Auxilliary Light Install KGT

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The following DIY project will show how to install a set of auxilliary lights on a KGT, specifically a 2009 KGT 1300.

NOTE - please check your local laws to understand the requirements associated with Auxilliary lighting.

For example, in Massachusetts, it is a state law requirement that if the auxilliary lights are on, they are automatically turned off when the Hi-Beam on the main headlight system is activated.

Instructions for shutting off the auxilliary lights when the high-beam is turned on are included in the DIY

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PROJECT OVERVIEW

The premise of this DIY is that I wanted to have auxillary lights on the bike mounted under the oil cooler area as in the RT, and I did not want to mount them on the caliper as others have. After some searching and vendor calls I realized they do not make mounts for under the cowl for the newer KGT.

However I was provided a link for Jimmy Mounts from BMW Denver. These mounts are made specifically for the PIAA* Style lights so I ordered them. They mount under the rear view mirrors. I checked them out and they looked pretty good (to me) so they were ordered.

* although made for the PIAA light it appears they will accept any vertically mounted style light

Here is the link (http://www.bmwofdenver.com/eshopprod_cat_3428-37464_product_470192.Jimmy_Mounts_K1200GT_Light_M. htm)

The project consists of 3 to 4 seperate steps.

Step one - prepping and mounting the Jimmy mounts

Step two - mount the lights to the Jimmy mounts

Step three - lay out and install the wiring harness**

Step four - modify wiring to support High Beam shut off of aux lights - check your local law requirements


** Please note that using the Jimmy mounts and the amount of excess wiring provided in the harness you WILL have to cut the harness and connectors in various places - this will obviously void any warranty provided by PIAA so please be fully cogninzant of this aspect of the install if you plan to do it.

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Shown below are the Jimmy mounts, their hardware and instruction sheet.

they are power coated black and are very robust - suitably able to support the PIAA Light

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The lights and their accompanying parts

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You need to get the bike to a usable access position to work on.

The easiest is removing all the plastic and windshield to be able to properly mount, route and install the various items.

This link shows how you how to remove all the plastic (http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?t=38642)

This link shows how to remove the windshield (http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?t=38866) - please note you can stop when you get to post # 15 on this one

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Shown here is the sequence of hardware that will be used to mount the Jimmy Mount to the bike.

From left, it will be a Hex screw, with a washer, the plastic sleeve slides on next and then that hole combination is put into the mounting hole and then the hex bolt is threaded onto the bike supporting the mount.

The hex bolt has a 5mm head.

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Things to note - the first

Check for flash on the plastic sleeve and remove it - this will provide a better fit

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Second

The bottom of the Jimmy Mount will flush mount to the side of the front cowl - even though I do not plan to remove the mounts I did not want to have the area damaged by the permanent contact, so I added some rubberized tape onto the mounting area to protect the painted surface that will be in contact here.

Optional - not required

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Shown is the mirror removed and how it would mate to the mount for install.

DO NOT INSTALL - because you need to mount the lights first and route the light harness thru the mount before putting the mirror(s) back onto the bike.

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OK - the mount is preped and we are ready to install the light onto the mount.

The instructions call out that the small hole on the side of the mount is for the wire harness.

As you can see PIAA provides some nice connectors that in no way will fit thru the hole.

Here you have to choices:

1 - you can leave the connectors intact and wire the lights with the harness outside of the mount

2 - you can cut off the connectors and run the light wires thru the hole as provided.


I went with option 2 because I wanted a clean look - but be advised any modification to the harness will void your warranty for the PIAA product, and probably any product you use.

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Since I am going to cut off the connector, I wanted to identify/maintain the same wire polarities to the lights.

I checked both connectors and if you pull them out straight you will note that one wire will be slightly longer (green arrow) because there was more slack, in my case, the longer wire in each connector is associated to the ground side of the wiring.

So the shorter wire is postive, the longer is negative and it was the same for the other light.

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I put a small piece of shrink tubing to identify the postive line and then did the same for the other light.

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Displayed below is the assortment of hardware to mount the lights, depicted is the order of their assembly (Top to bottom)

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OPTIONAL STEP

The hardware supplied came with a standard nut, I did not think that was robust enough and replaced it with an M4 Nylock style to ensure that it would not come loose.

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OPTIONAL

The supplied 4mm Allen is a standard allen, however I found it was a little too long to cleanly fit and tighten the screw heads so i took out about half the length and it fit fine.

When the light is installed the lower body portion will interfere if a standard allen wrench is used - hence the modification.

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Shown is the general position of the PIAA mount in relation to the Jimmy Mount.

Please note that I have the adhesive mounted under the PIAA mount but I left the side that would touch the Jimmy Mount still covered so it would not adhere.

