Hello everybody thank you in advance for the help. Ok so its winter now, battery is out on a tender and Im taking this time to upgrade to LED lighting on the new XL1200CX. Now the first thing I noticed is that aftermarket lights have only 2 wires. My bike is using 3. If i remember correctly when the bike is on the 2 tail lights are on RUNNING, when the BRAKE is engaged the lights get brighter and when the SIGNAL is engaged it blinks. Ive never had someone show me what happens by holding down the brake and engaging the turn signal so Im not sure how brightness is affected with both of those (BRAKE/SIGNAL) on. Does anyone know the color code? The wires are BLUE/PURPLE/BLACK. Im wondering how the lights have 3 functions on the BLUE and PURPLE wires(RUNNING/BRAKE/SIGNAL) if the BLACK is just a ground. Which takes me to my next question. Under the seat are sets of plugs. The BLUE/PURPLE/BLACK plugs going to each of the tail lights are fed by a 4 wire plug BLUE,RED/BLUE/BLUE,PURPLE/BLACK. Does anyone know that color code? Maybe someone has a diagram or just knows what these wires are doing. I cant be the only one out there who is confused by how the stock lights are doing more than any aftermarket lights offer. It appears after market lights can either be RUNNING or BRAKE or SIGNAL but never do all three since they provide only 2 wires and one is a ground. Custom Dynamics has a cool 4 wire light but I cant find the color codes anywhere. Can someone please enlighten me what I have to work with here with my wires?

 

leave your wires alone. you already have RTB. just get leds. no load balancer needed on canbus bikes.

 

The old lights were 1 wire, turn only. then they went to 2 wire run turn, both grounded through the frame. Not reliable because of corrosion.
Then the started adding a ground wire (always black), so 2 wire with a black is run only, 3 wire with a black is run/brake/turn, Like your car, brake/turn go through your turn signal module so it uses the same wire.

 

That doesnt help. Simply saying "get LEDs" doesnt answer how I go from 3 wires to 2 wires without losing "RTB"

 

leave the wires alone unless you want headaches. this is all in the back of your service manual.


led bulbs. not fixed leds. you just drop them in the socket like a normal bulb. no need to mess with wires and introduce gremlins or **** off your BCM and end up with the red "fault" light on in your speedo.

 

Ok so right now one of those BLUE/PURPLE wires is doing the running light and the other is both brake and signal. Do you know how I can isolate a signal wire for an amber colored light?

 

Ive seen those. Thats what everyone has. That cant be the only method of upgrading to LED. Look at these. Custom Dynamics 4 wire RED/Amber Dual Intensity Bullet. Im trying to find a wire to tap each RUNNING/BRAKE/SIGNAL/GROUND.
http://www.customdynamics.com/billet_led_light.htm

 

okay. godspeed

 

You need 1157 LEDs. And a flash if your trouble light comes on. Different companies make different light designs. White run and amber turn for front, and all red for rear.

 

You can't make a 2 wire (new style) do run/brake/turn. Unless you use a r/b/t module but you don't need that. I did, but mine's a 94. Get the correct light or bulb replacement and you'll be all set.