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Stupid Headlight Question

  • Thread starter Thread starter mortation
  • Start date Start date
M

mortation

Guest
OK... This is gonna sound stupid... But are the lights supposed be always on? I thought my left hand switch was "Stuck" on so I got another set and they too are on all the time. Everything works, but I cant turn the lights off... Is that normal and if so anyone need a good set of left hand switches LOL.
 
Doesn't sound normal to me; I think you must have some sort of shorting-out happening in your switch, or somewhere else in the circuit.
 
Your headlight should always be on. By '83 all bikes had headlights on with the ignition on. Some of our bikes have switches which can be "modified" to defeat the always on feature.

I have 3 '78 GS1000's. Two have headlights I can turn on/off. One has a switch, but I can't move it to the off position. On my '80 GS1100 I don't even have a headlight switch. Only high/low.

tfb, Aussie models may not have had this requirement.
 
i recently had to replace mine and the old one was a working on/off switch, but the repacement is permanently on.
 
That must be a pain when the battery is 1/2 flat and you're desperately trying to start the bike... :-s
 
My 1980 is permanently on too. Just a high low switch.

If you want it to switch off when cranking you could wire the earth up to ground out through the coils on the starter, that way when you push the ignition button the light goes out & then comes back on when it's started.....
We do the same thing with fans on our kit cars to stop them drawing current when you're trying to get it started.

Dan :)
 
My 1979 GS750L has an on and off switch. I turn the lights off when starting it, especially when the battery is low. I usually end up riding a bit with the lights off by accident though.
 
suzuki had a bunch of switches they wanted to use, so they just locked the switch on and didn't show the off option
 
If you take a small screwdriver and remove the screw on the side of the switch you will see a small tab...........file it off and the switch will work. Did it on my '81 650
 
TwistedRoads said:
If you take a small screwdriver and remove the screw on the side of the switch you will see a small tab...........file it off and the switch will work. Did it on my '81 650
Click to expand...

Someone's gotta say it...don't do it. Bikes are hard enough to see by cagers with the lights on. Take every advantage.
 
I've never heard of this on Aussie bikes before.

Headlights on (in the daytime) is a clever move but it's not mandatory for older bikes to have it. I think they have to be built that way now though.
 
Wiring pigtails are in place up to at least '86 to make a switch set work I changed all 3 of my gs1100s to '78 &'79 gs1000 control switches from that came from a salvage yard. Bought them for $10 each
 
tfb said:
That must be a pain when the battery is 1/2 flat and you're desperately trying to start the bike... :-s
Click to expand...

Half flat? You Aussies aren't trying to run ya bikes on ony 3 cells are ya? Mr Zuki had you in mind when he kept the kick starter on until '79.
 
I dont remember the year but it is a federal requirement for motorcycles to have the headlamp always on now. It happened sometime along the same time as the dreaded 85 mph speedo. along with seatbelts for cars in the early 60's, backup lamps in the mid 60's side marker lights in the early 70's etc.

I feel so safe now I want to hug myself.

One of my next projects for this year is to rig a switch to cut all lights including brake lite for a sort of secret squirrel stealth mode.
 
If you want to restore the ON/OFF function of your switch that is locked in place, it is rather easy. It has been a while since I did it to my son's '81 450T, but I think it only involved removing the housing and then removing the tab from the inside that was locking it in place.

I have installed one of these modified switches on the '82 650L and checked the charging voltage. It actually charges better with the light ON. :shock: Probably has something to do with the duty-cycle of the regulator, but I usually have the light off to start the bike, then turn it on before hitting the end of the driveway. (I said usually. :oops: )


.
 
I put a switch on mine to cut out the lights when I don't need them on.
 
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