BikeBikeParts driving lights, a little wiring help needed - UPDATED w/PC-8 PICS

[BF]

I'm certainly no wiring guru, but I can usually follow a schematic and wire stuff in without electrocuting  myself or frying my bike...however, I'm having a senior moment.  Maybe I'm just over thinking this, but......

I bought the Big Bike Parts driving lights, part number 16-104A.  Wiring them up with a relay through a PC-8 fuse block and switched on/off via a Kury switch block on the clutch reservoir.  No problem so far, however....the supplied wiring diagram shows one wire from each of the lights.  I have two wires coming out each one of them.  

I assume that one is power (+) and the other is ground (-), but which one is which.....or does it matter?  If it does matter, how the heck do I distinguish between the two?  Both wires are identical.  

Do I just pick one and put power to it and take the other one to a ground/negative?

These lights.....

http://www.bigbikeparts.com/Inventory/Navision/16-104A?catalogNo=1

Here's the diagram.....

[Ricky-D]

It's a simple thing to find the ground.

Use a volt/ohm meter and check for continuity between each wire and the light base.

Voila!

***

[jer0177]

I can't see the socket that the bulb plugs into, but from the glimpse of the bulb, I'd bet it's a 2 wire socket, with neither grounded inside the housing.  The DVOM check will validate that.

If that's the case, it doesn't matter which wire gets hooked up to which - one is for supply, one is for ground.

[Gryphon Rider]

I agree with previous answers.  If your bulb looks similar to this, with two contacts on the back, and the housing isn't allowed to have an electrical connection to either contact, it won't matter which wire you use as power if the other is grounded.

[olddog1946]

10-4 good buddy... grab one wire and ground it, the other will be your hot .  If you are sceerd, measure each wire to the case, if you have any continuity, that would be the ground. I doubt you've got a grounded case though or you'd only have one wire out of the light.

[BF]

Thanks for the responses.   

Checked it with a meter.....it's not grounded to the case.  Then took it apart for a look-see.  It's like the pic above with both wires going to the back of the bulb. 

I've got everything wired up and ready except for connecting the lights.  I'll wire it like you guys said in the morning.  I'll post back here with the results later.   

[jer0177]

Good to hear they're easy to wire.

Question - from the picture you posted, it looks like the hood's able to be flipped upside down (as if one wanted to mount them to the bottom of something instead of the top).  Is that the case?

[BF]

Good to hear they're easy to wire.

Question - from the picture you posted, it looks like the hood's able to be flipped upside down (as if one wanted to mount them to the bottom of something instead of the top).  Is that the case?

Yep.  There's three little set screws around the hood.  You can spin it to any orientation you need.  

As a warning though.......the 16-104A does not come with any wiring, relay, a switch, or instructions.....nothing.  Just the lights.  There's another version of the exact same lights that comes with fork mounts, all the wiring you need plus a relay and switch....and they include instructions.  Part number 55-364. 

These....

http://www.bigbikeparts.com/Inventory/Navision/55-364?catalogNo=1

I'm using a Kury accessory switch block and my own relay and wiring to hook mine up. 

[BF]

Couldn't posts back right away as life got in the way, however, thanks for the help guys.  That is exactly the way to wire these lights up.  I put power to one of the wires and took the other to a frame ground. 

btw.....these suckers are BRIGHT. 

[MarkT]

One nice thing is - replacement bulbs come with a new faceted reflector - get a fresh new reflector every time.  Also you can find them at any hardware store, or Home Depot.  My running lights mounted on the engine guards use the same bulbs.  You can also pick 50 or 35 watt bulbs.

Major point - be sure to run the ground wire to a steel ground.  Don't ground them to aluminum.  On the latter, you'll get galvanic corrosion and the ground will fail - doesn't take long either.

[YoungPUP]

By no means as nice, but the same type of light can be found at Wally World for $20 a set.  Running them mounted to the front  front fender bolts.  Brighter than the high beam.

[T-Bird]

I'm fixing to do the same thing right now, and watching this thread closely. My light bar is the Cobra aluminum that has a built in switch. I've heard a lot of people having trouble with the switch on these and it maybe what Mark said about "grounding to aluminum". I may do a different switch on mine that will be grounded to the frame. You said you have a PC-8 relay & block, I looked them up on the internet and it looks like a fool proof system....something I need! Could you post a picture of how you mounted the PC-8?

[BF]

I'm fixing to do the same thing right now, and watching this thread closely. My light bar is the Cobra aluminum that has a built in switch. I've heard a lot of people having trouble with the switch on these and it maybe what Mark said about "grounding to aluminum". I may do a different switch on mine that will be grounded to the frame. You said you have a PC-8 relay & block, I looked them up on the internet and it looks like a fool proof system....something I need! Could you post a picture of how you mounted the PC-8?

I just mounted a set of Cobra lights on my Big Bike Parts light bar......these.....

http://cobrausa.com/access_detail.php?model_id=156&make_id=2&category_id=15&product_id=2531&model=VT1300CX%20Fury&product_type=Motorcycle%20Accessories&product_name=Spotlight%20Assembly%20w/Visor

I mounted the 16-104A driving lights from Big Bike Parts on my engine/crash guard.  I grounded them where the crash bar (on both sides) attaches to the motor/frame.  Seems like a good ground to me.

I've also heard that the switch on the Cobra light bar kinda sucks.  The light bar lights and the driving lights on the crash bar each have their own relay and they're being switched from a Kuryakyn switch block that's mounted on the clutch master cylinder.  I went with the Kury switch block because I've read that the Show Chrome switch block leaks and fills with water.  

T-bird.....I doubt I can get around to taking some pics for you Sunday (family stuff day), but I'll take some Monday and post them on here in this thread probably Monday afternoon-ish.  

[BF]

T-bird.....

I'm still running wires to the PC-8 so right now it ain't purdy, but here's the pics of it installed without any accessory wires ran to it yet.  When finished, it'll be tucked down in the little area between the OEM tool kit and the battery box.











When I ordered it, I ordered it with the 30" leads and added the option to have both battery leads the same length. 

As you can see in the pics, right now the wires are to the outside of the filler neck on the overflow bottle.  The side cover fits over it like it is with plenty of room to spare, but you can (and I probably will) run the wires to the inside of the filler neck....just 'cause it'll look a little tiddy'er that way IMHO. 

[T-Bird]

Thanks for posting BF. I see you have the 50 amp PC-8 leads instead of the 30. Is there a reason for this? Should I order this...is it just extra protection for the switched items?

[BF]

It's 50 amp total.  30 amp fused for the switched circuits and 20 amps for the unswitched circuits.  There's 6 available circuits that won't power up untill you turn the key (the 30 amp side), and 2 circuits (the 20 amp side) that provide power whether the key is on or not (like for alarms and what-not). 

[T-Bird]

Thanks BF,
I just ordered the 50 amp kit from "Beaver Power"