Installing Conspicuity Lights

So, as I mentioned here in the “what did you do” thread, after reading about them here, [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] I bought some white BikeVis Bullets here: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Have been pondering since where and how to put these on the GRiSO.

As mentioned, I have Motolites on my Norge and believe the "locomotive triangulation" is a big help with conspicuity.

Sadly, my knowledge of and aptitude with automotive electrics has made exciting arcs and light shows in several garages and driveways, I am wary of doing anything involving electrics and my Guzzis.

[FWIW, this is all the fault of Marylyn B, a high-school stunner way out of my reach, but not my view, in science class.  For reasons unfathomable to me then or now, our desks were arranged in a horseshoe, permitting a clear view of Marilyn’s legs and freckles that went on forever.  I am still scarred by the experience.]

So, I was surprised and happy to see a GRiSO among the illustrated installations on the bike support forum section:

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I’m not sure I like the mounting site the OP chose, but am grateful to him for the wiring guide.

I was originally going to mount mine on the plastic faux gaiters near axle level, but the wheel and shock travel might make that problematic.  I am thinking about leaving my Stelvio hand guards on now.  They were originally intended to extend the season a few weeks when I was out on the steppes of Illinois when I first got the beast (and that worked), but I now find them useful in the wet, etc.

By mounting on the sides of those guards, I can run the wiring virtually invisibly down to the headlight.

Happy to have any suggestions from folks here about placement, wiring, etc.  If I missed a "how to" in this or something similar elsewhere, just point me there.

Will keep you posted on the fireworks!

Bill

Fireworks ! Surely not Bill it'll just be a frying pan to the back of the head
When your wife finds out your "still" dreaming about Marylyns forever legs !

Sorry can't help with the wiring, I'm just a plug an play an most likely short
Something out electrical technician .

nev wrote:

Fireworks ! Surely not Bill it'll just be a frying pan to the back of the head
When your wife finds out your "still" dreaming about Marylyns forever legs !

Sorry can't help with the wiring, I'm just a plug an play an most likely short
Something out electrical technician .

Kathi knows.  

So, as I plan(ned) to take the GRiSO on a “Bourbon & BBQ" run to Kentucky in a couple of weeks, thought I’d better get around to installing those conspicuity lights.

Turns out I didn’t have to fear my Marylyn-induced ignorance of electricity, as I didn’t get that far.  

I decided to put them on the (Stelvio) hand guards.

Drilled holes and ran the wiring through those, with a view toward routing the wires in a virtually invisible and neat fashion down into the headlight.  I was mightily pleased with myself for screwing up the courage to take this on without adult supervision.  Turns out I could have used some, as I screwed it up when I tried to remove the headlight.

First pic shows the mounting.  That makes it seem as if the light points in, but that’s the cell-phone cam’s distortion.  


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This second (shixxy; sorry) pic gives a better perspective … if you study it long enough!


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For reasons that escape me now, I decided I needed to remove the entire headlight assembly to get to the wiring.  Oh oh.

In the course of that, I learned — by forcing and breaking it — that the left-hand fastener had fused itself to the plastic.  

See these sad pix:



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I see that (POS) part (GU06740200) is “only” $106 at AF1, [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] but I don’t want to get the same (foxtrotted) thing again.

I also recalled and searched for the several related posts here:
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I will likely get some metal replacement in due course.

But I wonder — thus this post — if  cannot simply glue that fracture enough to hold the threaded sleeve in place?  

In the meantime, I have to figure out how to hold the sleeve while extracting the fastener.

Oh, if anyone is reading this far, and assuming it is necessary after all this drama, will that plastic housing come out so I can bring in the new wires or should I drill a new hole (and seal it well)?  The post on the bikevis site -- [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] -- confuses me, tho it does include a modulator that I did not want.

Thanks.  This has been therapeutic for me.  

Bill

Bill, can you use a longer bolt and a nut inside the housing?????

Brian

bmc5733946 wrote:

Bill, can you use a longer bolt and a nut inside the housing?????

Brian

Thanks, Brian. That is my present option #2.

I am so ham-fisted I could be a hog farm by myself.

So, today, I succeeded in getting the frozen fastener out.  Victory and defeat all at once.

Look at these pix only if you have a strong stomach and feel pity for me and my GRiSO.

