Installing a headlight modulator

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Here's my info on wiring a headlight modulator into the Spyder headlight circuit. I would have done this sooner but other matters took priority.

Unfortunately I forgot to take photos of the project as I was doing it. I also forgot to take them when I had the bike half apart to install the Tri-Axis handlebar. Sorry.

Below is the wiring diagram I sketched up to do the job. I did it this way to avoid directly modifying any of the OEM harness. That's just my preference. You can cut wires and splice the modulator and relay directly into the harness if you want. There's space behind and between the headlights to mount the modulator and relay but you have to be careful where you put the connectors because the space is kind of tight.

The connectors are 5 position AMP/TE Connectivity Superseal series 1.5 connectors. I bought them, as parts and pieces, from Newark Electronics. You can probably find them on eBay assembled with pigtails. The relay is a standard single pole double throw automotive relay from NAPA.

The reason for the relay is because the US/Canada Spyder headlight uses the low beam circuit for the bulb filament and the high beam is used to lift the shutter. The relay connects either the high or low beam modulator output to the headlight low beam wire as you switch between high and low. An alternative to using a relay is to connect the modulator outputs to the low beam wire with diodes. That way each output feeds the low beam wire without back feeding into the modulator. The downside is you always have about a 1 volt drop across a diode and I wasn't sure how that would affect the brightness of the headlight. You have to keep the modulator outputs isolated from each other in order to have the modulator switch on and off by flipping the high/low beam switch.

You will see on the diagram a jumper on the headlight side of the 5 pin connector. That jumper keeps the low beam relay activated all the time thus keeping power on the low beam wire all the time. If you make an adapter harness like I did you don't need to be concerned about it because you will break the circuit to and from the jumper. If you cut and splice the modulator into the harness then you need to cut the jumper. You can see the X on the diagram.

This system does cause some hesitation in the headlight when switching from high to low and vice versa. I think it's caused by the added relay being in series with the stock headlight power relays. Using diodes may well cure that problem.

The modulator has an option to connect to the horn circuit. When you blow the horn the modulation switches between fast and slow rates to help attract attention. Two short horn blasts changes the modulator mode from slow to fast or vice versa. But the modulator lead needs a +12 volt signal to work and the Spyder horn button completes the horn circuit on the ground side. I solved that problem with a small transistor circuit which is discussed in the second page.

Hi res version: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/178527008/Modulator001.jpg



Hi res version: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/178527008/Modulator002.jpg



Hi res version: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/178527008/Modulator003.jpg

 

[Bob Denman]

:clap: Thanks! :thumbup:

Question: Do you think that this will affect the life of the bulb? :shocked:

 

[bruiser]

Good post, thanks. I don't like cutting in to the stock wiring either. You're just asking for trouble if you do that.

 

[jaherbst]

I hate those things! They p--s me off and are very distracting for oncoming traffic. It is not all about us riders, think about the traffic that has to look at them. When I see them I usually continue to flash my lights until passed. The other thing that annoys me is people who ride or drive with their lights on high beam in the daytime.

I feel better now.

Jack

 

[Bob Denman]

Awww C'mon Jack; tell us all how you REALLY feel! :thumbup:

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I hate those things! They p--s me off and are very distracting for oncoming traffic. It is not all about us riders, think about the traffic that has to look at them. When I see them I usually continue to flash my lights until passed. The other thing that annoys me is people who ride or drive with their lights on high beam in the daytime.

Like I said in another post on this same topic, I'd whole lot rather have a car driver see me and be po'd at me than not see me and run over me. I can tell you that several times through the years cars have stopped and backed up instead of pulling out onto the street or highway in front of me.

I personally have not found them distracting at all when there's one on a bike coming toward me, but then I suppose I may have a biased view!

 

[Andy Cserny]

modulated headlights

I hate those things! They p--s me off and are very distracting for oncoming traffic. It is not all about us riders, think about the traffic that has to look at them. When I see them I usually continue to flash my lights until passed. The other thing that annoys me is people who ride or drive with their lights on high beam in the daytime.

I feel better now.

Jack

I have used modulated headlights for over 200,000 miles on my 1800 Gold Wing and have never had a complaint or got flashed, but I only modulated the LOW beams and I have seen people who modulated their high beams and that pi$$ed me off too, running high beams during the day without modulation is annoying as are hid lights that dont have the proper reflector modification and I suspect that most DIY installers dont know that there is a wrong and a right way to mount hid lights.
Andy

 

[obiwan57]

Like I said in another post on this same topic, I'd whole lot rather have a car driver see me and be po'd at me than not see me and run over me. I can tell you that several times through the years cars have stopped and backed up instead of pulling out onto the street or highway in front of me.

