Reserve Lighting device

englishwheeler · Full Member Joined: Nov 14, 2008 Posts: 47

Do I have to keep this on the bike? I would like to get rid of it.

xsjohn · Posted: January 14, 2009, 9:54 am Post subject: Re: Reserve Lighting device

Turns off headlight for first start button hit........that you could live without with headlight on-off switch......but what happens if you accidently hit the starter button when it's running......?

xsjohn

pamcopete · Posted: January 14, 2009, 10:19 am Post subject: Re: Reserve Lighting device

xsjohn and englishwheeler

The safety relay is what turns off the juice to the starter solenoid after the engine starts and turns on the headlight.

The Reserve Lighting Device (RLU) turns on the white "headlight" fail light and the high beam if the low beam filiament burns out.

You can remove the RLU and jumper the Blue/Black wire to the Blue/Yellow wire in the harness connector to keep the headlight working.

xsjohn · Posted: January 14, 2009, 10:28 am Post subject: Re: Reserve Lighting device

Yea....I understand ......I was just posing the question to EW......hit the starter and clank without the RLD........sometimes I don't explain myself well......

xsjohn

pamcopete · Posted: January 14, 2009, 11:01 am Post subject: Re: Reserve Lighting device

xsjohn,

Go and get another cup of coffee, John......I'm sure you know this....the RLD has nothing to do with the starter. It's the Safety Relay that prevents the clank if you try starting with the engine running....that's why it's called a "Safety" relay. The safety relay also provide +12 to turn on the headlight after the engine has started, via the RLD (RLU).

The RLD (RLU) just turns on the white headlight idiot light to tell you that a filiament has burned out in the headlight. If the low beam filiament burns out, the RLD (RLU) also turns on the high beam but at reduced intensity so you do not blind oncoming drivers at night. That's why it is called the "Reserve" lighting unit (RLU).

englishwheeler wants to remove the Reserve Lighting Unit. If he removes it and does the wiring bypass from Blue/Black to Blue/Yellow, nothing bad will happen, except he will not get the white light warning for a burned out headlight. However, he may get a Blue Light warning if the headlight burns out.

The protection from an inadvertant attempt to start the engine when it is already running will still be there because that is a function of the safety relay, not the RLU.

xsjohn · Posted: January 14, 2009, 2:30 pm Post subject: Re: Reserve Lighting device

Makes since....never mess with that stuff....forgot about the safety relay.....I'm just a engine man anyway......I have yet to have any electrical problems on my 80.......I will be the first to squeel when I do.....and Yamaha wouldn't let us wack the harness.....just replaced the parts.........that's wy I call my self a parts swapper......works if you have some spares.......

xsjohn

englishwheeler · Full Member Joined: Nov 14, 2008 Posts: 47

thanks guys. I want to remove this to make my cafe project a little cleaner. I don't really ride at night anyway...but I know I need the light in the day too. I'll remove it and do the wire swap. Pamcopete...can I get with you if I have questions on the wire jump?

pamcopete · Posted: January 14, 2009, 10:05 pm Post subject: Re: Reserve Lighting device

englishwheeler

Sure, or 5twins has actually done the mod so he could be of assistance as well.

oldskoolcool · Full Member Joined: Sep 08, 2007 Posts: 372

man do i love being a j-man electrician by trade, took me a day to make a new harness for mine.

BigGeorge · Full Member Joined: Apr 13, 2008 Posts: 267

Englishwheeler go here www.excess650.co.uk/ti...tricks.htm
Hope this helps.............BG

5twins · Full Member Joined: Aug 05, 2006 Posts: 1616

Yep, thanks BG, that's all I did ....... but ....... there's this cool mod on top of this (thanks to Pamcopete, of course) .......

xs650temp.proboards29....hread=9140

I guess this applies mostly to folks with a near stock machine. If you're bastardizing (in my opinion) one of these fine bikes, you're on your own.

What Happened to 650rider.com?

Yamaha xs650