Headligth switch... A question?
10-08-2007, 06:24 AM
#1
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Headligth switch... A question?
I have a question I hope you guys can help me with...
As I'm from Sweden I'm riding a Euro-style "Firestorm"... Minor differences only... but one thing in particular irritates me to no end...
My lefthand switch (headligh & horn and indicators) is one of the dumbest constructions ever made by Honda, almost the same class as the R/R...
It has a slide switch for the headligth with three positions, one for the ligths off, one where it's on and in between a setting where only the stupid little ligth on the front is on... totaly useless as it's illegal to use that setting when riding... and then comes the brilliant part, a separate button for high/low beam as a pashbutton above the indicator switch...
This is stupid in several ways, first off the button is in an bad position as you constantly turn of the indicators instead of hitting the rigth switch and because the switch is a badly designed it requires some force to push, wich forces you to reposition the hand to use it...
Second, it's about as weather proof as a wad of tissue paper... I have had mine apart several times to clean it after getting moisture in there...
The result of this is that unless i clean it regularly and lube it to keep out moisture, my button has the worderful feature of hanging... usually in the highbeam setting... Very amusing...
Then in some of the clip-on threads I saw your headligth switch, and it looked different... As far as I could see no separate hi/lo button? I'm guessing it is set by the slide switch? Is it possible to turn the ligths off?
The reason I'm asking is that if I'm going to replace this one I migth as well get a US style switch if it meets the needs instead of getting yet another one with the same dumb design...
As I'm from Sweden I'm riding a Euro-style "Firestorm"... Minor differences only... but one thing in particular irritates me to no end...
My lefthand switch (headligh & horn and indicators) is one of the dumbest constructions ever made by Honda, almost the same class as the R/R...
It has a slide switch for the headligth with three positions, one for the ligths off, one where it's on and in between a setting where only the stupid little ligth on the front is on... totaly useless as it's illegal to use that setting when riding... and then comes the brilliant part, a separate button for high/low beam as a pashbutton above the indicator switch...
This is stupid in several ways, first off the button is in an bad position as you constantly turn of the indicators instead of hitting the rigth switch and because the switch is a badly designed it requires some force to push, wich forces you to reposition the hand to use it...
Second, it's about as weather proof as a wad of tissue paper... I have had mine apart several times to clean it after getting moisture in there...
The result of this is that unless i clean it regularly and lube it to keep out moisture, my button has the worderful feature of hanging... usually in the highbeam setting... Very amusing...
Then in some of the clip-on threads I saw your headligth switch, and it looked different... As far as I could see no separate hi/lo button? I'm guessing it is set by the slide switch? Is it possible to turn the ligths off?
The reason I'm asking is that if I'm going to replace this one I migth as well get a US style switch if it meets the needs instead of getting yet another one with the same dumb design...
10-08-2007, 08:48 AM
#3
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Location: Independence, Oregon
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switch
If you want some help getting a VTR switch, let me know. Then you could download the VTR wiring diagram and rewire yours, maybe.
Doesn't Henning Mankell come from around there? Read most of his novels.
Doesn't Henning Mankell come from around there? Read most of his novels.
10-08-2007, 01:08 PM
#4
Out of my mind, back in 5
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But I'd like to be able to switch of the ligths when starting on cold mornings (I ride almost all year, so...) Hmm... a VTR Firestorm... J/K...As far as i can tell from the US and European wiring diagrams the plug should be the same, so I could just plug in a US switch and go... Dunno about not being able to turn of the ligths thoo...
Yeah... He's from Sweden, actually from Härjedalen (northern part of Sweden) I'm rigth now in the southern tip of Sweden, but I have family up there and I know where he grew up...
And in all his books of Wallander the main character is living here in Skåne, Klagshamn where Wallander suposedly is born is about 3 km from here, Ystad where he's living/working is about 70 km away... A lot of the settings in the books, are wery familiar...
10-08-2007, 01:21 PM
#5
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On mine the head light goes out when you hit the starter button and yes the US switches are very water proof......
10-08-2007, 01:43 PM
#6
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That would be a usefull feature, but i doubt it's in the switch alone thoo... possibly cross wired with the starter switch, but most likely a feature in the electronics...
I'll go read the wriing diagrams, there are some other differences , like we don't have the 3-wire running lights, just 2-wire indicators... so most likely the electronics boxes are different on the US and Euro models....
I liked it better when I though I was just gonna swap it out and all would be dandy...
Last edited by Tweety; 10-08-2007 at 01:46 PM.
10-08-2007, 02:21 PM
#7
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Ok... mine doesn't, it just dims...
That would be a usefull feature, but i doubt it's in the switch alone thoo... possibly cross wired with the starter switch, but most likely a feature in the electronics...
I'll go read the wriing diagrams, there are some other differences , like we don't have the 3-wire running lights, just 2-wire indicators... so most likely the electronics boxes are different on the US and Euro models....
I liked it better when I though I was just gonna swap it out and all would be dandy...
That would be a usefull feature, but i doubt it's in the switch alone thoo... possibly cross wired with the starter switch, but most likely a feature in the electronics...
I'll go read the wriing diagrams, there are some other differences , like we don't have the 3-wire running lights, just 2-wire indicators... so most likely the electronics boxes are different on the US and Euro models....
I liked it better when I though I was just gonna swap it out and all would be dandy...
10-08-2007, 07:47 PM
#8
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On US bikes it's actually the starter button that removes power from the headlight. I found this out accidentally when I replaced the starter solenoid when I had starting problems. Turned out to be a bad battery but I still had problems with the headlight not turning back on after the bike was running. Turns out there was crap in the start switch. Cleaned it up and she's good as new.
10-08-2007, 08:07 PM
#9
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On US bikes it's actually the starter button that removes power from the headlight. I found this out accidentally when I replaced the starter solenoid when I had starting problems. Turned out to be a bad battery but I still had problems with the headlight not turning back on after the bike was running. Turns out there was crap in the start switch. Cleaned it up and she's good as new.
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