is part of. So, if you put an additional 1A fuse in series with the "Signals" circuit, then yes, you'll blow the fuse when you are trying to blow the horn.
However, you could put the 1A (or 1/2A or 1/4A) fuse on just the part of the circuit you have your added DRL LEDs on without affecting the operation of the rest of the "Signals" devices.
As you've already finished the install, and may be having some difficulty with the finer points of fusing, I'd leave it as is. Anything likely to blow a 1A fuse on your DRL subcircuit will likely also blow the 5A (IIRC) "Signals" fuse.
Arnie
Tap off it like this and your horn will be safe.
(http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb37/campsimonette/fuse.jpg)
But as Arnie stated (and others), there's already a fuse in place so if there's a short or other issue you'll be w/o a horn and anything else on that circuit, but at least you can make it home.
I wasnt having issues with the fusing as such, more the location! I know where i should have located it, just means a bit more jiggery pokery and some desoldering which i was hoping to avoid! However what must be done, must be done! Should have put it in whilst i had the panels off but if im honest i completely forgot about it until i cleaned up the work bench and found the fuse holder i bought, under the Haynes manual wiring diagram!!!
Thanks for the help/advice though!
Quote from: Dads_FJ on November 08, 2012, 09:59:27 AM
Tap off it like this and your horn will be safe.
(http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb37/campsimonette/fuse.jpg)
Thanks 'Daddyo' thats the way im going!
Now where did i leave those wire cutters!
Addition of 1amp in line fuse in hand and under way!!
We can all rest easy previous con-fuse-ion sorted. 1amp in line fuse added, had to go back over a few of my previous steps, to get there, but get there I did!
You know the old saying if a jobs worth soldering, it's worth soldering, using blocks, wrapping in insulation tape, unwrapping, unsoldering, re soldering, re-wrapping - you get the picture.
:dash1: :wacko3:
Folks, need a little help. Having ordered some silver indicator bulbs which flash yellow in prep for clear lenses (which are on their way,) I fitted and tested them this evening. This is when my issues began. Every time the left indicator flashes the drls go out! WTF! Then I figured I would try the horn. Every time it beeps the lights also go out! Oh for feck sake, :mad:
Now I know there is no one to blame but myself, but having used my Haynes manual and the wiring diagram I really thought I had it sorted. I used the pink and brown wires in the loom behind the right hand RAM scoop.
Can anyone tell me where/what I did wrong?.. :dash2:
Arnie can you remember where you chopped in your drls?
I'll look and report back. BTW I can't see my drl's while riding, so they might be blinking out too.
Arnie
Think I have located the kill switch and starter loom circuit? Would tapping into this circuit work? Would have to be careful as there are 2 red/white cables one for starter button and one for kill switch.
Please jump in if I'm wrong on this but the kill switch would be open and run live with the ignition all the time!?
Whilst the starter will only be on when turning the bike over!
Nurse,
This is the connector I tapped for power to the DRLs.
Brown is switched +12V, Black is earth
Looking at the frame with the right side scoop removed.
With the bike idling, the DRLs do NOT flash on/off with the turn indicators nor with the horn.
Arnie
(http://fjowners.com/gallery/4/99_25_11_12_7_20_06.jpeg)
Cheers Arnie, what year and model is yours, I will look in my Haynes and see if I can work out from the wiring diagram what that loom feeds! Don't recognise that colour Combo behind my scoops but I will check when I pop to the garage later!
91B with pink stripe.
I would guess that it connects the front brake, engine stop, and start switch.
Ok. Well having trawled over the Haynes manual the only conclusion i can reach is that the European bikes had wiring of different colours as i cant marry up Arnies colours in his loom to anything on the wiring diagram. However given the fact that its location, number of wires and direction of travel is the same as my kill switch/stater loom i would agree thats what it is.
The post 1991 3xw abs models in the UK have a 4 wire loom that runs to the kill switch/starter button assembly (other models may vary by country and dod vary by year).
This is the one you want to use for this job.
It has 2 wires which are red/white, one is blue/white, one is black. Ignore the blue/white wire. You need to identify by process of elimination (isnt that the spelling for having a poo?? :blush:) which one or the 2 red/white wires is the kill switch. I just feed a few strands of the wire from the LEDs into the back of the loom connector and swapped the combinations about on them until i had it right (baring in mind LEDS only work one way round this was a bit of a fiddle and took a couple of minutes)
Well i now have working, fused, bright DRLS that dont blink on/off with the indicators or the horn! Hooray :yahoo: