DRZ400 - AUX Lights & Switch - Ep.06!

G'day guys, I install the AUX lights and power switch to the Simpson Desert Weapon (Suzuki DR400E). I end up doing a full rewire! Hope you enjoy :-) Cheers... Mark
G'day guys, I install the AUX lights and power switch to the Simpson Desert Weapon. I end up doing a full rewire! Hope you enjoy :-) Cheers... Mark
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[@HavaCrack]

Mark, this is not a critcial comment as I enjoy watching you giving everything a go and being honest. Re the wiring to work out roughly what size you need, you work out the amperage the item will use and if it is a long run of wire then factor in voltage drop. To work out amps = watts divided by volts or 10w div by 12v = .83 amps per light, which is very low draw. The existing wiring would have been sufficient. If you ever need to work out what size fuse and you know the same details you use the same formula, so the lights can be on a 2amp fuse or the largest would be 5amps. You should have also wired the lights with a relay so they can activate on the high beam switch or be turned off, that is required for roadworthy, but it is not the end of the world especially for a bush bike. Re your brackets, I think that they will vibrate too much and fatigue and break. If you cannot get someone to weld a brace then with you design I would shorten the length and have the light closer to the mouting point. Anyway thanks for sharing your videos, I always enjoy them, you're a good bloke. Mick

[@wobblysauce]

Yep, this. That new wire is rated much higher then the lights will get close to, even with the ciggy lighter.

[@redadv1709]

100% agree with your wiring attitude! Electrical tape has never failed me.

[@paulbourgoin2436]

Hey Mark, I have installed a few Aux. lights on my latest bikes and what I find that works well is to use a wire harness. I usually buy the "Auxbeam Wire Harness" on Amazon for like 20$. The great part about it is that the power to the lights is drawn directly from the battery (like you did) and not spliced/shared with another power source that can overload the wires. The harness also has the built-in relay. You just need to plug the relay onto a 12V source that comes ON with the key (like a back light or an auxiliary power source that Suzuki has behind the headlight) . Once the relay is activated (turn your key on), it completes the circuit and then is controlled by your on/off switch (included with harness). The relay does not draw power to run the lights so whatever you tap into is not important, just as long as it's a keyed source. The harness typically has a in-line fuse also. I find it a no brainer wire installation for Aux. lights and I've never had any melted wires and draw issues. You probably paid more for all the different wire parts and pieces that what you would typically pay for a harness. What I really love is the relay, it eliminates forgetting your lights ON and draining your battery. Cheers ! Paul

[@jasonsmith4137]

Ok Mark for future reference, P=VxI, therefore I= P/V. In your case (For lights) I= (P)10w/(V)12v, therefore I = 0.83a P=power in Watts(w) V=voltage in Volts(v) I=current in Amps(a)

[@mark260267]

Hey Mark, I bet you said, " F**k, I'm gonna have to read that again"! 😂 I did! 🤣

[@daryllee9033]

You actually need to calculate all current loads, so 2 x 10Watt lamps + USB aux outlet?. You also mentioned a compressor, so you'll need to work on the maths including the 4 loads. Good idea over compensating with the wire gauge. Thanks for the vids mate.

[@pmg8504]

Mark, a good spot for the lights. I think higher is better, so cars can see you better at night!

[@laurylafleur3915]

Hey Mark, If you radius the holes whenever you drill metal; it will prevent cracking from vibration. Cheers from Vsncouver Island.

[@bobdrakeford5731]

Hi Mark! Well done, much neater now. It would have been a great opportunity to re route the carby breather hoses for that deep water mod. But the last time I looked, there's not too much deep water in the Simpson! 👍🤣

[@BikerBits]

Yeah I thought the same thing after I finished 🤣

[@NASA-AU.]

Dont stress about remembering things Mark, just tell the viewers to get in front of a camera and be amazed as their brain go back to being 3 years old when you didn't know what stuff is called. Murphys law dictates that as soon as the camera is on, your brain will be 3 years old.