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So, my option #1 is to try to fix the threaded sleeve in place with glue, JB Weld, something.  Then, if it is really secure, I need to tap out the threads as they were messed up before I did my damage today and I did them no favors during the extraction process.

If that works, mighty fine.  If not, see option 2, i.e. running a smaller diameter bolt out from the inside, tho that will bring its own challenges when I try to marry it up with the w/s bracket.

That brings me to option 3, which is the order I just made moments ago to AF1 Racing for a replacement OEM POS. $116.  Grrrrr.

Bill

Bummer, Bill.  Looks like the crack ran into the bucket as well.  I've been meaning to get back down to the grappa, but the weather hasn't been cooperative.

I AM handy with wiring, though - as it was my profession prior to my stint in the Air Force (car audio/alarm installation).  In fact, I had to do a fair amount of surgery to fit my integrated tail light into the Triumph this weekend.  For some reason the light comes with several feet of unnecessary cabling and some redundant connectors.  I always fail to take "before" shots, but here's an "after with about half of the excess wiring, loom and connectors I retrieved from the waste bin:  

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The resulting "tidy" tail

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And just to show my credentials, I also swapped some surface mount LEDs in the gauge cluster to make the bottom end of the tach a pretty blue to match my paint (was originally silver/grey like the upper end before redline).  

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One day I might actually attempt to go blue with the backlighting on the display, but that requires de-soldering the 56-pin display to get to the LEDs.  The gauge cluster is a $1,000 part. Perhaps a gamble I should put off until I'm gainfully employed again

So with all that being said, I'd be happy to help out if you still need any electrickery performed next time we link up.

Bill, I would use the same diameter bolt just longer by the depth of the nut. Drill out the bushing holding it in a vise or vise grip, don't squeeze to hard and drill slowly. You might also try a good hardware store and see if they don't have a generic bushing about the right size or even a metric T- nut of some sort that could be fitted to the existing bolt. Look at McMaster Carr copy their page and take to hardware store? [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Brian

Thanks, Scott and Brian.  I assure you I could use the two of you here!  

And, Scott, do come over whenever.  I am here the next several days, tho the weather looks pretty sucky for two wheels.  I trailer the GRiSO to Atlanta on Monday, and then ride it to Kentucky for a mutton run with some “other brands.”  I’ve done that with the EV and Norge, but wanted to ride the GRiSO this year.

As for my woes, here’s the good news ...


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Not an especially artsy shot, but at least you can see that the new lights work.  And, while not apparent in that pic, the headlight is fixed.

But, let’s make that “sort of” in both cases.

I struggled to get the wiring plug to of the shell and ultimately succeeded, tho I was certain I would break the tang that retained it after it was unplugged.  I then ran the wiring for the new little lights through that opening.


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I had pretty well trashed that mounting point, but, based on Brian’s suggestion(s) and that of Wayne Orwig (who texted me helpfully — along with deserved insults!), I finally decided to do a temp fix pending receipt of the replacement shell. Not as elegant as either of their work-arounds, but it'll do for a bit.

I ran a 6mm bolt thru the 8mm threaded sleeve, along with an internal and external spacer to make it work with the OEM w/s mounting brackets.

I then used some POS splicers from an auto-parts store to wire the lights into the headlight power.  

Those splicers (and my skills) were iffy propositions, and I cannot get both of them to continue to burn when I reinstall the headlight.  I have ordered some Posi-Taps — [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] — and hope they will make up for my klutziness.


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Oh, as long as I am confessing the obvious, can someone please tell me which of these go where on the headlight rim?  Embarrassing, but true; only two holes, and I can’t figure it out.  


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Thanks.

Bill

Hello Bill,
I have a spare bucket from 2007  1100 GRiSO.
It got a little scratch across the top(forgot to put stand down in garage next to another bike,license plate scraped it) but a Mistral decal covered scratch nicely.
No cracks or any damage other than decal on top.
If you need it let me know.
Send some paypal for shipping & 12pack Shiner Bock($20-25) & it's on the way.
Thanks,Philip

Those vampire taps are pure evil. Posi-taps are better. If you like, I can clean up with solder and heat shrink sometime when I stop by.

whitmire wrote:

Hello Bill,
I have a spare bucket from 2007  1100 GRiSO.
It got a little scratch across the top(forgot to put stand down in garage next to another bike,license plate scraped it) but a Mistral decal covered scratch nicely.
No cracks or any damage other than decal on top.
If you need it let me know.
Send some paypal for shipping & 12pack Shiner Bock($20-25) & it's on the way.
Thanks,Philip

You are generous, Philip.  

