nic81xs
XS650 Addict
does anyone know what the reserve lighting relay is for on an 81 xs? do i need it? can it be discarded? thanks.
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reserve lighting relay?
- Thread starter nic81xs
- Start date
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- Tags
- electrical
angus67
Welder's penetrate deeper!!
nope. no one here has a clue. could try the search function. I bet hundreds of threads will pop up.
racerdave
^ Gone not forgotten ^
It's a safety device. If low or high beam go out it turns on the other beam. See the other thread you posted in. Hope this helps
Gordon
XS650 Junkie
As dave stated, it is a safety devise . If your low beam goes out, it will turn on the high beam at half the voltage to keep in compliance with federal law. All M/C begining in 1980 are required by that law to have the headlite on at all time's the engine is running. Yes, it can be bypassed. Look in the lighting/electrical sticky's for the wire's to jump, I think it's blue/ white to blue/ black, but not sure.
TampaSVT
XS650 Addict
racerdave
^ Gone not forgotten ^
For what it's worth, on my 79 special, after I did the rewire, the light would still not come on till the motor was cranked/running.
Gordon
XS650 Junkie
That's because of the safety relay. That gets energized from the yellow wire from the alternator. Totally different relay.
And that is correct, the blue/yellow is what I should have stated. CRS.
And that is correct, the blue/yellow is what I should have stated. CRS.
nic81xs
XS650 Addict
thanks guys, i found that other post right after i posted this. got it worked out though.
bluebikerblan
Geezer
This means that the lighting safety relay is functioning to cut out the power draw to the light while the starter is operating.Sounds like you may not have disconnected the blue/black at the safety relay which you should, If you have a light control switch? when you eliminated the RLU? ala this old photo courtesy of 5twins....(79 will be two humped double relay set)
This is necessary in order to leave the headlight on/off only from the powered right hand control switch. Note the taped off plug end blue/black wire.
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racerdave
^ Gone not forgotten ^
Blue, I'll look for that when I pull the seat cowl {Omars} off again. Mine is a 79 if that matters. I like the no light on till it starts. More power for cranking imho. Blue another edit, mine doesn't have a on/off switch on the right or left switch housing. I remember bikes back in the day that had the switch, but you had to take a screw or something out to make it work.
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'78 was the last year of the 650 that had the switch but it didn't work once the engine was started. That safety relay would over ride it. That little mod (unplugging one wire) in my picture is a '78 model year only tweak. On '77 and older models, the switch functioned normally and all the time. In '79, it was eliminated from the control assembly.
I'm not sure how easy (or hard) it would be to add an older switch assembly. It might be a simple swap for the '79 model because the wiring harness might still contain the needed wires. In '80, with the advent of the electronic ignition, the harness was changed. I'll bet the switch wires were eliminated then.
I'm not sure how easy (or hard) it would be to add an older switch assembly. It might be a simple swap for the '79 model because the wiring harness might still contain the needed wires. In '80, with the advent of the electronic ignition, the harness was changed. I'll bet the switch wires were eliminated then.