[@waynettarin]

Hi Mark If the lights are 10W each. Then Max load for lights is 20W Max current for both lights will be Current = power/Voltage. Current = 20/12 Current = 1.667A Which is nothing. So the smaller gauge wire would have been ample.

[@metaldog7128]

Right or wrong 🤷🏻‍♂️ it all looks neat and tidy and got fuses in line 👍 that’s how most of us would of probably done it 👍 the light brackets I would have done shorter just to minimise vibration, but it might be ok ?

[@englsprogeny]

Keep up the great work, Mark! Wiring is 100% perfect. Nice, clean work/finish. Comparing conductor size (side by side) is a good way to check for current capacity. As you know, there are charts for gauge size current capacity (with stranded/ solid conductor ratings). BUT we ain't exactly making rocket ships here! You done good!

[@benjaminhaydon2387]

Hi Mark, Your right, the higher the lights the less shadow projected due to undulating ground while riding at night!!!

[@townsville69]

It may be over kill but when I rewired my tinny I'd pull all the little yellow skirts off the ring connectors, crimp, solder, dielectric grease and heat shrink every connection.

[@jaxbrooks5821]

Ha! I did the same thing yesterday for my bike; spots with angel eyes...blew a fuse 'cos I wasn't careful keeping the crimps away from each other. I scratched my head and swapped over the wires as well....nothing is ever simple, the black should always be the negative but it never is lol. My son had some bar end mirrors that he hated, so I chopped off the mirrors and used them as the light mounts onto bars attached to the mudguard. We have very narrow and dark country lanes in England and they make such a difference with the full beam on. I don't go off road, my bike is an old SV650, but I like the idea of being more visable and the angel eyes are very bright DLR's that are on all the time....they've been in a box for 2 years and I just got my act together at last. Looks bloody good! :)

[@brucefleming1743]

Great job Mark and the wiring is excellent, Chappy will be chuffed 👍🇦🇺

[@johngrant7979]

Perfect timing I’m just about add some auxiliary lights to the bike 👍

[@billcotton1551]

Looks awesome on the bike ,and they work great.That's all you can ask for . Chappy will love it.

[@waynesmith3074]

Hi Mark you may need to install a relay as now all the power is going into that small switch then out to the lights . That switch is to activate the relay only

[@steved2623]

Mark, interesting comment about not soldering, if you notice on most if not all vehicles they never solder it's all plugs and crimps. The reason is that solder is inflexible and with natural mechanical vibration tends to break at the wire over time. Good call mate.👍

[@peterbarakan9006]

They don't solder because its faster and cheaper

[@peterdawson7775]

Great idea and video, just put a set of 10 watt x2 lights on my dr650 , at about the same height as chappie's , ended up riding at night on the way back from a bike rally, pitch black no moon ,had them on , worth their weight in gold !! 😎 bloody good investment.

[@markssmallengines3542]

Loving your work Mark great job👍 😀 I feel like the soft alloy an length of the bracket will flex and make the lights jitter around like a disco? Especially on dirt roads and on road vibrations, it will be interesting to see how they go. Maybe need to shorten the brackets 🤷‍♂️ it's a treat we are getting all these vids too thank you 😃👍

[@oyleyhands1332]

Just seen the last ten minutes or so, minor observation is that, taking the feed to accessories without an ignition triggered relay for lights is that just about anyone can walk up to the bike and switch your lights on and drain the battery ! may not be that big a deal depending where and how you use your bike, ie out on the trails or where you are always in view of your bike but over here where it may be parked up in a town, unattended some people may just find it amusing to drain your battery ! Manufacturers own accessories are switched for a reason, plus as your battery voltage lowers, the load increases ! more amps consumed. Nice battery lead you made up there 👌

[@oyleyhands1332]