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Flat washer on the top side

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Insert the 4mm allen bolt

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Larger washer and nut.

Please note the orginal hardware nut is shown - it was here I realized I did not like it and went to the hardware store to replace it with the Nylock style.

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OK several things happend here:

1 - once I had the PIAA Light mount installed, I installed the PIAA Light.

NOTE 1 - the PIAA Mount is plastic and Jimmy Mount is metal - you can easily crush the PIAA Mount when tightening - I did it to hand tightness using a 1/4 drive ratchet and socket set up for the nut; while holding the screw in place with the trimmed down 4mm allen wrench.

2 - once the light mount was on the Jimmy Mount, I mounted the Jimmy Mount to the bike using the replacement hardware - again tightening hand tight.

NOTE 2 - this is just temporary as the mirrors still need to be installed. This assembly configuration will allow you to wire the system in place without the mirrors being in the way

3 - repeated the same excercise for the throttle side.

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Here is the second opportunity to void your warranty!

The wire harness has been supplied with plenty of length - it will be up to the person installing if they want to cut to fit or deal with the excess by dressing it into the bike.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

This install is taking into consideration that I have a fuse panel; therefore I will be removing the supplied fuse - green arrow.

If you do not have a fuse panel you have to leave the fuse on.

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Here are the connectors to the lights - if you left them on - these stay, else like I did remove them.

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This section of the harness comprises of the on/off switch and the white trigger wire for the PIAA Relay - needs to be connected to 12V.

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As stated earlier I plan to integrate the PIAA lights thru my Centech Fuse Panel.

I have substituted the previously installed 10 A fuse with a 20 A fuse (yellow arrow). I also put in the fuse "upside down" for ease of reference when the Centech Panel cover is installed.

This is where the power side of the PIAA lights will be connected.

The Blue Arrow is showing where the White Trigger wire for the PIAA relay will connect.


NOTE - if your aux light system needs to be toggled off when the high beam is on - this location is where the power will be tapped. Post 46 is the start of installing a High Beam Shut Off

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The main power (white) and ground (Black) wires for the lights are shown connected to the Centech.

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This is where I mounted my PIAA controller switch - wish I could take credit for its position but i can't as I stole it from a riding buddy.

NOTE - The PIAA switch has an LED indicator (seen under the PIAA silk-screened text on the switch) and their convention is GREEN for OFF, RED for ON. Takes bit to get used to......:lurk

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Routing of switch wiring thru the handlebar section - yellow arrow

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Shown by the dotted green line is where the main wire harness is run.

As the harness approaches the left (clutch side) mirror the harness needs to split to go to the right (throttle side)

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Shown with the Green Arrows is where I placed supporting zip ties to run the throttle side light harness power.

My finger is pointing to the actual harness.

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Shown is the approximate amount of "extra" harness available to the throttle side light - based on how I am showing how to wire.

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Shown here is the wire harness dressing in process.

The Green Arrow is pointing to main harness to the lights

The Yellow Arrow is for the power switch harness.

The White Arrow is showing the mounting and placement of the PIAA relay.

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Postioning and fastening of the PIAA Relay.

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Wire Harness Trimmed and Dressed

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The highlighted bracket is used in the mounting of the Clutch Side Body Panel

The wire harness MUST be located BELOW this bracket.

As in the next view.

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The wire harness properly routed to prevent interference with the side body panel

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Here I am getting ready to connect the light harness to the lights.

I am using a piece of shrink tubing so that it provides a better presentation.


Place shrink tube thru hole of mount
Insert wire harness thru shrink tube
Cut harness to appropiate length
Make electrical connections of the wire harness to the light wiring
Pull harness back thru heat shrink until heat shrink is close to the back of the light
Heat heat-shrink
NOTE - use heat gun on low setting and put a piece of cardboard behind the shrink-tube and front of the bike to protect the paint
Temporarily mount light to mount
Repeat for other side

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Steps 2 and 3 from above

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Step 4

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Steps 5,6 and 7

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Once the wiring connection to the light is complete secure the harness

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Throttle-side completed

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Wire bundle tucked in behind main lighting harness section so that it does not interfere with side panel installation

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Securing balance of harness so that it does not interfere with side panel installation

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Done


IMPORTANT - IF YOUR STATE REQUIRES THAT ANY AUXILLIARY LIGHT BE SHUT OFF WHEN THE HIGH BEAM IS TURNED ON - CONTINUE TO THE NEXT SECTION - HI BEAM SHUT OFF

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The schematic below shows how I control the Auxilliary lights via the Hi Beam Switch.

As stated earlier I routed all the voltage requirements thru my Centech panel.