I personally have not found them distracting at all when there's one on a bike coming toward me, but then I suppose I may have a biased view!

:agree: High beams are a MUST on a motorcycle in the daytime in my opinion. If an oncoming driver is peeved to see a modulating headlight, then that means HE SAW YOU.

 

[blitzkreig]

Attached is the link to the Government regulations as they pertain to modulated headlights ... warning... it is 183 pages long.

:roflblack:

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2011-title49-vol6/pdf/CFR-2011-title49-vol6-sec571-108.pdf

 

[Dan McNally]

Thanks WasWinger . . . great information! :firstplace:

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Attached is the link to the Government regulations as they pertain to modulated headlights ... warning... it is 183 pages long.

:roflblack:

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2011-title49-vol6/pdf/CFR-2011-title49-vol6-sec571-108.pdf

It looks like that document is an old version. The newest is here on http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?node=49:6.1.2.3.38.2.7.8&rgn=div8. The section numbering has changed but it looks like most of the wording remains the same. There are a lot of specifications in that document relating to all of the lighting requirements for all types of vehicles.

Actually, the paragraphs of interest about modulators are in one section of the whole document! See S10.17.5.

But reading through it I find why, apparently, the US version of the Spyder uses shutters for low beams. The upper high beam headlamp with the low beam headlight below the high beam is not permitted.

S10.17.1.3 Two headlamps, upper beam and lower beam.
S10.17.1.3.1 If the system consists of two headlamps, one of which provides an upper beam and one of which provides the lower beam, the headlamps must be located on the vertical centerline with the upper beam no higher than the lower beam, or horizontally disposed about the vertical centerline and mounted at the same height.

But reading those requirements makes me wonder how the Goldwing headlights conform.

 

[robmorg]

Questions??

WasWinger,

First thanks so much for posting this. I would like to emulate what you have done, but after studying your diagram, I have three questions, if you wouldn't mind answering them...

1. You said you used 5-position AMP/TE superseal 1.5 connectors, but your diagram (and the diagram in the shop manual) only shows 3 wires coming from the relays and going to the headlamps. So could you please confirm that 5-position connectors are correct? (I know I could take the panels off my Spyder and look, but I thought it would be faster to just ask you )

2. I'm having a little difficulty determining from your diagram exactly where the Blue wire from the modulator goes, and what else, if anything, is connected to it. Would I be correct to assume that that this part of your diagram (where the squiggly line is)....

really looks like this... ? (Click on these to make them larger.)
​

3. And finally, I'm having difficulty understanding exactly when the lights will actually modulate because I don't know how this Signal Dynamics modulator works. The directions (here) say that you can choose between modulating the low beams and the high beams "whenever you want". Does that really work, and if so, how do you change it? AND exactly when do the lights modulate in your application... When you select only high beams, or both low and high?

Again, thanks so much for sharing your work here.

​

 

[robmorg]

:clap: Thanks! :thumbup:

Question: Do you think that this will affect the life of the bulb? :shocked:

Bob,

To answer your question (sort of), most headlight modulators do not turn the headlamps off/on in order to "modulate" them, but instead vary the power going to them. Signal Dynamics (the modulator WasWinger used) says in their literature that the power varies from 18% to 100%. Therefore, in theory, the bulbs should actually last longer. I don't know if that theory is actually true, but I HAVE seen, over the years, where different manufacturers of these devices advertise that they do prolong the bulb life. At the same time, vibration from the road will negatively affect bulb life. But I can tell you that I had a modulator on my Yamaha Royal Star Venture, and never had to replace the headlamp in all the 11 years that I owned it.

Rob

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

WasWinger,

First thanks so much for posting this. I would like to emulate what you have done, but after studying your diagram, I have three questions, if you wouldn't mind answering them...

1. You said you used 5-position AMP/TE superseal 1.5 connectors, but your diagram (and the diagram in the shop manual) only shows 3 wires coming from the relays and going to the headlamps. So could you please confirm that 5-position connectors are correct?

