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On my Cafe Racer, I have wired in non stock turn signals, running lights and brake lights, yes, multiple brake lights; I'm a scaredy cat. For the most part, things have been working OK but not perfectly. Today I've been trouble shooting my lighting wiring.

For front turn signals I chose Kisan Tech's turn/brake/running lights that adhere to the bottom of the mirrors. My reasoning is that I like turn signals that are integrated into mirrors as done on many modern bikes. Also, since I have no dash lights I figured that the visible flashing light will act as a signal reminder. The hope is to not go down the road signaling unintentionally. As delivered, the lights have about ten miles of wire and on the Cafe bike, it only needs to be about four inches long so I sent them back to Kisan and they graciously shortened the wires for me at no charge. After trouble shooting the wiring, I've concluded that there is a fault in the light wiring. The running light feature does not work on the right side. Switching things around isolated the problem there.

The light fixture I chose for the tail light may not be a good long term set up. It comes from a Moto Cross oriented company called Acerbis. The plastic housing is so close to the bulb that it is melting the housing.

The real reason I'm "trouble shooting" the lights is that the fuse blew yesterday just after I replaced it. I doubt that the Kisan signals made that happen, and today, when the bike is stationary, the fuse is holding. The wiring I did is secure and tidy. I'm still mystified.

If anybody has advice or comments, they are welcome. Especially smart ass comments. This is more of a cathartic note than a question.

Chuey

When a socket gets hot enough to melt its housing, it can melt insulation too. I've also much too frequently found 1157 sockets that will short if they have no bulb in them.

One look in the headlight bucket was enough for me. That's some scary sh!t in there.

I can see a positive outcome here Chuey. I'd start with all the red wires.

smartass comment #1: Chuey, you need to have a beer with chasgrips45...
help: Did you attempt to maintain the color-coding (Black is HOT and Brown is ground, etc.) or did you switch it to something else? SOMEWHERE you must have a hot wire or terminal touching a ground for the fuse to blow. Maybe at the switch??
ME109, where did you see inside the headlight bucket? There's no picture posted here.
(You went to Chueys garage????)

I actually kept the wiring color coded. Onto the Kisan wire set, I have spliced the correctly color coded wires for the left and right turn signals. That is, blue with red or black stripes, I can't remember which is left or right. I'm pretty confident with regard to the actual connection of the wires, as in adequate job.

I totally understand what ME109 means by the bucket looking scary. Imagine being a total electricity challenged buffoon like me and seeing in there for the first time. On my first airhead I was able to sort the very confused mess the PO had made of the wiring. It is so much better than it looks. I mean the system that BMW set up. I do want to move the fuses out of the headlight buckets, though. I'd like to do a sano job or it isn't worth doing.

The normal heat of the bulb is what is melting the housing (not hte socket) of the tail light. It basically touches the housing and is not far from the lens. I did not enjoy searching for a tail light and am dreading looking for its replacement.

Chuey

Don`t worry Chuey,Ill be right there & we can fix that mother! Wires is wires! Colors are there because they run out of one ,so they use another ,until they run out of that. Try looking inside the headlight shell after a few cocktails. Seriously, I`ve learned a lot about the electrics ,just by sitting down & studying the schematic,& then at least you know what to look for. Another thing improper GROUNDS can cause total frustration. I`m learning

Jean wrote:ME109, where did you see inside the headlight bucket? There's no picture posted here.
(You went to Chueys garage????)

Sorry Jean, I was referring to the first time I looked in my headlight bucket.

And ME109 is not the sort of bloke to go looking in anybody else's headlight bucket without an invitation.
Headlight buckets are kind of personal and just a bit scary.

Trying to think of a suitable analogy ..... ah yes ... like the underwear your granny used to peg on the clothesline.

ps: Apologies to any readers who are now suffering scary flashbacks like those in my head.

Airbear wrote:Trying to think of a suitable analogy ..... ah yes ... like the underwear your granny used to peg on the clothesline.
ps: Apologies to any readers who are now suffering scary flashbacks like those in my head.

You looked inside them?!!!

Hmmmmm. Reminds me of the time we were playing about with the NEW boroscope at work and one of the fellas threaded it down his shirt..... and thru his waistband...BIG CRT (15inches) and in full color, too!!
He DID finally catch on to what we were all snickering about.
But not nearly as amazing as what's crammed inside the headlight shell, eh whot?

Putting a big bulb in the tail light socket of a /2 will melt the plastic, too. ASK me how I know!!