Running lights...how are your's powered?

[Venturous Randy]

In another thread, there is some discussion as to how running/fog lights should powered. I have been running extra lights for a long time and I have them powered from the battery thru a fuse and a switched relay to the lights. I know this is not a good idea as far as accidentally leaving them on and running down the battery, but to me, I feel it is safer.

Years ago I was out riding and the main fuse blew and I lost everything. Fortunately, I was riding on a country road during the daytime. I bypassed the fuse to get home and never did find why the fuse blew and that was probably 40,000 miles ago. My concern is that if the fuse had blown at night and everything was wired thru the switch, I would have immediately lost all lighting and that is not a good thing on these curvy mountain roads. I always run my fog lights at night and if I blew the fuse again, at least I would have the fog lights. That could be a lifesaver.

RandyA

[kevin-vic-b.c.]

I do totally agree with what you are saying here. I am unsure how on the Yamaha the main fuse would effect the 4way flashers but I know years ago when I lost my lights om my Nissan at a very dark place I thought to switch on the 4ways and that gave me enough light to guide me to a safe place to stop... very scarey moment tho. And yes my driving lights, they are LED, but are powered separate also.

[etcswjoe]

I wonder if you could place another switch to your kickstand so when it's down it interupts the relay power to your lights? That would be one way to make sure you do not leave them on and still be powered directly from the battery.

[bongobobny]

Yah! I have 2 separate sets of driving lights each on separate circuits, one set are the regular aftermarket passing lamps and the other set is mounted on the bottom of my floorboards for use as fog lamps. There is separate fuses for each set, controlled by separate relays and go directly to the battery for power, but I use the ignition line to run the relays...

[Flyinfool]

MANY MANY years ago I was going down a country road and the headlight bulb burned out in such away that the broken filament shorted the low beam side and it blew the main fuse. It got real dark and real quiet suddenly at 65 mph. So I can see what you are saying.

 

You could add in a timer relay that will turn off the running lights 10 minutes after the power is removed. This would be wired direct to the battery and the normal operation would turn on off with the switch. This way IF you ever forgot to turn off the running lights they will only be on 10 minutes at most.

 

If the main fuse blows, you are not going to ride very far unless you are going down a mountain.

[StarFan]

I just installed the running lights to my 2000 Venture. Wired it up as Yamaha suggested and opted for having them on with the normal headlight on as well as the high beam (legal in Iceland). Also installed a switch that enables me to turn the lights on/off as well as the fuse that came with the lights.

In the installation instructions, Yamaha gives three options for hooking the lights up.

1. On with the normal headlight beam only.

2. On with high beam only.

3.On with both the high beam as well as the normal headlight beam.

The one I used (no:3) only requires one to splice the power wire of the lights to the red wire with yellow stripe that goes into the the neutral color plastic/nylon connector in the fairing as well as extending the turn signal wires (harness included with the switch).

Am also gonna do the rewiring of the ignition switch to take the stress of the ignition and a relay just in case.

Here is a link to the Yamaha instructions and take note of Freebirds suggestions of adding a relay:

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=43898

Edited January 13, 2014 by StarFan

[Squidley]

I have near always (after my 1st wire attempt) run any driving/fog light on it's own separate circuit. I go directly from the battery to it's own designated fuse and then to a relay. I vary on how I power the relay, either through a switch or lights directly to the relay (unswitched) my '86 have driving lights that are on all the time that the ignition switch is in the "on" position. I tapped into a switched power wire in the harness and once the switch is in the on position they are on. When I turn the key off, they go off. I run a switched light setup the same with the exception of running the on/off switch from the switched power wire going to it 1st then to the relay.

[StarFan]

I have near always (after my 1st wire attempt) run any driving/fog light on it's own separate circuit. I go directly from the battery to it's own designated fuse and then to a relay. I vary on how I power the relay, either through a switch or lights directly to the relay (unswitched) my '86 have driving lights that are on all the time that the ignition switch is in the "on" position. I tapped into a switched power wire in the harness and once the switch is in the on position they are on. When I turn the key off, they go off. I run a switched light setup the same with the exception of running the on/off switch from the switched power wire going to it 1st then to the relay.

 

Aggree Squidley- as stated in my post:

Here is a link to the Yamaha instructions and take note of Freebirds suggestions of adding a relay: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/sh...ad.php?t=43898