Wiring in additional lights - Wisdom sought...

[cjmckay]

OK - helping out a fellow IBA rider wire in some spot and fogs on his new LD ride (a ST1300PA). I'm currently designing/documenting the proposed wiring changes.

Just wondering how most people 'operationally' wire in their Fog lights?

For the spot lights (auxiliary) - I've got them wired to operate off a switch only when the high beams operate.

For the fogs - I'm wondering if you disable them when high beams (independent of the spots) are operated or allow them (the fog lights) to remain on with the high beams.

Do you ever run spots AND fogs at the same time? (question asked for completeness).

Thanks In Advance...

Cameron

 

[EddyC]

Fwiw:
My spots are operated by switch and function only when high beams are active.
Fog lights come alive with a switch also and can function with or without high beams and/or spots.
I only run them all together in rare, specific situations i.e. lonely, dark and twisty roads where there is few visibility of the road boundaries,
but that's more an exception rather than rule.
Perhaps adaptive lights that go in with the turn themselves can do the trick better, but my current setup works for me just fine.
Keep an eye on the amps though.

Stay Safe,
Ed..

 

[cjmckay]

Thanks @EddyC. The ST1300 appears to have plenty of power (electrical) to spare and the owner isn't going too hard with this.

 

[EricV]

I've always wired the spots to be on with high beams and a switch to turn them off if desired. Since I never run my high beams except at night when I need and can use the extra light w/o impacting other road users, this worked well for me. I rarely turned the spots off this way. If I needed the extra light, I got all of it!

Fogs depend on if the cut off and aim is such that they don't bother oncoming traffic. I had a DOT legal low beam that went ditch to ditch and I could leave that on in traffic. That was an independent switch, not tied to headlights.

With the above set up, in very dark areas where I needed both distance and width, I would run them all on. Nevada desert. Think out past Wagga Wagga on the Hay.

 

[Brookester]

Look on the OZstoc forum for specific wiring on the police model utilising their switch block.
Fog lights on their own switch is user choice but most have them always on with power as extra lighting and generally off fender mounts on the ST1300. They also leave them on when hi-beam and spotties are on.
Hopefully you've got the spotties mounted on either over or under mirror light mounts specific to the ST1300? Also check and make sure mirror cover tethers are still there, fitted properly and in good condition.

 

[OX-34]

Cameron I've wired lots of lights to lots of my bikes, some well integrated with the bike's wiring, some just very rudimentary set-ups for a single ride, some with a single handlebar switch, some with 2 handlebar switches and some with an out of the way switch that were basically set and forget. The previous posters have alluded to all of those options.

Assuming for the ST1300PA you guys are planning a proper job just remember that legally in NSW at least only 4 additional lights are allowed and long range spotlights need to be triggered by the bike's high beam only and short/wide fog lights used in fog or bad weather only. That can be achieved by two separate 4-pin relays and switches or by a single 5-pin relay and switch.

The 5-pin can be wired to just the high beam wire so that 87 powers the spotlights and 87A powers the fog lights. With the switch on, flicking to the bike's high beam west of Wagga as Eric V said lights up the world. Dipping to the bike's low beam when an approaching truck flashes cuts the (87) spot lights and turns on the (87A) fog/gutter lights seamlessly. If this low beam and fog light combo does not offend the trucks you can ride along unmolested with decent light showing the roos off to the side of the road. If the truck flashes again you can turn the switch off and just proceed with the bike's H4s. Once the truck passes this does require quickly flicking both the bike's high beam and the aux light switches to get back to full light mode.

I prefer running 2 switches on 4-pin relays. That can be done with any combo of high and low and spot and fog and not-so-legal excessive numbers of aux lights. With two seperate pairs of of aux lights wired to just the high beam I can be running everything simultaneously. When the truck flashes (that can be over 10km away out west) I ignore it once, just to be sure. When it flashes again I cut the most powerful spots. 5km or so later the truck flashes I ignore it once. When the truck flashes again I cut the remaining spots. I stay on high beam. When the truck reaches the legal 200m I drop to low beam and immediately turn the 2 switches back on. As soon as the truck passes I flick the bike's high beam and all of the lights come back on and I'm in full light mode.

