Another no headlighter

[RiverRat]

Hi, I'm new to this place, 1st post actually.... But I've had this problem with my 1998 STD. I've owned it a little over a year now but every issue I've had with it has been electrical. Most of them I fixed or had fixed because I knew what it was. I don't really like messing with wires and electrical shyte because I'm not gifted at it. But this one I can't figure out and I don't want to get my wallet raped by the stealership if I can help it.

This is what happened. I put about 300 miles on my valk one day riding hogways(highways) and backroads and stopped to top it off before I went to the house. Turned it back on and the headlight and lightbar were out. signals still worked. I checked the fuse and it was blown. Replaced it and went to tha house. Was out riding again two weeks later and the headlight and light bar went out again. Checked the fuses and all were good. It was starting to get dark and I was 45 miles from the house so I booked it home on the four lane. When I got to the house and parked it in the garage I could smell the distinct smell of wires melting/burning. I narrowed it down to be coming from somewhere underneath the tank. I didn't take the tank off, but i did pop the seat and look around and check all the fuses and connections again but couldn't find anything. You guys have any ideas?

I had to put a new starter switch on it fall of last year, and got a wiring connector replaced under the seat because the turn signals went out this spring.

[RTaz]

I think I would start by checking the wiring on the light bar, sounds to me like you have a short, probably were they connected your light bar wires to headlight switch.

[rangernight]

The wiring to light bar may be connected to the headlight circut, this may produce an overload on the wiring, seems that the light bar should have it's own circut with relay.

[Ricky-D]

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[R J]

I'd say light bar is the problem.   You never said what brand, but Cobra's are kind of notoriouis for bad switch on the right pod as I call it.    If the light bar is not on its own circuit with a relay, you are asking for trouble.    don't ask how I know.

[gordonv]

You also didn't say how intermittent the lights being out are.

I'm thinking you may also need to do the start switch maintenance. Look it up, there are some nice pictures of the possible problem.

Along with the suggestion of placing any new accessory onto a relay power lead of it's own.

[YoungPUP]

When adding ANYTHING electrical to the Valk, but Especially lights use a relay and separate fuse for them. From my understanding the stock wiring isn;t even really cut out to handle the headlight let alone anything else.

[John U.]

If you plan to add any other electical accessories (such as a more powerful horn) you will be way ahead with a fuse panel. The entire panel can be powered by a relay which is triggered by the auxiliary outlet wire under the right side panel. This way the fuse block and anything attached to it is not hot until the key is on.
Alternately you can trigger that relay from the starter switch wire that currently powers the headlight.
The headlight should then be powered from the auxiliary fuse box. This will remove the major part of the load from the starter switch.
http://www.ascycles.com/detail.aspx?id=43236

[RiverRat]

I don't know what brand the light bar is, just looking it over it looks like this national cycles one.
 http://www.motoshop.net/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=TR552920&Store_Code=AIM&search=Valkyrie+%2c+Lightbars&filter_cat=&PowerSearch_Begin_Only=&sort=&range_low=&range_high
I'm pretty sure it isn't wired into any kind of a relay, at least not one that I've seen. All this stuff that is on it was on it when I bought it back in 2010. About half the things have their own relay/fuse going on. It has an air horn on it that has it's own in line fuse, it has a DC outlet/cig lighter wired to the ignition with it's own in line fuse, too. And some of those LED strip lights running along the bottom side of the tank with an in line fuse and it's own switch. But I can't find anything that relates to a relay or fuse for just the lightbar, so that may be it. It may be wired straight from the headlight and draweing too much power and starting to fry some shyte.

Time to get back out to the garage and look some more stuff over.