Those connectors on the spotlights look like a Deutsch two pin connector, or a copy. They are available with more pins for some applications, like four pole. Some light kits with additional functions like dual intensity and ignition triggers have higher pin counts. Also Denali kits come with Deutsch 'Y' leads to join the two lights together, these leads are available online separately, they just avoid diy connections. Connectors are really handy should yo need to take a light off for any reason, saves messing with solder, sleeves, tape etc. More expensive lights like Denali, Vision X etc use Deutsch connectors as they are good and waterproof. Washers for under the mudguard spread the load around the area of the hole, body washers are better than regular size washers as the have the same size hole but a larger diameter overall and as such, spread out the load better, still use the serrated locking nut of course.

[@adsk3920]

Great work Mark, I am looking at doing an auxiliary light install on my Husky 701 enduro LR. Would be interested in a night time road test on those lights to see how good the light' actually are? Just a thought?? Great channel keep up the good work. Factual and entertaining! Cheers Ads.

[@tjracingteam]

Great work Mark. Wiring is like a black magic lol

[@danielwhite8555]

Nice work mark I do 12v wiring on 4ws’s almost every day you would be surprised how many people under do ther wiring and it just causes so much trouble later on better to over do it and have pice of mind do it right do it once nice work mark 👍🏻

[@BikerBits]

Thanks Dan! 😃

[@magnusconsul]

Mark, Brilliant work mate, looks the goods, Chappy will be very happy....team work....

[@stephencrilly8521]

Hi Mark they would be better wired with a relay and by law should be wired to come on with high beam

[@slakk5093]

Better to have them on their own switch, so you can run high beam without spot lights and viseversa. Also use the more efficient spots when setting up camp and not the more juice hungry halogen high beam bulb on the Drz

[@adventuristtv]

Absolutely this. The lights should be on a relay. Just look at the size of the conductors for the switch. Those tiny wires are being used for all the current running through the spotlights. That’s going to be your weak point on this circuit. You should use the switch to control a relay, and use the points on the relay to switch the high current to the spot lights.

[@3070stew]

LOL Mark, good on ya you're having a go. As a mechanic, I find you're very entertaining and persistent......good on ya Keep Keeping On

[@MVDBR]

Dang that was some serious looking wire mate. Good job, making me wanna add some lights to the T7 just for the fun of it 😎

[@paulburns4806]

Might have up the fuse size, compressor can draw alot, mine draws 15amps

[@smrangers22]

hi from scotland , i see its winter down under ha ha . Hear its summer and still pissing it down . ride safe . just waitng for uk and france to lift some restrictions then jump on ferry thats 5 min from flat and off to tour france .

[@kevinpavy5115]

Hi Guys, Fit a JNS - DR/DRZ LED Headlight kit. The DRZ headlights are complete shit. I have had one for years on my DRZ400sm and the difference is night & day. Thanks for a great show.

[@johnmac.6760]

Looks alright to me mate, jobs a dream... 👍👍👍😁

[@jonwarb]

Hiya mate. Loved the video! Wiring looks pretty good! For future & working out cable & fuse sizes etc.. Use Ohm’s Law! To find the Voltage, ( V ) [ V = I x R ] V (volts) = I (amps) x R (Ω) To find the Current, ( I ) [ I = V ÷ R ] I (amps) = V (volts) ÷ R (Ω) To find the Resistance, ( R ) [ R = V ÷ I ] R (Ω) = V (volts) ÷ I (amps) To find the Power (P) [ P = V x I ] P (watts) = V (volts) x I (amps) Hope that helps mate! 👍🏼

[@jed8five897]

It wouldn't have been a bad idea if you had room too add a fuse box and an earth block at the headlight on that main 25amp wire, that way all accessories could have been added and fused separately accordingly, it also means adding anything in future just needs to be connected with a spade terminal behind the headlight.

