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.