Twin Headlight Dilemma

[Doch80]

Well, I made my purchase of the Twin headlight set up from Bandit Mania… well actually Streetfighter by Design… same kit.  I came home from work tonight and was rewarded with a package for me.  Great!  I wasn’t expecting it for another week or so.  Well I rip into it like a kid on Christmas.  The first thing I do is read the bill and packing list and to my surprise it doesn’t include the wiring loom.  There is a hand written note on the invoice saying that the 4.5” kit doesn’t use the wiring loom… WTFO?  I don’t have a naked bandit (yet) so I’m not exactly sure how the wiring differs from faired to unfaired as far as the headlight goes.  I paid for a dam wiring harness so why didn’t I get one?  If I wasn’t going to get a harness then I could have bought the lights and brackets for about 3 times less then what I paid for it.  Basically I got two lights, two headlight brackets, and two blinkers (which I told them I didn’t need).  

Another thing… the instructions they gave me are for the wiring loom!  If I wasn’t suppose to get one then why in the world did they send those instructions?  And why do the 4.5” lights differ from the larger lights?  I don’t get it… I’m baffled…

The other thing that baffles me is the wiring set up.  The instructions for the wiring loom (which I didn’t get) show the lights having 4 wires coming out of them.  Ok good… well the lights they sent me have 5 wires and the colors aren’t anywhere near the same… Great, I hate trial and error with electronics.  

Anyways, I know that only a handful of people have done this to their bike so if anybody has any advice, I’d be happy to hear it.  I’m definitely going to be calling Mr. Cork first thing Monday morning to help sort all this out.  When I ordered it they should have told me that I wasn’t going to need the wiring loom… or, if they weren’t going to send it they should have called me or emailed me and told me not to expect it so I could ask them questions at that time… but maybe that’s just me.

Thanks for the help,

Chad

[Cruisecontrol]

First of all, relax. You will live longer.

If you had used Banditmania you would have received the loom.  
You don't really need the loom anyway because Suzuki were kind enough to supply about 10 feet of extra wiring in the front of their 2G Bandits.
You have two options regarding the wiring, that being bullet connectors or soldering. The "loom" provided was simply some wiring with connectors clamped on the ends inside some heatshrink. No great loss if you did not get it.
When you are pulling apart the front end on your bike just chase the wires to the lights as you remove them and put a tag on the wire telling you what it did, ie indicators, high beam etc. From memory the wires coming out of the headlights are green/black, blue, white, brown. Get rid of the brown one as that is useless, I just shoved it back into the headlight assy just in case.
Because the new lights are both high/low beam instead of one high one low as how the bandit is set up you will have to splice the yellow and white wires so they go to each headlight.
So green/black on headlight goes to black/white on bike, blue on headlight goes to yellow on bike and white on headlight goes to white on bike.

The 5 3/4" headlights are fitted with halogen globes whereas the 4 1/2" arent.

[Doch80]

In reality, I'm not really that stressed out.  I had just gotten off work, it was late, and it wasn't what I expected.  I didn't order from Banditmania directly b/c at the last minute I changed my mind and ordered from California... couldn't tell you why... guess I wanted it sooner.  The price was the same so I thought what the hell.  

Thanks for the help with the colors of the wire.  Sounds like it's a piece of cake... for the most part.  By the way, do you remember what size the steering stem nut is?  I don't think I have a socket that big with me.  If I can get that off I may not wait until December to do it... more like 2 or 3 days!

Thanks for the help

Chad

[Doch80]

Well, thanks to Cruisecontrols help I have most everything set up on the headlights!  Right now my fairing is laying in pieces on my apartment and I can’t be happier.  

All I have left to do is throw on the blinkers… the brackets they sent me don’t fit… one of the holes are to small for the bolts on the headlight to fit through and there’s no other place to mount them b/c the brackets are to small and the blinker bolts are to long.  I couldn’t fix that yesterday with the hacksaw b/c I’m out of elec connections so I’ll have to wait until I can get to the auto parts store today or tomorrow.  

I also have to find a way to attach the speedo and tach.  I came across a bracket from the naked version real cheap but I already knew it wasn’t going to fit so I just have to come up with a way to attach it to the bike… shouldn’t be to hard… just extend it a little bit.

I also forgot about the frame covers on the side… slipped my mind completely.  The bike doesn’t need it to run but once I find some I’ll throw them on.  I also have to take the fairing brackets off the bike but I need to take the tank off to do that.  I didn’t feel like taking the tank off yesterday but I’ll do that when I go home in two weeks.

I haven’t ridden it yet but it looks like it gives the bike a whole new personality!  Now it looks like a bulldog ready to attack!    Maybe not a bulldog but something else poised to attack.  It’s great!

