dual bulb headlight conversion on older H4 bulb RK with lightbar

[mayor]

My brother gifted me a couple of newer style dual bulb headlights, and I was thinking about installing these on my '04 RKC and '12 RKC.  Both of these bikes have the extra running light bars.  I have two lights that look like this:



I was reading a little bit on the switch between the H4 style bulb to the H11/H9 set up, and I saw that some people were having issues with their running lights staying on when switching to high beam when they home built their wiring harness.  I don't think it is legal in my state to have high beams on and the running lights on.  I was wondering if the HD part # 73272-11 wiring harness solves the issue with the running lights being shut off when the high beams are turn on?  If I understand right, the wiring harness does turn the low beams on with the high beams but does it shut off the running lights?  Anyone do the dual bulb conversion with a bike with running lights? Any issues I should know about? 


I was also thinking about switching the bulbs over to LED bulbs.  Anyone got any good recommendations?  I saw that Fuel Moto carries some LED bulbs.  Anyone try their bulbs? 

[smoserx1]

Every vehicle I have ever seen that comes factory equipped with spot/fog or whatever you call it accessory front lighting switches it off on high beam.  It is probably a Federal Motor Vehicle requirement, so I would think the harness Harley sells would comply and preserve this function.  If you hook this light up without the harness does it operate in "either/or" high/low mode (pretty much the way headlights did for years in the past)?  Anyway, that harness you show is fairly expensive, like $80+, and that kind of surprises me.  I have an aftermarket LED headlight and the "dual burn"  function is built into the headlight itself...no extra harness required.  I am surprised it is not the case here.  I also would not use LED bulbs in something like this.  Must of them have fan assemblies or ribbon heat sinks attached to the rear and that may be a fitment issue, but even if you can get them to fit the reflector of what you are showing here will not be designed for anything but a halogen bulb and light scattering and blinding of oncoming traffic is likely.  If this was a projector style light I would say go for it, but that is not what is pictured here.  Looks like each bulb has its own optics built into the bucket.  Stick with the halogens.

[rigidthumper]

Running lights are powered by the low beam wire- if you switch the power source from low beam wire to acc wire, the running lamps will operate via on/off switch only.

[Pete_Vit]

There are vendors that sell a bypass wiring harness for newer bikes, I think there's one for my 96 Soft-tail also, but there's a way to bypass yourself from the ignition switch. I think someone on this forum posted an image on 'how to' if you want to do this.

[rkrcpa]

I used the "Independent Control Auxiliary Lamp Wire Harness Kit" in order to run high beam and spots at the same time on my 07 E-Glide.

https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/shop/independent-control-auxiliary-lamp-wire-harness-kit/p/69200441

I recently added the dual bulb headlamp as well using the factory kit.

[smoserx1]

I used the "Independent Control Auxiliary Lamp Wire Harness Kit" in order to run high beam and spots at the same time on my 07 E-Glide.

I apologize in advance if I am wrong but I didn't think this was what the OP was asking about.  I thought he wanted to make sure the passing lamps would continue to turn off with high beam when using part 73272-11.   Since the passing lamps are powered by the low beam circuit it is very easy to see how a homemade harness that that simply tied the low and high beams together on high beam would also make the passing lamps stay on with the high beam setting.  I suspect the Harley harness makes the passing lamps operate in compliance (shuts them off on high beam), especially considering how much it costs.  Again if I am misreading the thread I apologize.

[Admiral Akbar]

If I understand right, the wiring harness does turn the low beams on with the high beams but does it shut off the running lights?

Nope.  Low beams go off when switching to high. Just checked my 17RK

[Rusticwater]

My brother gifted me a couple of newer style dual bulb headlights, and I was thinking about installing these on my '04 RKC and '12 RKC. 

Mayor, I'm assuming that headlight is the same that comes with Harley #67700032, the "Dual Bulb Halogen Headlamp Kit" which was a new item in the GMA 2011 catalog. Both high and low bulbs are designed to illuminate for high beam. Here's the description from page 650:

[attach=0,msg1356759]

The 73272-11 adapter comes as part of that kit. It's more than just a simple splitter to go from a H4 to both a H9 and H11, there's also an extra bundle of circuitry. Just a guess, but it probably contains a couple of diodes. (Remember this was designed prior to canbus touring bikes, the later bikes that have a BCM don't need extra crap in the wiring harness, it's programmed from the BCM.)

There's no mention/warning in any of the literature that you lose the auto-off of the passing lamps with the high beam.

Here's a possible adapter schematic that allows both bulbs to be on for high beam yet retains the "passing lamp off" on the 2012 RKC:

[attach=1,msg1356759]

But if you're looking for both high and low on, no passing lamp worries, and LED bulbs, you can easily achieve all that by just buying a LED headlamp to begin with. Yes, your housings were a gift, but now your caught up in special wiring harnesses, passing lamp stuff, finding LED bulbs that fit in that housing (that work with the harness). And they probably won't be DOT legal (so why worry about the passing lamps) or project correctly with those internal reflectors...

[mayor]

If I understand right, the wiring harness does turn the low beams on with the high beams but does it shut off the running lights?