[@bung1e]

Another good episode, honestly mark you are doing a good job, thank you for the effort you put in :)

[@oyleyhands1332]

Simple calculation for you , divide the voltage into the overall power in watts and you are left with the current in amps, so example would be 2 x 10 watts = 20 watts, divide that by your voltage, 12 and the current used for the two lights will be 1.66 amps. In practice you voltage will be slightly higher when the engine is running but that would only serve to lower the current used, so you can stick to using the 12v for your calculation. There is generally a slightly higher current when firing up the load such as LED lights, but, negligible in this case. With wire, always use a lower amp fuse rating than the cable rating, there are tables for this but 20 amp fuse with a 25 amp wire is fine, voltage drop in the wire over the distances in this application is not worth considering. Double insulated wire is also good practice as it can prevent shorts from chafing but always route away from heat and sharp edges, plus fix to something stable like the frame or existing fixed wires, zip ties are ok but don't overtighten, velcro straps also work and always allow slack around area of movement such as the steering head. Allow a little more wire than whats required, better to look at it than for it ! Insulation tape is not that great as most are not oil and heat resistant, the adhesive degrades over time, look at the tape manufacturer uses, it rarely has adhesive on it ! self amalgamating tape can be pretty good as it sticks to itself and waterproofs joints. heat shrink sleeving is also a good option on joints, that can also be purchased with an adhesive lining. It is good practice to fuse different loads separately though, why lose three functions due to one fuse for all blowing ? The fuse should be closer to the source (battery in this case) as opposed to the load ( such as lights) The fuse is there to protect the wire from overload and potential fire as opposed to the device itself. All the above is constructive... 😉😁👌

[@paulwood7798]

I can see that switch being an issue as Chappie is riding across a lot of KMs of Sand. I would get a sealed unit switch and get a spare for the tool box. As a veteran of many 3 hour beach races as a rider and a spannerman riding sand you need to do your upmost to keep sand out of electrics, the airbox and the carb. Always worth having a airline to a small compressor in the support vehicle to gently blow out the rads.

[@ranssom1]

In super cheap u can buy h4 calibree led straight bolt on the halogen holder. I just run that. More than double brighter than the original.. easy to install and the cost 109 bucks u buy 2. Sometimes they have spl for 68 bucks

[@makeaustraliagreatagain4204]

Mate, check out Supernova lights, Made in germany , i just fitted a pair to my 4x4 , very impressed and for the quality there priced well.

[@3070stew]

Show what they look like when riding in the dark or sun set Mark

[@ElFuego99]

The point of that new hammer with the brass and plastic head is the same point of having soft jaws on your vice.

[@AfricaTwin-Stuff]

Excellent job. A good watch

[@grahamgillette5393]

Why wouldn’t you just adjust the bracket holding the bark buster to fine tune the difference in height?

[@BikerBits]

Will do! 👍

[@mitchellb150]

When’s Chappy planning on crossing the desert mark? Are you heading off with him to mate? Also the copper/plastic head mallet is used so on impact the copper is soft so it won’t mark or damage what you are driving

[@BikerBits]

Most probably next year now!

[@FiveRustyNails]

I reckon they'll wobble like all buggery.

[@BikerBytes]

Great stuff, was thinking about putting aux lights too. Very helpful video and I’m sure a Happy Chappy 👍

[@henryhartley9993]

Nice one Mark, well done...

[@downunderjuice]

Big shout out to Adrian for getting you a decent fucking knockometer. You and that fucking claw hammer Mark. No more metal on metal.

[@stevelong6358]

Nice job mark...

[@raffs_adv]

Bit of overkill with the wiring, 6b&s cable is rated at 80amp to 4-6mtrs long , but hey if it fits the job use the biggest you can, cold wires are better than warm ones. Look up Ohms law, it will be a game changer doing diy work.

