Author Topic: Selecting circuit to add driving lights  (Read 416 times)

Offline Burkslaw

  • Hatchling
  • **
  • *
  • Posts: 130
  • Location: Sugar Hill, GA USA
Selecting circuit to add driving lights
« on: May 16, 2022, 06:19:53 AM »
I'd like to add an LED driving light to my 2002 Jackal. Even though the light doesn't draw much current I'll use a relay. In order to energize the relay I'd like to find a circuit that is hot only when the key is turned on, so that I can leave the driving light switch in the "ON" position even when the bike is shut off.
I have an "Add A Circuit" fuse holder which would plug into one of the fuses under the side cover and allow me a fused hot source. Any suggestions as to which circuit I should tap into?

Offline OldMojo

  • Gaggle Mentor
  • ****
  • *
  • *
  • Posts: 687
  • Career of Evil
  • Location: Dayton, OH
Re: Selecting circuit to add driving lights
« Reply #1 on: May 16, 2022, 06:52:08 AM »
On my EV, I tapped into the circuit for the little "parking light" bulb in the headlight bucket. Depending on your wire routing, the taillight circuit will work too.
"When you hit third gear, you'll forget everything she said"

'15 Griso 1200
'14 California Tour
'02 California EV
'80 CB 650C

Online moto

  • Gaggle Mentor
  • ****
  • *
  • *
  • Posts: 771
  • Potrebbe andare peggio, potrebbe piovere!
  • Location: Madison, WI
Re: Selecting circuit to add driving lights
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2022, 07:46:35 AM »
OldMojo's advice is right. On Guzzis of your era, the wire is yellow, both going forward to the parking light and backward to the tail light.
850 T-3
Griso 1100 corretto
2023 Royal Enfield Classic 350
Italjet Buccaneer 250 (ex-SSR) -- now sold
credit for 2500+ postings lost in the database meltdown of Feb 9, 2020

Offline Wayne Orwig

  • Gaggle Hero
  • *****
  • Posts: 13908
    • Hog Mountain weather
  • Location: Hog Mountain
Re: Selecting circuit to add driving lights
« Reply #3 on: May 16, 2022, 08:40:01 AM »
As mentioned, I have tapped into the little parking light in the headlight bucket on a number of Guzzis. You of course still need a long fused wire off of the battery to feed the relay contact.
Scientist have discovered that people will believe anything, if you first say "Scientists have discovered...."

Wildguzzi.com

Re: Selecting circuit to add driving lights
« Reply #3 on: May 16, 2022, 08:40:01 AM »

Offline Kiwi_Roy

  • Gaggle Hero
  • *****
  • Posts: 9796
  • Location: New Westminster BC
Re: Selecting circuit to add driving lights
« Reply #4 on: May 16, 2022, 10:54:50 AM »
As others have said the parking light circuit and you don't really need a relay.
A pair of spots at 10 Watts each is only going to draw 2 Amps and the lights typically operate at full brightness from 9 - 30 Volts
In other words you can afford to lose 3 Volts, at 2 Amps you shouldn't lose half that.
On my V7III I have 2 spots fed through 2 Amp reed switches so I can turn them off by removing a small magnet stuck to the outside of the headlight bucket.

Horns on the other hand do need a relay if you want them to be loud need to be mounted on the spring steel bracket they come with.
The small Blue/Black pair of wires are also from across the park light and go to the battery Voltmeter.
---------------------------------------
If you are still going to use a relay power the coil up from the park light (yellow wire), you don't need to add a fuse there but use a 5 Amp fuse to supply the 30 terminal, there is lots of room in the headlight bucket for the relay and fuse and you don't have to cut into the main loom.
https://www.thisoldtractor.com/guzzi007/schematics/2000_Jackal.gif
Note how the red wire to the ignition switch and the brown wire back to the fuse block is completely unprotected, this is very typical of Guzzi looms, I usually add a large fuse e.g. 40 Amps at the battery end.
« Last Edit: May 16, 2022, 01:12:54 PM by Kiwi_Roy »
72 Eldorado
17 V7iii Special
76 Convert
Half a V9 Roamer

Moto Guzzi - making electricians out of riders since March 15 1921

Offline Burkslaw

  • Hatchling
  • **
  • *
  • Posts: 130
  • Location: Sugar Hill, GA USA
Re: Selecting circuit to add driving lights
« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2022, 06:44:57 AM »
Tapping into the parking light supply wire should have been a no-brainer for me. Works perfectly. Thank you

***Wildguzzi Official Logo High Quality 5 Color Window Decals Back In Stock***
Shipping in USA Only. Awesome quality. Back by popular demand. All proceeds go back into the forum.
http://www.wildguzzi.com/Products/products.htm
Advertise Here
 

20 Ounce Stainless Steel Double Insulated Tumbler
Buy a quality tumbler and support the forum at the same time!
Better than a YETI! BPA and Lead free.
Advertise Here