Turning off lights

[RainMan]

My 2004 TA gives no option to turn off the Headlight/Taillight, according to the dealer, it is because from 2004 on, all European countries require that motorcycles must use dipped headlight at all times. Whilst I normally will ride with my headlights on, I would like to have the choice. My question is, did older XL650V's have switchable headlights and if so it is possible to retrofit this switch unit onto a newer model, i.e. will a post '04 loom support switched lights ?

[Austin]

Only half an answer I am afraid. My 2001 TA has switched lights - left hand switch off-side-dip/main, with another switch for dip/main beam and separate main beam flasher. I haven't looked at the switches for later models but would guess you are just missing the off-side-dip/main switch. Probably aslo missing the wires from the handlebar switch and any relays. Its my experience that when something like this is done its pretty difficult to reverse engineer without some sort of bodge, eg fitting your own switch in the fairing somewhere.

[Dilbert]

You could fit a separate switch, but to be honest unless you're only doing short distances and not getting a good charge to the battery, or planning on doing a lot of maintenance, I would leave it as it is, I've always left all my bikes with the lights switched on dip, the only time this has been a real problem is when the bike's been hard to start, but like I said if you keep a good charge and keep it well serviced that shouldn't be such a problem.

[FatFergie]

Yeah, it upsets me that more and more we aren't given the choice, my brother 'switched' a yam seca US import that came with no "off" option but it wasn't pretty.

[severs]

Couldn't it be done by substituting the left switchgear "pod" (cluster) with a spare part intended for a previous model? My 2000 650 has the "off" position - its part number for this item must surely be easy to find out?

[FatFergie]

yes it is possible to fit an older switch, but from experience, as Austin said, it's rarely as simple as that, if the loom is the same, no problem, but Honda save millions by leaving out a few centimetres of wire never mind relays etc. Have a look at the wiring diagrams for the older and newer models and see if there is a difference.

[RainMan]

You could fit a separate switch, but to be honest unless you're only doing short distances and not getting a good charge to the battery, or planning on doing a lot of maintenance, I would leave it as it is, I've always left all my bikes with the lights switched on dip, the only time this has been a real problem is when the bike's been hard to start, but like I said if you keep a good charge and keep it well serviced that shouldn't be such a problem.

I take what you're saying, the reason I brought the subject up, was that during my battery woes, the bike wouldn't start in a supermarket car park, totally my fault, when I stopped the engine I got talking to somebody and left the lights, heated grips etc., etc on whilst the engine wasn't running, result - one very flat battery, no problem of course, as a bump start usually gets things running, long story short, with the battery flat, and the lights drawing from the battery, there was no way she was going to start, with the lights switched off, she would have had enough juice to start no problem, so a jump lead start meant, off with the seat and the right hand side panel to get access to the battery and of course, it was raining. If the legislators think that we can't be trusted to switch our lights on for safely reasons, to the point that they force manufacturers to hard wire them on, then I think it's only another small leap of nannyism to conclude that we incapable of riding bikes at all, of course purely for our own safety

[Dilbert]

If the legislators think that we can't be trusted to switch our lights on for safely reasons, to the point that they force manufacturers to hard wire them on, then I think it's only another small leap of nannyism to conclude that we incapable of riding bikes at all, of course purely for our own safety

Yes it's a sign of the times, like Volvo lights years ago, the choice would be nice

[wheeliebin]

You could do a little re-wire, the on/off switch on the older models was replaced with the hazzard light switch on the newer ones.

So the wiring is there, how important are hazzard lights to you ?

[RainMan]

That's not a bad idea wheeliebin as I have yet to use the hazards, the only problem of course is whether or not the loom supports this at the switch, if it means rewiring both front and back lights from scratch, then its probably not worth it.