Nope.  Low beams go off when switching to high. Just checked my 17RK

that's interesting.  I just checked my '16 street glide, and both hi and low lights are on during high beam. I'm assuming that your RK has running lights?

My brother gifted me a couple of newer style dual bulb headlights, and I was thinking about installing these on my '04 RKC and '12 RKC. 

Mayor, I'm assuming that headlight is the same that comes with Harley #67700032, the "Dual Bulb Halogen Headlamp Kit" which was a new item in the GMA 2011 catalog. Both high and low bulbs are designed to illuminate for high beam.

The 73272-11 adapter comes as part of that kit. It's more than just a simple splitter to go from a H4 to both a H9 and H11, there's also an extra bundle of circuitry. Just a guess, but it probably contains a couple of diodes.

This was kind of what I was thinking as well.  I looked that kit part number on google, and it appears to have been discontinued.  I found an old instruction sheet (J05177) that confirmed what you stated about the 73272-11 adapter being in that kit.  It looks like that adapter should work for my '12 RKC:

There's no mention/warning in any of the literature that you lose the auto-off of the passing lamps with the high beam.

Here's a possible adapter schematic that allows both bulbs to be on for high beam yet retains the "passing lamp off" on the 2012 RKC:

[attach=1,msg1356759]

But if you're looking for both high and low on, no passing lamp worries, and LED bulbs, you can easily achieve all that by just buying a LED headlamp to begin with. Yes, your housings were a gift, but now your caught up in special wiring harnesses, passing lamp stuff, finding LED bulbs that fit in that housing (that work with the harness). And they probably won't be DOT legal (so why worry about the passing lamps) or project correctly with those internal reflectors...

I understand what you are saying.  I know what I'm wanting to do is not the most practical compared to other options (like plug in LED lights), but I don't think I would like the look of any of the LED lights that I've seen mounted on my Classics.  The newer dual bulb light still has a somewhat neutral look about it. 

I also got an assortment of wiring harnesses from my brother when he gave me the lights.  I might try to make a plug in harness using the schematics you posted. 

[ScottFree]

I looked at this lamp, though I didn't end up buying one (just too expensive), and my recollection is that the diode was set up so that the low beam bulb would be powered (through the diode) by the high beam supply when the high beams were on. The diode was explicitly to prevent high beam juice from going into the low beam circuit. So, as long as your spots are on the low beam circuit, they will still go off when you go to high beams.

I know of no federal or state regulation prohibiting the use of the spotlights (which are just auxiliary low beams) with high beams on. I rewired them that way on one of my '90 baggers and never got any questions from law enforcement. Far as I know, the only restriction on high beams is that you're not supposed to have more than four separate lamps on the front of the vehicle. I can remember my old American cars ('60s-70s) with quad headlights, and in the high beam position all four of the bulbs were on.

[Pete_Vit]

eaglelights.com  has a classic looking LED setup, not so expensive for the the main headlight + aux
I have them on my 96 Springer and love the look and the great light

[Admiral Akbar]

that's interesting.  I just checked my '16 street glide, and both hi and low lights are on during high beam. I'm assuming that your RK has running lights?

Double checked. Low beam goes out on high.  RK has fog lamps and they go out.    Fogs, High and Low all go to the BCM on separate circuits.

[Rusticwater]

I looked at this lamp, though I didn't end up buying one (just too expensive), and my recollection is that the diode was set up so that the low beam bulb would be powered (through the diode) by the high beam supply when the high beams were on. The diode was explicitly to prevent high beam juice from going into the low beam circuit. So, as long as your spots are on the low beam circuit, they will still go off when you go to high beams.

[attach=0,msg1356799]

Diode 1:
a)   allows high beam power to light the low beam simultaneously when running on high beam.
b)   prevents low beam power from lighting the high beam when running on low beam.

Diode 2 prevents high beam power from back-flowing into the yellow low beam harness.

On Mayor's 2012 RKC the passing lamp switch gets its power from the yellow low beam circuit wire, and he wants the passing lamps to go off when he switches to high beam. That's why Diode 2 is there, to prevent high beam power from the white wire back-flowing into the yellow low beam circuit and keeping the passing lamps on.

Now if he wanted the passing lamps to stay on with high beam, diode 2 wouldn't be necessary, but diode 1 is still needed.

[attach=1,msg1356799]

[Admiral Akbar]

Running lights are powered by the low beam wire- if you switch the power source from low beam wire to acc wire, the running lamps will operate via on/off switch only.

Based on what Mike wants, this is the best solution. Keeping the low beam on with the high and fogs function as desired.

[mayor]

I might end up doing that Bruce, but I think I'm going to try the diode methods that Rusticwater sketched first.  I ordered a set of these from Amazon earlier today:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BVWNV5P/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I don't know much about the details of diodes, but I'm assuming these will work.      The amperage seems like enough and the rated voltage is good, but I don't know anything about the rest of the specs. 

[Rusticwater]

Running lights are powered by the low beam wire- if you switch the power source from low beam wire to acc wire, the running lamps will operate via on/off switch only.

