Thinking of adding driving lights to my XJ1100

[natemoen]

But if you go to the seller's site, he's got some good ones of the spots and the floods.

Yeah but of they are your pics I would believe they are unaltered pics.

[LCS249]

I will take some, promise. It turned suddenly cold here so I'm waiting for the Indian summer effect.

However, take a look at these, and click the middle tab, "Detailed Description:"

http://stores.advmonster.com/-strse-...off/Detail.bok

[madmax-im]

I will take some, promise. It turned suddenly cold here so I'm waiting for the Indian summer effect.

However, take a look at these, and click the middle tab, "Detailed Description:"

http://stores.advmonster.com/-strse-...off/Detail.bok

Glad to see you took my advice...these are the best bang for the buck...In case you're scratching your head...I'm that xsroadrunner guy...LOL...cant wait to see the night shots...install looks like it was a piece of cake...

[LCS249]

cant wait to see the night shots...install looks like it was a piece of cake...

Running wiring on our old bikes is always a little tricky. Had to raise the tank to get underneath, etc.

The strange part was that white is hot, black is neutral. My friend Dan and I wired it the other way around ... and nothing. Then I finally got the idea to switch the wires, in case white was hot, and voila.

I drilled a hole in the nameplate for the switch, which you can barely see, and for simplicity's sake, we ran it directly to power - independent of the key or headlight. You can turn them on when the bike is off.

They're awesome, elegant and remarkably low power. Thanks again for the suggestion.

[cywelchjr]

Black is always the neutral/ground in DC electrical. It's the international standard and has been for as long as I've been into electronics (since like junior high). A hot lead can be ANY color since you tend to want to have all the different circuits be different colors, but all the grounds can and should pretty much be the same.

[LCS249]

My friend Dan is the more experienced of the two of us, having rebuilt multiple bikes, but he's a contractor rather than a mechanic and must have been using AC logic. Now we know.

[cywelchjr]

My friend Dan is the more experienced of the two of us, having rebuilt multiple bikes, but he's a contractor rather than a mechanic and must have been using AC logic. Now we know.

Yep, AC and DC colors are completely different. Gets confusing for us guys who work primarily with one and then work with the other. I know it does with me when I work with AC circuits.

[LCS249]

I feel a little silly now since I wrote to John Sanders to tell him that the lights are great but he should include instructions so folks would know white is hot...

[cywelchjr]

I feel a little silly now since I wrote to John Sanders to tell him that the lights are great but he should include instructions so folks would know white is hot...

No, not really, because many people with no electrical experience at all would not know one way or the other. So he should include in the instructions which is which for those who don't know the conventions or come from and AC background.

[Eveready1100]

and for simplicity's sake, we ran it directly to power

Um, you Did put a fuse in that line, didn't you?
The lights may only draw little current, but a short will draw the lot.

[madmax-im]

Running wiring on our old bikes is always a little tricky. Had to raise the tank to get underneath, etc.

The strange part was that white is hot, black is neutral. My friend Dan and I wired it the other way around ... and nothing. Then I finally got the idea to switch the wires, in case white was hot, and voila.

I drilled a hole in the nameplate for the switch, which you can barely see, and for simplicity's sake, we ran it directly to power - independent of the key or headlight. You can turn them on when the bike is off.

They're awesome, elegant and remarkably low power. Thanks again for the suggestion.

I'm glad it has worked out for you...these LED lights are an excellent option and their application seems to be universal. Now that I have a job again..I am going to put these on both of my bikes. Oh and nothing could be trickier than to have to wire up something on an ST1100...or any bike that has plastic body work...it makes our XS's and XJ's a piece of cake in comparison.