 

[cjmckay]

Thanks all. @OX-34, I've also wired in all sorts of combinations (on bike and cars) over the years. Well aware of the 87A - comes in handy sometimes. Not sure about the stated rule (NSW) around fog lights only operating on low beam - I checked my wife's ADRd Ford Everest last night and the fog lights (factory fitted per design) do not go out when the high beams come on - in fact, they are controlled independently of any of the other lights.

Thanks for the suggestion re: OzSToc - I've been there but hadn't noticed the wiring diagrams. The wiring for the PA version using the stock switches is interesting.

I'll post up the wiring mods here and in the bike specific forum thread once done.

Thanks for the imparted wisdom.

 

[Stephen!]

This may look a bit wonky, but there is good reason... The BMW K16 does not like having "unauthorized" devices attached to its computer controlled electical system. For example: Wire an aux light set directly to the high beams? Pretty good chance the computer will shut them all down because of excess current draw...

Because of that, I wanted to have a way to give the after-market USB jacks and Aux lights "Switched" power and the GPS and 'Cockpit' lights constant power that had nothing to do with the position of the key. I also wanted to be able to turn on one of the aux lights without turning on the ignition. Helpful for lighting up a late-night bonus object without leaving the engine running.

I used a simple relay for each light and triggered them from the high beam circuit. The small extra current draw of the relay was not enough to worry the BMW computer.

I hid the switches (water resistant marine grade rocker switchs) under the top fairing out of sight but easily reached from the PIC position in case I forgot to turn them on before takeoff.

 

[OX-34]

Thanks all. @OX-34...Not sure about the stated rule (NSW) around fog lights only operating on low beam - I checked my wife's ADRd Ford Everest last night and the fog lights (factory fitted per design) do not go out when the high beams come on - in fact, they are controlled independently of any of the other lights.......

You are right Cameron, the way I wrote that was clumsy and misleading. I've tidied it up.

 

[cjmckay]

@OX-34 - All good.... I never assume I know what is 'right' nor that what is actually done on a vehicle 'as sold new' is 'right'.

 

[cjmckay]

For those interested.... here are some options.

 

[Skidoo]

Some excellent info above Cameron.
FWIW and after multiple roo strikes all around our island, I often wire aux lights independently of each other (for redundancy) allowing remaining undamaged lights to operate hopefully allowing the ride to continue.

 

[cjmckay]

@Skidoo - do you go as far as wiring left and right separately (fuses, relays etc)?

 

[Skidoo]

@Skidoo - do you go as far as wiring left and right separately (fuses, relays etc)?

Many would say overkill but I run duel systems, Left and Right sided lights (Fuse and relays).
I had a roo strike in WA and wasted time isolating the issue and replacing the fuse. They always appear to happen at night for some reason. Now I just cut the damaged bits off, duct tape what’s left and continue

I have been running 30amp mini relays for years. They with the fuse fits into small spaces and have never had any issues.

For a one off run on a bike needing D/L’s, I prefab the harness preinstall and the process only takes an hour at best. Pulling it out only takes a few minutes

Ooh, there is no harm in taping spare fuses to every in-line fuse and even having a spare relay in your spares kit.

 

[cjmckay]

@Skidoo - I hear you.... I too do carry fuses, bulbs/globes/lamps, tape (and cable ties) and cutters when on my LD rides.. As this was a police-spec bike, finding info on some of the bits and pieces isn't so easy. I must say I tend to learn towards the relays that come with the fuse holder built in - but, yes they are a little bulkier and yes, you need to be able to get at the fuse - not always so easy.

 

[Stephen!]

This may look a bit wonky, but there is good reason...

I should mention that all this was for the 2012 GTL. When I got the 2018 I was much lazier and by then there was another option available.

https://www.hexezcan.com/

It does not allow me to have the 24/7 hot circuit, nor am I able to run an aux light without the bike being on, but I did not really use either of those features very often and installing the ezCAN was ever so much easier.

 

[cjmckay]

@Stephen! - nothing wonky - all well understood and thanks for the explanation.

I do need to (for other reasons) look into the CANBus based products - but that is for another time.