Yes, they are 5 pin. You see the black scratched out wire? The one on the harness side is the result of poor memory! On the the light side the jumper is there to cross connect the low beam and high beam circuits. I scratched it out because I originally had an X on it to show it is cut. I did cut it my bike but later realized that jumper circuit is broken if you make the intermediate harness like I did. If you cut and splice into the existing wires then you'll need to cut the jumper, or one of the wires coming into the connector. I just now realized I don't show the two wires coming from the headlight relays into that connector that complete the jumper circuit. In the factory state all 5 pins on the left headlight connector are used, but only 3 on the right headlight connector. Also, I just noticed I do not show the wires in the correct pin positions of the connectors. I guess I wasn't thinking too much about posting the diagram when I made it but just needed the info I had to have for myself!

2. I'm having a little difficulty determining from your diagram exactly where the Blue wire from the modulator goes, and what else, if anything, is connected to it. Would I be correct to assume that that this part of your diagram (where the squiggly line is)....

View attachment 99780 really looks like this... View attachment 99781 ?​

Ah yes. Isn't white out great stuff? If I'd have had some I "might" have thought to use it like you did! I fixed the hi res version in Dropbox so go ahead and download it again.

3. And finally, I'm having difficulty understanding exactly when the lights will actually modulate because I don't know how this Signal Dynamics modulator works. The directions (here) say that you can choose between modulating the low beams and the high beams "whenever you want". Does that really work, and if so, how do you change it? AND exactly when do the lights modulate in your application... When you select only high beams, or both low and high?

The modulator works for both high and low beams. You just switch between them as you normally would. When you start the bike the modulator modulates whichever beam the switch is set, which makes sense, and starts in the lower modulation rate. To turn modulation off or on you switch back and forth between high and low beams within a couple of seconds. In turning on there is always a slight hesitation of a second or two before modulation starts. Note my comment in the write up about some hesitation of the headlights while switching between high and low beams. If you do the optional tie-in into the horn circuit whenever you press the horn button modulation switches to the other rate for the duration of the horn button press plus a couple of seconds. If you press the horn button just for an instance twice within a second or two the modulation rate switches to the other mode. I don't remember the two rates but I usually switch into the higher pulse rate mode when I ride. Modulation also stops automatically at dusk as daylight level drops. I put the light sensor in the bottom of the right mirror pointing downward. I can take a pic of that if you want.

Any more questions just ask away.

 

[robmorg]

Thanks

WasWinger,

Thanks much for the updated diagram and the explanation of how this modulator unit works. That answered all my questions.

I would have been happy, if the modulator simply modulated the high beam and not the low beam, as that is how I think I would mostly use it. I almost always use the high beam in the daytime, unless I am following someone in very slow traffic. But I guess there are some advantages to the flexibility in the way that this Modulator from Signal Dynamics works. Sounds like you could easily turn the modulation on or off by using the bottom (flash) position of the headlight switch. As for switching modulation rates, if that green wire is just looking for a quick +12v signal, I think I'll just add a mini-momentary push button switch, rather than try to build a transistor switch circuit for the horn. Your idea about where to put the light sensor sounds like a good one.

This is definitely going to be a winter project for me. I've already had one on-coming car try to pull a left turn right in front of me on the Spyder. I jumped on the brake and fortunately, he saw me at the last minute and swerved back into his lane. Could have been ugly. Then there are the ones who try to pull a left turn turn from an intersection you are approaching. :shocked:

 

[kerrro]

Talking with Mike from Signal dynamics, he tells me the modulator will actually work with traditional or low-side switching (switch installed on the ground lead).
the modulator learns the horn signal level on power-up, so I wouldn't hold the horn button while turning the key on!!!! Don't need the PNP signal inverter
Also, looking up the specs on the headlight (Didn't have the owners manual with me at work, so I just looked up bulbs on a website, the site was steering me to a Xenon/Halogen bulb. the Xenon makes it an HID bulb, and that would have been more power than the modulator could handle, but the manual says 2x 55W headlights, which are well inside the modulators capability. Take head, if you use a modulator, don't install HID aftermarket bulbs.

 

[EdMat]

Dug a little deep for this one :welcome:

 

[troop]

Ha .. yup. Waaay back in the archives

 

[Lew L]

I have a modulator on my V-Max and it has been trouble free for years with a PIAA halogen bulb. BUT------- How will it work with the LEDs on my :spyder2:??????

Lew L

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I have a modulator on my V-Max and it has been trouble free for years with a PIAA halogen bulb. BUT------- How will it work with the LEDs on my :spyder2:??????

Lew L

You need to get one made for LED bulbs. When I put the one in my 2014 RTS in early 2016 Kisan was the only one I could find.