Thanks for the help!  

Chad

[Cruisecontrol]

Now we need the before and after photos.  

Well done on getting it sorted out.

[Doch80]

Oh don't worry, I'll take some.  I actually finished tonight right as the sun was going down with everything, blinkers and instruments.  You were just as well off making your own brackets for the blinkers b/c the ones they sent me didn't fit.  The holes were to small and they were no where near bent at 90 degrees.  The blinkers they sent didn't fit with the brackets b/c the screw on the blinker itself was to long so that had to be modified.  Nothing that couldn't be fixed though.  

I'm going to have to make another bracket for the instruments b/c the one I have now is jerry rigged.  It's solid but it's not pretty.  I basicly got ahold of a nakeds bracket, then attached some flat pieces of metal to extend it long enough to reach to the handlebar bolts.  All I have is a hacksaw to cut metal right now so when I go home I'll craft something extra special.  I also have to get the full covers for the back of the guages but that can wait till later as well.

I still have to hide all my wiring and to do that properly I need to take off the tank... I'll do that at home to.  Then I have to come up with some frame covers...  but all the hard parts are done and it all works properly.  Oh yeah, I still need to aim them but I can save that for later...

I have a pair of bar-end mirrors on the way so we'll see how those work out.  

I'll take some pictures tomorrow afternoon and post them here.  All in all, I think the bike looks awsome.  Everybody has their personal opinion about it and mine has to be in favor no fairing.  I've never been a big fan of it except for when I bought the bike... go figure.  Now I think it looks pretty dam cool.  It's funny that you drive a bike for 4 or 5 years then take off the fairing and it kinda feels like a totaly different bike!  We'll see if I'm singing the same tune after a few hours on the highway...

Thanks for all the help!

Chad

[Doch80]

Here are some before and after pics... remember, I'm not completely done.  There are a few cosmetic things still left to be done like aiming the lights, removing the fairing brackets, fixing the speed/tach gauges, cleaning up the wiring harness... and the bike is really dirty.  I know that's a mortal sin but what ever Enjoy!

Let's see if this works:















You can see the rest of them here http://www.bikepics.com/members/doch80/01gsf1200/

Thanks for all the help!  

Chad

[Red01]

Coming along nice!

In case you were wondering why your tank bra doesn't fit well, looks like it's a bra for a 1G... I know because I have a 1G bra on mine. Mine fits a little better than that (coulb be because of different brands?), but still has a slight gap along the bottom edge.

My B12's Bikepics page.

[Doch80]

Yeah, I've had that thing for so long... since I bought the bike.  I got a few dollars credit at the dealership when I bought it and that's the bra they gave me.  It's a Lockhart Phillips brand and your right it doesn't fit at all.  Actually a plastic bracket or two are broken at the bottom but that doesn't really make any difference.  Maybe eventually I get one that actually fits... when they do they look pretty cool.

I just realized something when I was riding today... I'm probably not going to get my guages to fit as close as I want them to... I have the Suburban bars on there and they don't allow the gauges to get close enough to the top of the triple tree.  I guess they stick out more up front then the stock bars do... actually I know they do... Oh well, back to the drawing board.

I also get my bar-end mirrors tomorrow... hopefully.  I bought the ones that fold in.  We'll see how they look and work... I don't really like not having mirrors other then being illegal.

Chad

[PitterB4]

Looks great!  

Any hints on hidin' all those wires?  I've been dreading starting my installation wondering how I'm gonna manage the mess spaghetti.

[Doch80]

I'm thinking once I get the tank off it'll be easier to organize all the wiring.  It actually all fits into the side I just don't have the covers.  Right now it's just to tight around there.

[2005B12S]

Nice bike, thats the best set of bars I have seen on a B12 other than my ProTex clip-ons.    






I have been wondering if the (non-US)  GS1200SS twin headlight faring will fit a B12. The frames look very close, that would be an interesting setup.

maybe some overseas lucky owners of any 1200SS can supply more info.

[Red01]

I have been wondering if the (non-US)  GS1200SS twin headlight faring will fit a B12.
The frames look very close, that would be an interesting setup.

maybe some overseas lucky owners of any 1200SS can supply more info.

From looking at pics to the GS-SS, it's frame bears a strong resemblance to the 1G B12 frame, just with twin rear shocks instead of mono.

I'm guessing if you could come up with the fairing and its bracketry, it probably wouldn't be rocket science to make it fit - especially on a 1G.

[2005B12S]

It is a sweet machine, if they sold it in the States I would have one in the garage. We are really missing out on this bike.

Ride On, Ed.
2005 GSF1200SZ
1983 GS750ED

[2005B12S]

Something like this. That is one mean street bike. Talk about a late 80's Superbike- take it over a new Busa any day