Spots - Turn them on and keep them on!

Ever wonder why your spots turn off when you switch to your high beams on your Harley-Davidson? If you're like me, more light equals more visibility! I want to see as far down the road as I possibly can at night. Read on, this article with the help of my good friend, Steve Roth from Topeka Harley-Davidson, will show you how you can easily change how your Spots work with your high-beams. What you will get is flooding of light at night, high-beams plus spots working in tandem with each other, complementing one another, providing the added light every motorcyclist wants and needs for safety! All photos can be "clicked-on" for a larger image.

Tools you will need; a motorcycle having spots, electrical tape, 18-14 AWG Tap Splice Connector (ACE Hardware, $3.79 box of 6), Phillips screw driver, pliers and about 10 minutes of time.

Like my Tour-Pak Mounted helmet locks (earlier article in this blog), this project is so easy a caveman can do it, or in my case a monkey! Again, if you have easy, do-it-yourself projects to make riding more enjoyable and safety, please pass them on!

With Phillips screw driver remove screw located at the bottom of outside headlight trim ring. This will expose the Headlight and 3 screws that keep the mounting ring and Headlight attached to the motorcycle.


Remove 3 Phillips screws that hold the mounting ring and Headlight to the motorcycle. NOTE - be careful not to unscrew the larger Phillips screws that adjust the light.
Carefully remove the Headlight from the motorcycle and unplug the wiring harness from the back of the light.


Carefully expose the wiring harness by pulling it out so that you can work on it. Look closely at the wires, you will see a white, black and yellow wire that attached to the Headlight. You will use the yellow wire in a minute. Located higher up the wiring harness you will see a orange/white stripe wire. This orange/white strip wire you will also use.



Using a Tap Splice Connector (blue 18-14 AWG) place the yellow wire from the Headlight and the orange/white stripe wire into the channels on the Tap Splice Connector. NOTE - Do not cut these wires! As you close the connector the metal in the connector will splice the insulation coding and make a connection with both wires. You will need a pliers to crimp the connector thus completing the connection of both wires. Close the connector and wrap with electrical tap, helping form a weather resistance seal.

Your wiring is all done! Hook your Headlight up, using the 3 mounting screws, mount the Headlight back into place.

Install the chrome trim ring and attach the Phillips screw on the bottom of the trim ring. NOTE - you may want to test your lights before mounting the Trim Ring (just to make sure this Caveman followed all the instructions above!).

Now, when you use your High Beam, if you previously had your Spots on, then they will now STAY on even with your brights! I found this made a huge difference in seeing at night! Your field of view is not only further down the path of travel, but also WIDER! This added width, provides seeing past the right fog line and into the ditches where deer hide in wait for the passing motorcyclist.

Remember keep practicing your skills and be a safer, more skilled, smarter rider! Any of these photos can be "clicked-on" to enlarge. If you have any comments/questions make sure you respond by leaving comments on this blog.

"If I Had To Explain......

.........You wouldn't understand." Where have you heard this saying before? I have had the pleasure of riding many different motorcycles since getting back on one in 2002. Many of them have been Harley-Davidson's and others consisted of Honda's, Yamaha's and BMW's.

My latest "test" bike a 2008 Honda Goldwing GL1800 with all the goodies except for rider airbag and CB radio ran like a Swiss watch. Many call the GL1800 a "recliner on wheels", after riding one for the past several months and thousands of miles, I refer it to a rocket on wheels that can take the twisties like a sport bike.

What I loved about the Wing; adjustable windscreen, heated grips, seat and floorboard vents (for those early mornings and late nights) with it's Comfort Package, ABS Brakes, on-board GPS, rider adjustable clutch and front brake levers, frame-mounted fairing and 111 ci/120 hp 6 cylinder motor, and low center of gravity making it a very easy "big" bike that is well balanced.

What fell shorter than I would have thought; lack of air movement on the rider side of the massive fairing (it was every bit as warm as any air-cooled motorcycle I have ridden), sport-bike foot positioning (I always felt cramped and I am only 5'11"), center stand (that I never used because I simply could not get it up), lack of CB radio (though you could order one, installed around $1200), poor gas mileage (the best was 41+ which I was happy with, but typically it was 38 mpg), this may have been due to my "wow this is fun on the on-ramps to I-94 style of riding (remember, a rocket ship on 2-wheels?).

Well, out with the old and in with the new. The term "Limited" has many meanings. "Limited" within a business might refer to having a smaller number available to the consumer or being around for a shorter period of time or may include additional sought after accessories. Those that know me well, know it was only a matter of time before I returned home, home to the motor company that has been making dreams come true since 1903, Harley-Davidson. Have you ever seen Elvis Presley, Peter Fonda or Mickey Rourke ride anything other than a Harley!?

Working with Capital City Harley-Davidson in Madison, WI. while teaching Rider's Edge one weekend, I decided it was time to get on a HOG! What I originally selected for our "next" bike was a Merlot Sunglo/Vivid Black Ultra classic with the 96 cu in 6-spd motor. My only request, it had to have ABS Brakes. The dealership placed this on a wish-list with the Motor Company and after a few weeks decided they would take all the colored parts off a non-ABS model and place them on one with ABS. Well I had second thoughts about this, asked about the Ultra Classic Limited models and price. I was informed they recently (that same day) sold the cherry Red Sunglo/Merlot Sunglo, however had the Psychedelic Purple/Vivid Black available (otherwise known as the "Barney" Bike as in the kid's popular TV show from the early 90's) and a Cool Blue Pearl/Vivid Black. Other color selections for 2011 included Vivid Black, Dark Candy Root Beer/Light Candy Root Beer and Apple Green/Vivid Black. I looked at the Cool Blue Pearl model and knew as soon as I saw it, it was going to be in our garage soon!

The Limited comes with Chrome 28-spoke cast aluminum wheels, the 103 cu in motor, heated grips, luggage rack, chrome rings around the gauges, special gauge package (different from Ultra Classic models), limited edition paint colors and name plates indicating it is a Limited.

After working the deal with Glenn, within a week I was back on a Harley! It was kinda funny the first time I lifted my feet off the ground, I didn't find the floor-boards immediately because they are set further forward from the Wings. The first right-turn I took from a stop sign had me looking to find the directional switches all over again (on the Harley you have one for each thumb!). It took me a week of riding before I found 6th gear (not that I didn't know I had one, the break-in was 500 miles).

Cathy doesn't think this will be my last bike, but I so badly want to prove her wrong! This is our 6th touring motorcycle since 2002! We have owned a 2000 HD Electric Glide Standard (Vivid Black), 2000 Ultra Classic (Suede Green/Vivid Black), 2008 Ultra Classic (Vivid Black), 2008 Road Glide (Vivid Black), 2008 GL1800 (Titanium) and now the 2011 Limited. Many of our friends have already welcomed us back! I (we) are happy to be back, back on a Harley! Pictures coming soon!

By-the-way, Limited also indicates, only available for a short period of time? Harley-Davidson released the FLHTK in 2010. Now in it's 2nd year of production, both with the 103 cu in, I think (for what it's worth) this will be the last year. Since HD now offers the 103 on the Road Glide Ultra and the Road King Classic, next year we probably will see the entire touring line of Harley's sporting the 103! Does this mean the police motors will then have the Screamin' Eagle 110's!