All 2st The best way to test lights ..

Hi folks... Whats the best way to supply 12v Power to test lights, switches etc, on a bike with no battery, without having it pinging away in the garage late at night???

Is there a good place to connect a battery as a workshop tool??

Look forward to the responses ..

Marcus

Testing for a dual sport or for off roading in the dark?

If dual sporting, disconnect the head light, or you'll just drain the battery crazy quick. I'd try to isolate it from the stator, just in case something is amiss and run a fuse inline. If you're doing a custom wiring harness, you should know where to power it up at and how big of a fuse you'll need. When I did a full dualsport set up on my KTM 450 SMR about 6 years ago, I had it all mapped out and used a little 1.3 Ah battery to test the blinkers, tail light and brake switches. But as long as you're fused you should be OK if you need to use a bigger battery.

I have an old computer power supply I use for 12v if a battery isn't available.

I have just bought Robs WR250... Its a late 2008 build but Chassis number etc (and forks) say its a 2009. I have got the lights to work with the dash unplugged. It has an X2 headlight unit that I have rewired to run Hi/Lo and that works off the switch block. (Aussie version with full lighting, horn etc). The RHS indicators work ok but LHS wont. I messaged Rob and he said give it a blip and see what happens and it seems to get the LHS to light up. I have checked globes and connections and it all seems ok. I have installed an electronic flasher as I have LED indicators arriving any day - that may be my issue - but I doubt it!

The worse thing is if I plug in the dash (Part # matches 2009 bike) the whole show gets weird. Indicators stop, lights wont work - even though the dash will show Hi beam on - there is no head lights!!!

Could there be a weird changeover between 2008/2009 where the wiring is a bit different to the dash?

I have checked the schematics and it is odd. I have 7 wires leading to the dash. The dash has 10 wires in its side of the plug.

I have attached a pic of the loom plug - 7 wires (bit blurry sorry) and dash plug - 10 wires.

Any clues would be greatly appreciated

OK folks ... I am a bit of a fool ... I had printed off the 2008 wiring diagram by mistake... The 2009 diagram shows just 7 wires to the dash .. It does not explain the dash being a pr*ck though! Could flat dash battery be the issue??

Mate that new flasher is why the blinkers aren't working. You didn't mention last night that you had changed it, but that is 100% your problem. You had me worried for a minute, but that's an easy fix I've done it before .

As for the headlight etc, has to be that dash.

As I said, I don't even know what its off, or how long its been sitting there. Knowing my mate, it could have broken on another bike and the idiot kept it anyway.

I only chucked it on so you could get it passed, I never figured it'd cause a problem, sorry mate.

Those factory dash's are shit (http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/worldwide-speedo-failure-register.25206/), that's why I binned the old one. I'd put on an aftermarket and be done with it.

Hey Rob, It could be not enough juice at low revs .. The dash had no battery in it so I'll get a new one, the part number is exactly right for 2009 spec wr's. Could be a bung dash .. .I'll get the lights sorted, get the RWC and bin it!! I have a little Garmin off my Pushie thats GPS speedo - that'll do I think!!!

Either way, the strip down and look around has been fun!!

Not sure why the new flasher is a drama though - it will be required to run the LED indicators.

They are different flashers, the LED's require a lot less power to light them. I did the EXACT same thing (installed LED flasher but no LED's, long story) and the blinkers were barely visible. Changed back and back to normal. Try it, trust me. I'm happy to be proven wrong lol.

As for the dash, may not have been such a lucky find.

Where did you hook the positive and negative to ... may seem a silly question but I dont want to stuff this up!!!

The wires that would go to the guts of the computer. My particular one is yellow for +12v and black for ground. (it is printed on a label stuck on the side what the wire colors are, at least on the one I'm using. I imagine that is pretty standard with most power supplies)

Sorry mate ... which ones on the bike?? I'm looking at the schematics and really struggling to identify a main 12v that feed the whole show - Sorry for the noob questions :/

Ah, I see. Unfortunately I can't tell you off the top of my head, no experience with the oem wiring harness.

OK ... so you run through all the wiring, solder and heatshrink anything that looked loose or corroded. YOu test the globes, the flasher can, the head lights, the regulator ... You rev it, you dont rev it ... you ride it ... you plug in the dash, you unplug the dash ... you then decide to change the globes in the non working indicator anyway AND OUT DROPS THE BLOODY CONTACT !! Yep, that little bit of bakerlite that contacts the back of the globe had removed itself from the positive signal wire ...

Solder it up, put the globe in and EVERYTHING works --- The speedo, the indicators, the dash, the headlights, the tail lights, the brake lights ..... even the horn !

Lucky I buzz cut my hair or I would have pulled it out!!

Bloody bikes!!! Pffff

Glad it's sorted mate, now get riding!