• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

Mods to increase visibility, any input?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Doug B.
  • Start date Start date
mrbill5491 said:
I'm not sure you understand...all the connections are in the headlight bucket. All you gotta do is locate the individual connections, unless your system had been chopped up, then I can see the cutting and splicing. If you have or can get a wiring diagram of your bike, you can trace out those connections.
Click to expand...

Yeeahhh... definitely been chopped already - I have Bass Cliff's color diagram, but even that is proving confusing. Whoever did the work to it spliced a few wires, some colors are actually missing (green I think) and threw on some hideous little stumpy... just awful turn indicators. I have all 4 originals that I'm going to clean up, and if I can - add that 3-wire connector.

It looks like whenever he removed the wiring for the clutch/engine start safety switch he screwed something up or unintentionally cut some wires, hence the replacements. They're so thickly wrapped with electrical tape though that it makes it hard to trace - and even if I cut it all off, I'm pretty sure that I'll end up cutting a wire. I'm going to HOPE that I can use the positive wire and just feed the others into the bike frame for grounds.

Will I need 2 positive connections for the new lamp holder?
 
Call Me Ahab said:
Yeeahhh... definitely been chopped already - I have Bass Cliff's color diagram, but even that is proving confusing. Whoever did the work to it spliced a few wires, some colors are actually missing (green I think) and threw on some hideous little stumpy... just awful turn indicators. I have all 4 originals that I'm going to clean up, and if I can - add that 3-wire connector.

It looks like whenever he removed the wiring for the clutch/engine start safety switch he screwed something up or unintentionally cut some wires, hence the replacements. They're so thickly wrapped with electrical tape though that it makes it hard to trace - and even if I cut it all off, I'm pretty sure that I'll end up cutting a wire. I'm going to HOPE that I can use the positive wire and just feed the others into the bike frame for grounds.

Will I need 2 positive connections for the new lamp holder?
Click to expand...

Egads, was afraid that was going to be the case. I would take the tape off and see just how far PO screwed it up. Might be easier just to redo it completely. Maybe even find a decent replacement harness then mess with a butchered up harness.
 
I see... all right then =[

I'll start looking around for a new harness, in the mean time I'll try to cut that crap off. It is pretty thick, I'd say he used nearly 1/4 a roll of electrical tape on the rear alone...
Front's a whole different story, I was out there earlier and I think he used liquid tape too!

I think I can trace them though, I found where he spliced em in (maybe!)

I'll keep working at it. While I do that, any ideas on how to seperate a plug that melted together? Looks like it's the one for the left-hand controls. Completely fused. Should I just cut em all and 1-by-1 reconnect? Seems pretty ghetto to do it like that, especially since I'll be chopping the new controls >_<

*edit:

Apologies for jumping into someone else's thread for this!!

I really was just here for some increased visibility tips =]
 
High visibility improves our odds. That is enough.

Some drivers are total idiots who won't see us regardless of what we do to be highly visible. Because of them, we must ride as if we were invisible to everyone.

But the total idiots are minority. Most drivers try to pay attention. Making it easier to be seen helps around them. One or two hundred dollars spent on birighter and more visible lighting increases the chance that those people will see us.
 
Something like this could help.

th
 
Visibility is paramount. Light coloured clothing, bright, light coloured helmet. High beam in daytime. I've added additional reflective tape to the bike and to my helmet to improve nighttime visibility. And of course, ride alert and watch out for yourself because the people you share the road with don't care about your health and safety nearly as much as you do.
A good set of loud horns are a good final defense. Always dress as if you are going to fall down or be in a collision because eventually, you probably will. :cool:
 
Sadsak said:
...Always dress as if you are going to fall down or be in a collision because eventually, you probably will. :cool:
Click to expand...

I agree with you, but...

We used to have a member called High Mileage. He claimed over a million motorcycle miles without an accident. Never wore a helmet. Claimed that it was not luck, but superior skill. Or something like that. Hasn't posted in several years as far as I know.
 
tkent02 said:
They won't all see you anyway, might as well go stealth. They can't hit what they can't see.
Click to expand...

i agree...when my bike was white, i had less people almost hit me etc then the orange it is now...

i do have a vetter headlight bucket with an h4 bulb, i may run an hid...those things stand out....at least to me
 
I have always thought about giving my 77 GS750 full front and rear running lights, and thought maybe I could add a string of LED's inside of the turn signal lenses. My buddy's KZ650 really caught my eye with all 4 turn signals used as markers.
Slightly off-topic, but do they make any sort of retrofit to swap our old incandescent bulbs with LED's? I figured somewhere along the way there was some sort of adapter, new socket, or LED setup that would install the same as a standard bulb. I was thinking this just last night while tearing into these GS400X pod gauges that I am rehabbing and altering cosmetically for my GS750.
 
Chuck78,

from BassCliff's electricaloddsandends page, goto " lighting Upgrades" http://members.dslextreme.com/users/storagecliff/images/electrical_odd-n-ends.html
you can swap out the single connection sockets to a two connection socket ..

Led bulbs? that are retrofits? I'm holding my breath til the price comes down-and it will..Too much $ here so far
Meantime,
beyond the EASIEST which is just going to Napa or whoever and buying some led sidelights (semi-truck drivers will know all about these too!)..
for leds, I followed this
http://www.electricalconnection.com/other-lighting/tsk-star&sport.htm
pdf is better- an article about them...
http://www.electricalconnection.com/docs/roadbike.PDF
then I made some using the idea...
http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showpost.php?p=1825120&postcount=34
I might do the same for rear lights, but I think legally(in Canada), these need to be changed to red lenses to be running lights+turnsignals ...
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top