Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Im currently putting an aftermarket headlight/screen set up on my streetfightered 2000 Kawasaki ZX9R...problem is i cant seem to get the main driving lights to work.

As is, i know for sure that:
- rear indicators work
- brake light works

What does not work:
- two main driving lights (high or low beam)
- front small city light (used to work however but now no go )
- front indicators
- rear driving (running) light
- basically all of the front facing lights dont work

Ive tried testing the the wires and there does not seem to be any power going through em.

Im wondering if any one could tell me what the stock light set up is?
ie low beam = both main lights on (softly) with 'city' light...

Or is there simply some switch somewhere that turns em on? (that i cant find in the manual)

Any help would be appreciated, because i bought the bike after its accident so ive never seen how its initial set up was.

EDIT: i just checked the fuses and they seem fine

can't help you, but make sure you post some pics. would love to see how it looks.

Check that you have an input voltage on the fuse holder. Put the fuse in and check the wire on the other side of the fuse for voltage.

A good way to check an insulated wire is the get a pin and push it through the wire, and take a reading off that. Then simply pull the pin out.

You can follow that procedure along the length of the wire until you find where the problem is.

Don't forget, headlights work by putting the positive wire on the common feed (common to low and high beam). The switch between high/low changes the earth. At least that's is how it appears to work on the last few that I've had to buggerise around with.

Felix wrote:Don't forget, headlights work by putting the positive wire on the common feed (common to low and high beam). The switch between high/low changes the earth. At least that's is how it appears to work on the last few that I've had to buggerise around with.

I think you got them back to front ? The 'common' lead to a headlight is *always* the earth lead (except for +ve earth vehicles, no motorbikes I know fall into this category..)

its the +12v feed that is 'switched' from low to high beam. On most Kwakka's I have fiddled with, earth leads are always black with a yellow 'tag' or stripe.

Lykaois - I think you need to check the power feed out of the ignition switch first, make sure that all power to the lights is OK. The '00 models were hardwired lights normally ??

the indicators and rear brake light work from seperate power than the headlights/running lights. Is the tailight not working either ?? If not, then your problem is due to somehthing wrong in the hard-wire circuit.

cheers
Dave

Hmmm...now I'm not so sure...I am pretty sure *one* of the last cars I stuffed around with did this...I need to go and check me diagrams, I does...

Felix wrote:Hmmm...now I'm not so sure...I am pretty sure *one* of the last cars I stuffed around with did this...I need to go and check me diagrams, I does...

FWIW my Magna is the way you describe, although every other car and bike I've had is the other way, i.e switched positive.

Come to think of it, it might have been my BMW...

On "tiggr" the Front "Park" light comes on with keyswitch, then the headlights come on when ignition is turned on. Sounds like 2 circuits are down, park fuse & headlight fuse circuits.
hth.
cheers Brett

[/quote]

the indicators and rear brake light work from seperate power than the headlights/running lights. Is the tailight not working either ?? If not, then your problem is due to somehthing wrong in the hard-wire circuit.

cheers
Dave[/quote]

well my rear brake light doesnt work either now...but i can get all indicators to work fine...ive tested for power on the wire just after the headlight fuse box and its fine, all the way to under the tank area...but cant seem to get a reading anywhere after it comes out from under there...

i guess im gonna have to do some hunting and pull the tank off...

and yes pics are on there way, ive got a decent progression of pics ready to go ...but ill wait till finished

i dont know if this changes anyhting, but when i switch between high and low there is no change with the high beam indicator on the instrument panel...could there be something wrong with the switch assembly?

the indicator selector works fine though...

Hey man I'm in Townsville. Have PM'd you my mob. Have fitted a set of Buell lights to a friends SV1000 and looks mean. Let me know.

snr

Lykaois wrote:i dont know if this changes anyhting, but when i switch between high and low there is no change with the high beam indicator on the instrument panel...could there be something wrong with the switch assembly?

the indicator selector works fine though...

I don't think the switch is the problem, the high-beam indicator is just an additional feed from the high-beam side of the switch, but as you are getting no low beam power either, then the problem is *probably* coming from somewhere before the switch itself........

rip the tank off, and check all the connections and plugs in the harness. As you are getting power on the lighting circuit from the fuse box, this suggests to me that the ignition switch is OK ? and there is continuity in the lighting circuit ( at least from the ignition switch to the fuse box...)

Good luck, keep eliminating one thing at a time, this is the only way to track down electrical gremlins.

cheers
Dave

Went around to see the ZX9 beast Lykaois is building in the garage. It's going to be munching cars up if they get in the way! Got a good base for a fighter .

We sorted the wiring out (without beer ) in no time and it's all good. Both high beam and low beam. Sweet.

Thanks guys!

snr

So what was the problem ?? I'm curious ........

Easy fix! Reading back through the posts there was some good trouble fixing solutions to go through. But like with any job, you have to be there to see and poke at wires.

Gosling1 wrote:So what was the problem ?? I'm curious ........

With what was left of my limited good brain cells left over from the copious amount of consumption of beer drinking at the MotoGP. We were able to assess that wiring was all good. Turning on the key gave no head light until you by-passed it to a positive.

Some bikes that are hard wired will activate the head light when the key is turned on. But the ZX9 (don't know if it's on all the ZX9's) head lights will only come on when the bike is running. Hence the 2 fuses for head lights; 1 is in the fuse case(15amp) the other (30amp) is near the solinoid for protection on start up.

Bottom line was the bike needed to be running for the lights to come on! The bike will look sh*t hot when he's finished.

The prize go's to Pontikat who was the closest to the problem for the solution!!!

snr