Confused need help!

[David Griffiths]

I was intending on installing spot lights and having limited electrical knowledge I though would be simple project with some research, well that's when I become confused. I purchased LED spot lights and a wiring harness with a relay and a separate switch. Then I found out that it is illegal to have spotlights switched independently to the bikes high beam. I then was confused if the bike a 2013 Cali Custom has a canbus system. I thought I could just connect wiring harness to the battery and install the lights and away I go. I have listed my concerns below and would appreciate any advice or feed back as I prefer to do the work myself for the enjoyment and obtain some further knowledge I'm not familiar with.

• Does 2013 Cali Custom have a canbus system
• How to do I connect to the bikes existing high beam wiring so that the spotlights work in conjunction with the high beam switch

 

[kiwi dave]

• Does 2013 Cali Custom have a canbus system

Yes.

• How to do I connect to the bikes existing high beam wiring so that the spotlights work in conjunction with the high beam switch

Many options here. Probably the easiest would be to incorporate a relay that closed when the high beam is active, and wire another circuit with in-line fuse from the battery to the spotlights via the relay contacts. You probably would want to add another switch in the circuit too, so you had the choice of whether to run with the spotlights on or off (if the spotlights did not have their own switch).

 

[John L]

I was intending on installing spot lights and having limited electrical knowledge I though would be simple project with some research, well that's when I become confused. I purchased LED spot lights and a wiring harness with a relay and a separate switch. Then I found out that it is illegal to have spotlights switched independently to the bikes high beam. I then was confused if the bike a 2013 Cali Custom has a canbus system. I thought I could just connect wiring harness to the battery and install the lights and away I go. I have listed my concerns below and would appreciate any advice or feed back as I prefer to do the work myself for the enjoyment and obtain some further knowledge I'm not familiar with.

• Does 2013 Cali Custom have a canbus system
• How to do I connect to the bikes existing high beam wiring so that the spotlights work in conjunction with the high beam switch

Hi Dave, I put some small running lights/spotlights on mine, I used a three position switch, on/off/on, so I can have the lights come on with the ignition as running lights, turn them off if I just want low beam in traffic at night and ran power to the second on position by splicing into the high beam wire so they come on and off with the high beam.
For feed for the running lights I used power from the GPS plug under the seat, for high beam I found a feed wire on the right hand side under the cover in front of the tank. The wire is blue from memory, I just used a circuit tester until I found the right one. I can take the cover off and try and get some photos if you like. I've read that it runs canbus to major systems like ecu and dash but it is not full canbus like a BMW.

 

[David Griffiths]

Hi John, yes I believe you are correct, further research I have determined that providing any additional lights that draw less than the current output won't cause issues with canbus. The high beam is halogen and I will be installing LED. I think I have worked it out from the comments from yourself and kiwi Dave. I wasn't aware of the existing wiring I can tap into. Any photos you can share would be awesome. Thanks

 

[Robert Gibson]

Hi John, yes I believe you are correct, further research I have determined that providing any additional lights that draw less than the current output won't cause issues with canbus. The high beam is halogen and I will be installing LED. I think I have worked it out from the comments from yourself and kiwi Dave. I wasn't aware of the existing wiring I can tap into. Any photos you can share would be awesome. Thanks

I fitted LED driving lamps below the existing lamps on my Touring. I used the switched live for the heated seat as a power take off No issues with the canbus.

 

[roadventure]

Then I found out that it is illegal to have spotlights switched independently to the bikes high beam.

Really? In the U.S. California models the OEM driving lights that come on the Touring model turn on and off using an independent toggle switch mounted in the plastic cover on the left-front side of the fuel tank. Are they different in Australia?

 

[Robert Gibson]

Really? In the U.S. California models the OEM driving lights that come on the Touring model turn on and off using an independent toggle switch mounted in the plastic cover on the left-front side of the fuel tank. Are they different in Australia?

My Spanish registered, European model is the same. Independently switched.

 

[kiwi dave]

It gets worse than this. The headlight is also independently switched, which is also illegal in the USA (and NZ).

But I like it. When the headlight is switched off, the surrounding LEDs get much brighter, making the motorcycle much easier to see by blind cagers. It's a case of common sense.

 

[John L]

Hi John, yes I believe you are correct, further research I have determined that providing any additional lights that draw less than the current output won't cause issues with canbus. The high beam is halogen and I will be installing LED. I think I have worked it out from the comments from yourself and kiwi Dave. I wasn't aware of the existing wiring I can tap into. Any photos you can share would be awesome. Thanks

Hi Dave, this is how I did mine. I put the 3 position switch is on the left cover in front of the tank where Guzzi put the switch for their spotlights. When you take the cover off, under the tank on the left hand side are a couple of spare connectors, one for a GPS and the other I think is for the optional heated hand grips. These connectors are probably folded back under the front of the tank and you may need to go fishing for them. You should be able to find them without removing the tank. I have used the hand grip connector to power one of the 'ON' terminals on the switch to which the spots and a USB socket are connected, in this position the spots turn on with the ignition as running lights, they are 10w cree LED's. The other 'ON' position on the switch is spliced to the white/blue wire in the connector under the right half of the cover, this is the feed wire for high beam so with the switch in that position the spots come on and off with the high beam. Hopefully the pics will make it clearer.

 

[David Griffiths]

Hi John,

Awesome great pictures, appreciate the effort you put to show me the install. I am alot more confident with the installation now.