Unfortunately, I had already ordered a new one from AF1.  For Texans, they are an efficient and humorless lot -- suspect the first quality leads to the second    -- thus I cannot now change my order without a restocking fee that's higher than your beer & shipping charge.  

Of course, if I keep up with my clumsy repairs, I may be looking for a Shiner-Bock gift card!  

Bill

muzhik wrote:

Those vampire taps are pure evil.  Posi-taps are better.  If you like, I can clean up with solder and heat shrink sometime when I stop by.

C'mon down!

Bill

So, there I wiz yesterday.

My newly installed conspicuity lights worked.

Well, sort of.

When I would start the engine, both would come on.  Most of the time.

And, my installation looked as if it were a 6th grade electricity experiment, and not one that was headed to the science fair.

My earlier pix and narrative led muzhik (Scott), who lives an hour or so away in Maryland to offer to help.  I jumped at that before he could think better of it.

So Scott showed up today and brought his “medical kit” for near-terminal cases.

When he left, the lights not only worked, but the wiring looked better than OEM … tho I am not sure that is a compliment given Italian electrics.

First, to make it clear who did what, this pic demonstrates pretty much all I did in support of the effort with the exception of making us some panini for lunch!


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Scott went straight to work.  It is always inspiring .. and somewhat annoying .. to watch an expert in any field do their work.  Scott made it seem easy, tho I knew better.  Here are some pix of his installation:


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Finally, Scotts declares victory.  


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Here’s a pic that shows the little lights a bit more clearly, and no photo — at least that I can take with my c/p cam — does the reality justice.  Very noticeable.


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Thanks, Scott.  If I had any special knowledge beyond military law in the Renaissance — an arcane and boutique niche for which, understandably, there is little demand! — I’d repay you in kind.  As it is, bring your bride out sometime for a meal with Kathi and me.  We’ll do better than panini.

Bill

P.S.  Kathi is even more grateful than I am, as she no longer has to listen to me whine and moan about those lights.

The panini were delicious!  See you Sunday!

Christina says she'll only come for a meal if Bambi is there to hand out beers.

Wow, those lights looks great!  Congrats!

Although tempting, the picture below makes me realise that I should not try to copy this.  No Muhzik in my part of the woods!!    

Bill Hagan wrote:

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Very illuminating! Thanx.

Bill Hagan wrote:

Bill

P.S.  Kathi is even more grateful than I am, as she no longer has to listen to me whine and moan about those lights.

Take no notice. When he's not parking tanks in a bog or playing lawyer for the military, whining and moaning is his stock and trade! Kathi must have the patience of a saint, (And good earplugs!)

Pete

Ghetto Cred for Muzhik - way to help a brother out!

Bill Hagan wrote:

...

Oh, as long as I am confessing the obvious, can someone please tell me which of these go where on the headlight rim?  Embarrassing, but true; only two holes, and I can’t figure it out.  


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Thanks.

Bill

For the sake of answering this question, here's what we did.  *Pretty sure* it's right

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It seems like the purpose of the sleeve is to keep one from tightening down the connection between the light rim and bucket too much and thereby either breaking off the plastic tab that holds the captured nut inside the bucket or bending the rim.  Only thing that made sense to us.  The sleeve does *not* fit inside the spring (as if to keep it from binding) and even if it did, it would limit the adjustment range.

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Thanks, Scott.

Impressive.

I am sure the real wrenches here just roll their eyes when they see questions such as mine about reinstalling headlights, but I am filing your annotated pix as I suspect I'll need that down the road ... and mebbe even at the side of the road.

See ya Sunday at the Md. Guzzi breakfast.

Bill

P.S. Bambi says hi.

Hey Bill, what about something like these fork mounted LED's?

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beetle wrote:

Hey Bill, what about something like these fork mounted LED's?

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WHAT!?

I never saw this. Doh.

Anyway, will look into those, but stand by for a related post about my continuing headlight-bucket and w/s saga. Grrrrr.

Bill

This could be an option too:
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