[@Northernlanes]

probably less functional but for aesthetics I would've put the spotlamps under, and to each side of the headlamps, I think they'll shake around on the hand guards

[@jimmybutler6451]

Quality work there mate👍

[@zrij2186]

Drz400 stator produces around 200w, I think. Heated grips are useless though😊

[@roderickneven1844]

the closer the lights are to your line of sight, the smaller de shadows will be. Question remains whether thats a good thing or not.

[@bitcoinwhisperer1754]

Chappie could run a hot tub of that wire he just needs to change the 10amp fuse for a 25amp :) The tape omg. Fun to watch and I do genuinely enjoy the streams. I'm being a smart ass ! don't take this to heart buddy love the vids

[@BikerBits]

🤣 thanks mate!

[@gregdavis3246]

10 watt led on 12 volt only draws 0.83 watts

[@ronanrogers4127]

I think you mean 0.83 amps. 10 watts is 10 watts. (10w/12v=0.83a)

[@gregdavis3246]

@@ronanrogers4127 sorry typo meant to say amps

[@HavaCrack]

You meant .83 amps. Mick

[@jamesbh101]

You have gone to the effort of putting in heavy duty wire and then shunted it through a switch with dodgy ass wire the same as the stuff you have thrown away. The use of a relay with the switch should have been considered so the switch is removed as a point of load failure.

[@NASA-AU.]

@2:00 Reminds me of an old joke- " what did the nut say to the bolt?................"NOT WITHOUT A WASHER!"

[@TheBoez]

Nice tinted windscreen, where can I source one?

[@raychambers3646]

Captive nut? Or am I nuts.

[@chrishughes6751]

he may have a issue the way you did the front end wiring as he will be pulling it out a lot to charge his bike on the trickle etc but cross that bridge when you come to it :)

[@scottminshall6420]

Good job Mark! you did fine with wiring, you know the power switch for the auxiliary plug/cigarette lighter was in the open until you put the light bracket bar there in front of it. So at the time it was ok now its time to move it unless Chappie doesn't like the light location. I think they are in a great spot personally. So I do have a question, would a guy run a spot light in one location and a flood in the other so you could get the best of both options? can't wit to see the next installment!

[@BikerBits]

Yes... That is what I have on MAX! Either way will work and it will depend on what you want them for!

[@scottminshall6420]

@@BikerBits Cool good to know.

[@mrwill1969]

Mate you've forgotten to wire up the Flux Capacitor . How will Chappy get back to the future ? great video good job .

[@BikerBits]

Oh bugger... Next episode maybe! 🤣

[@dhan7072]

Good job buddy 😉

[@stampydragon2739]

I would have got a sae splitter

[@megamindtvsydney3967]

Lights up high attract bugs on your helmet visor I’ve noticed. Just saying.

[@Noneofurbusinesseh]

how bloody was it

[@defector1643]

Hey mate how far down the road do these mcx10s throw light for you? Thinking of getting some myself

[@aarenmyatt4509]

I haven't seen anyone wire up aux lights using a relay like you would in a car. Is it not a thing?

[@BikerBits]

I don't know... I just did it how I did it on my DR650 and they have been working for many years. 👍

[@MegaRich7]

Is that the black gloss screen or the tinted?

[@BikerBits]

It's the tinted one!

[@megamindtvsydney3967]

Looks a bit dangerous that will cut you up good if you fall on it !

[@LdnDan87]

No need for a relay?

[@allun13]

Great job Mark. Don't let the Cock-Wavers get you down. Love these vids mate.

[@smrangers22]

six pack of tinnies needed after that job ?? ha ha

[@bitcoinwhisperer1754]

Just a thought would it be safer with the alloy stem pointing down not up if you go ass over tit or face plant it could be nasty.

[@Ozceltic_Adventures]

Serrated flange

[@antoniofdez01]

11:35 Its no funny if you dont get hurt

[@PissTakeProduction]

How did you overcome the LED blinker upgrade with all four to flash separately? I've plugged in a new relay flasher to flash at correct speed but looks like I either need to run a diode or remove the bulb/globe in the tacho unit.