If you do not have a fuse panel you can still wire as above except that you will need to add 5 amp fuse for the Normally Open relay - all details are next

Relay Function and Operation

The relay on the left is a NORMALLY CLOSED RELAY - meaning that when the relay is NOT ENERGIZED the contacts are in such a postion that there is continuity between points 87A (sometimes it is shown as 87O) and 30.

So that if you put voltage on pin 30 you will see that voltage on 87A - when the relay is activated the voltage that is on 30 is now disconnected from 87A/O and there is no voltage there.

By connecting the power that goes to the PIAA Switch thru the Normally Closed contacts of the relay you can control the PIAA Lights - when the high beam is off the coil is not turned on and the voltage signal reaches the PIAA switch and the PIAA lights can be turned on and off at the users discretion.

Now if the PIAA Lights are on and the high beam is activated there will be voltage on pin 85 of the Nortmally Closed relay and this activates the coil (becasue the other end of the coil is grounded).

When the coil is activated the Normally Closed Relay now switches from 87A to 87 - since 87 is intentionally not connected to anything the voltage signal going to the PIAA switch is now interrupted and the PIAA lights shut off.

WIRING OF THE RELAY

The control for this relay is obtained from the hot side of the High Beam wire (Pin 85). Ground is attached to Pin 86.

When the Hi Beam or Flash to Pass (FTP) trigger is engergized it activates the relay and the control signal to the PIAA Switch is interupted.

12 volts is obtained from either the fuse panel or relay, a 5A fuse is placed in line to this line and it is connected to pin 30 of the Normally open relay.

Connect the orginal white trigger wire from the PIAA switch to the Normally Close (Pin 87A/O) of the relay.

The other relay is the PIAA relay and it is shown for reference only.

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The next two shots are of the relay I used and I got it at my local autoparts store

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Part Number of the relay

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I did not even consider tearing into the headlight switch on the handlebar to pull the trigger signal, instead I went directly to the head light panel.

To gain better access and provide some room I removed the instrument panel.

It is very easy - it has 3 mounting points and one connector

Shown below in the Yellow Circles are the connection points.

The Pink Arrow shows the IP connector

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Here is a shot of the back of the instrument panel.

As you can see they are secured in a similar manner as the windshield bracket arms.

Also note the large washer for additional support to the post.

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Shown in the next two shots is the location of the headlight connector - Yellow Arrow

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Same Connector - different angle

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Shown below is how I got to the point to acquire a trigger signal - the steps are as follows:

Disconnect the Headlight Connector from the back of the housing.

Cut the supporting zip-tie and pull back the connector as far as you can.

NOTE 1 - I could not pull it all the way out.

Cut back some of the cloth tape and access the WHITE WIRE

NOTE 2 - please verify the wire you are accessing if the bike you are working on is not a 2009 KGT 1300.

Open up the insulation of the white wire slightly so that you can attach a tie in trigger wire

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I attached a trigger wire and wrapped it around the exposed wire of the Hi Beam Line.

I used a black wire because I did not want to the trigger wire to stand out when dressed into the bike

I did not use a positap because I wanted a soldered connection - use what you want

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Connection soldered

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Connection insulated with some electrical tape.

Feel free to use heat-shrink or any other kind of insualtion media for the covering of the connection point - I only used electrical tape because I plan to over-wrap.

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Replacing the cloth tape with new cloth tape to revert back to orginal condition.

The trigger is now accessed, you can connect the head-light connector back onto the housing and give yourself about 3 feet of trigger wire as slack.

This portion is complete, now onto the PIAA Switch trigger wiring

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In the orginal PIAA Light install the trigger of the PIAA switch needs to go to 12 VDC - here we are going to tie it into a relay as explained earlier.

1 - Remove white wire of the PIAA Light Switch Trigger from Centech or battery - Green Arrow

2 - Create and attach a wire to solder to the white wire - Yellow Arrow - this will go to the relay

3 - attach a line to a fused 12 V source - on my Centech I selected a 5A fuse as this is a very low power signal - Red Arrow - this will go to the relay

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Shown here is the relay to control the PIAA light switch free-wired.

Shop tip - great testing opportunity before final dressing.
Starting from the top:

Red Arrow is the 12 volt fused source - going to Pin 30 of the relay

White Arrow is the Ground connection - from battery or negative of fuse panel - going to pin 86 of the relay

Blue Arrow is the trigger signal from the Headlight - going to Pin 85 of the relay

Green Arrow is the line that was attached to the white trigger wire from the PIAA switch going to Pin 87A of the relay.

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Lengths of wires established - getting ready to final dress

Green arrow is identifying the trigger signal from the Headlight (Hi-Beam)

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Dressed and mounted

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This completes the installation of a Bypass Relay.

Put the bike back together and celebrate with an adult beverage on a job well done.

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