What are these electrical components, what do they do, and do I need them?

[PatDoody]

double transformer looking thing, the reserve lighting box I remember reading about a way to by pass it, and this rubberized koito 12v blackbox thing. I want to rewire the bike and simplify some things and get rid of all the stuff that I dont need so I can hide as much as possible under the cafe seat.

I have been looking at alot of the different simplified wiring diagrams people posted online and I dont really see anyone reusing any of these things.

I am keeping the tci ignition for now until I can afford or need to upgrade to pamco. Also has stock charging system until I can afford pma.

All my bike needs is head/tail/brake/instrument lights, going to keep electrical start. I want to delete the headlight blinker horn switch and just use a toggle on the headlight for high/low if possible. and get rid of the idiot lights in between the gauges. I would also like to hide the kill and elec start buttons somewere to clean up the bar area as much as possible.

 

[PatDoody]

I guess no one know what they are. lol

 

[jchrisk1]

i don't know what the one on the left is, a safety relay maybe?, but the black one is the signal cancelling unit and the grey one is the reserve lighting. You don't need them. There are many threads about those items if you search the forum. There manuals in the tech section as well.

 

[XSLeo]

The left thing is the safety relay. It is used to protect the gears between the starter motor and the engine. No matter how fast your finger is you aren't as fast as the safety relay. Thats on the earlier models. This one is from the 78 and up models and not only turns the starter off, it turns the headlight on.
You can delete it. I wouldn't but you can.
The center thing looks to be the light checker. Was mounted on the rear fender or battery box. I would delete that. If self canceler it was up under tank. Looking at the wiring diagram and comparing the number of wires and the colors help idetify things. Either one delete it.
You can read the last item, says right on it. RLU. Delete it.
On the engine stop switch. Up next to your throttle hand is a good place for it. In certain conditions it can be very handy to not have to search for the engine stop switch, like when you fall and the bike lays on top of you leaking gas all over you don't want to spend much time looking for the switch.
Having the horn button up near the grips is kinda handy too. Fumbling to find it while a car tries to run over you might ruin your day. A good loud horn alerts drivers to your presence much better than loud exhaust.
Leo

 

[PatDoody]

I might keep the horn not sure yet, I could yell louder at some one than the one on my bike could.

I just want to get rid of the bulky boxes and potentially use these switches for horn and kill. Use a toggle on the headlight for high/low/off. and hand signals for turning, unless I can find a clean horn/turn signal box if anyone knows of a nice small one from something let me know.


Safety relay now knowing what it does and looking at some diagrams I might keep as well. Keeping electric start is still up in the air. I like the convenience of it at times.

thanks for the replies. I wasn't sure what terms to search for, and wasn't finding the info I needed.

 

[glennpd]

The left thing is the safety relay. It is used to protect the gears between the starter motor and the engine. No matter how fast your finger is you aren't as fast as the safety relay. Thats on the earlier models. This one is from the 78 and up models and not only turns the starter off, it turns the headlight on.
You can delete it. I wouldn't but you can.
The center thing looks to be the light checker. Was mounted on the rear fender or battery box. I would delete that. If self canceler it was up under tank. Looking at the wiring diagram and comparing the number of wires and the colors help idetify things. Either one delete it.
You can read the last item, says right on it. RLU. Delete it.
On the engine stop switch. Up next to your throttle hand is a good place for it. In certain conditions it can be very handy to not have to search for the engine stop switch, like when you fall and the bike lays on top of you leaking gas all over you don't want to spend much time looking for the switch.
Having the horn button up near the grips is kinda handy too. Fumbling to find it while a car tries to run over you might ruin your day. A good loud horn alerts drivers to your presence much better than loud exhaust.
Leo

Does the safety relay suppress the headlight until started on all models from 78 or do earlier models turn off the headlight while starting.

The reason for this question is that on my bike the headlight come as on as soon as I turn the key. It has done this with two different safety relays.

thanks

Glenn

 

[XSLeo]

On the earlier models they had a head light on off switch.
Ok, on the early models when you turn the key on, power goes to the kill switch, to the safety relay through the safety relay and to the starter relay, through the starter relay to the start button.
When you push the button it grounds the circuit. This powers the starter relay sending power straight from the battery to the stareter. This cranks the engine. As the engine starts the alternator starts maiking electricity. As the voltage rises in the alternator some of this electricity is sent to the safety relay on the yellow wire. when this voltage reaches 2.5 to 4.5 volts it trips the rfelay, opening the contacts the starter relay is getting power through. This stops the starter from running. And keeps the starter from running as long as the alternator is making power.
Beginning in 78 they also put in the second set of contacxts that when the relay trips it sends power to the headlight. I think in 78 and 79 they still had the on/off switch. In 80 they did away with the switch. A DOT requirement that bikes need the headlight on at all times.
There are ways to bypass the lighting half of the safety relay. At the reserve lighting unit. I think if you unhook the blue/black wire and the yellow/blue wire and hook them together it bypasses the safety relay and powers the light all the time. If I'm wrong someone with more knowledge will correct me.
Leo

 

[PatDoody]

Good info leo! I did away with the reserve lighting unit and connected the wires together. I haven't had the bike fired up yet since Ive done it tho to see exactly what it does tho.