Based on what Mike wants, this is the best solution. Keeping the low beam on with the high and fogs function as desired.

Max, as I understand it Mayor is looking for just 2 things when he installs the new dual beam headlight:

1) The low beam is on all the time when the ignition is on.
2) When the high beam is switched on, the passing lamps always turn off.

The passing lamps are not directly powered by the yellow low beam wire, the yellow low beam wire supplies power to the auxiliary switch, the switch sends power to the passing lamps via the gray/black wires. Here's the wiring diagram:

[attach=0,msg1356852]


The switch has to be on for the passing lamps to work. Changing the power lead that feeds the auxiliary switch from the low beam wire to the acc wire only gives you the ability to independently turn on/off the passing lamps regardless of what the headlight is doing...but you still have to flip the auxiliary switch.

But my understanding is that when Mayor installs the new dual beam headlight, he wants the passing lamps to go off automatically, as they currently do, when he turns the high beam on. He doesn't want to worry about flipping a second switch on/off.

[Admiral Akbar]

Running lights are powered by the low beam wire- if you switch the power source from low beam wire to acc wire, the running lamps will operate via on/off switch only.

Based on what Mike wants, this is the best solution. Keeping the low beam on with the high and fogs function as desired.

Max, as I understand it Mayor is looking for just 2 things when he installs the new dual beam headlight:

1) The low beam is on all the time when the ignition is on.
2) When the high beam is switched on, the passing lamps always turn off.

The passing lamps are not directly powered by the yellow low beam wire, the yellow low beam wire supplies power to the auxiliary switch, the switch sends power to the passing lamps via the gray/black wires. Here's the wiring diagram:

[attach=0,msg1356852]


The switch has to be on for the passing lamps to work. Changing the power lead that feeds the auxiliary switch from the low beam wire to the acc wire only gives you the ability to independently turn on/off the passing lamps regardless of what the headlight is doing...but you still have to flip the auxiliary switch.

But my understanding is that when Mayor installs the new dual beam headlight, he wants the passing lamps to go off automatically, as they currently do, when he turns the high beam on. He doesn't want to worry about flipping a second switch on/off.

You are missing what Robin wrote.  Connect the low beam to the accessory wire that way it will be on all the time.  The fogs will continue to function as normal.

The diodes Mike chose are fine.  They will dissipate a few watts of energy (lost light?) The advantage is that it can be built as a sub harness that plugs directly into the headlight connector.  Still he can connect the low beam into the fender tip like O/W as It's not used on RKs, IIRC

[Rusticwater]

Max, I interpreted Rigidthumper's verbiage as the low beam was already powered by the acc wire. For those following along if you were to convert the low beam power to the acc circuit, that can provide an elegant solution. I readily admit I don't know if there's enough reserve capacity in the acc circuit on Mayor's bike to drive the 55W low beam, but if you guys think there is I certainly defer to your experience and expertise.

The inexpensive Harley part # 69200442 first introduced in the GMA13 catalog can be used in a non-intended way to facilitate this so the bike's main harness isn't altered. Although its original purpose was to provide independent power to the passing lamps, it can instead be used to provide independent power to the low beam. Essentially all it does is plug into the fender tip light wire harness and provide a fused 10A output, all within the headlight nacelle:

[attach=0]

I saw this as low as $24 at New Castle HD (close to Mayor), so with that and a couple of cheap Amazon plugs you can easily fabricate a converter harness that fits inside the headlight nacelle without disturbing/changing the bike's main wiring harness, and Mayor gets all the functionality he wanted.

[attach=1]

[Admiral Akbar]

There you go.. All you need to do is use that harness and plug it into the low beam instead of the fog lamps.  As far as power requirements go. The fog lamps are what 35 watts?  2 would be 70 watts so low beam would draw less current. 

[Pete_Vit]

There you go.. All you need to do is use that harness and plug it into the low beam instead of the fog lamps.  As far as power requirements go. The fog lamps are what 35 watts?  2 would be 70 watts so low beam would draw less current.

that was my reason for going with a LED setup, I've tried different Halogen bulbs for the Aux lights, I'm in a rural area and needed good all around light, the Halogens (55w each) I had required me to put a 20A fuse in for the lights and I didn't think that was safe, the LED solution ... for me works great.
I was thinking about adding the bypass harness or rewire the lights to give me high beams and AUX together,with this setup there's no real need now 

[KumaRide]

Been running the Dual Bulb setup for many years on a 2011 RK. Did the H11 55w bulb to H9 65w conversion so the low beam bulb is same as high beam. Simple mod and worth doing imo.  Google "H11 to h9 conversion" and many examples will be found.

You will need the Rushmore headlamp mounting bracket. Some have modified the oem bracket.

Stock passing light bulbs are 27w. Upgrade mine to 37w.

Cant comment on making low and high beam not on together as I went for full illumination on the headlamp and operate the passing lamps with the oem switch.

Unlike several years ago, a complete LED setup with headlamp, passing lamps and mounting bracket costs as little as $70 and is worth serious consideration. Can even get smoked lenses of you so desire.