PIAA 1100X usage/installation questions with Autoswitch and Kisan Signalminder

[motoleo]

I'm going to be mounting a pair of PIAA 1100X lights on my R1100RT on the sides of the fairing panels (where the roundels are) and I have a few questions concerning usauge and installation.

 

1- Do most of you drive with the PIAA lights on all the time or just at night?

2- Do you use the stock PIAA switch to turn the lights on or off or is the Autoswitch driving light control which uses the turn signal cancel button the way to go?

3- I presently havea Kisan Signalminder installed. Are there any issuses using the Autoswitch with the Signalminder as one of the functions of the Signal minder (turning off the 4-way flashers) is done by using the turn signal cancel switch which is what controls the Autoswitch.

 

Any installation tips on how to hook-up the PIAA lights and the Autoswitch other than following the instructions that come with the products? Where is the easiest and best places to mount the Autoswitch?

[George Brown]

Lenny - I usually ride with them on. I wired them so they can come on with either high or low beam. I use the switch that came with them. It's easy to mount and easy to reach on the dash since I usually only use it twice (1-on & 1-off) on each ride.

[russell_bynum]

1- Do most of you drive with the PIAA lights on all the time or just at night?

 

Keep in mind that the 1100X lights throw a fairly wide beam and they are very bright. So unless you're one of "those guys" who feels that intentionally blinding and annoying other drivers is a good thing, you'll need to aim the lights very low if you intend to use them when other vehicles are in front of you (Day or Night).

 

That said, I aimed mine very low and kept them on most of the time day or night.

 

2- Do you use the stock PIAA switch to turn the lights on or off or is the Autoswitch driving light control which uses the turn signal cancel button the way to go?

 

I used the "Euroswitch", which is a factory BMW switch that comes on the European bikes and allows them to turn their headlights off. I rewired mine to control the aux lights instead. The result was a factory-look, and instant response (i.e. Not having to hold the button down for 3 seconds or whatever waiting for the autoswitch to wake up an switch the lights.)

 

I can't answer any questions regarding signalminder/autoswitch integration since I haven't done that.

[NoHeat]

3- I presently havea Kisan Signalminder installed. Are there any issuses using the Autoswitch with the Signalminder as one of the functions of the Signal minder (turning off the 4-way flashers) is done by using the turn signal cancel switch which is what controls the Autoswitch.

 

see this thread on exactly this topic.

 

I use the SignalMinder and the Autoswitch together, with the Autoswitch controlling my PIAA 1100x lights. This causes no problems -- see my post in the thread mentioned above for details.

 

 

Any installation tips on how to hook-up the PIAA lights and the Autoswitch other than following the instructions that come with the products?

 

Installing this setup will require splicing some wires, so be sure to have a soldering iron, heat shrink, etc on hand. One of the wires I had to splice was within the fusebox, and it had only a little slack, so there's little margin for error if you don't splice that one right the first time -- I mention this in case soldering and heat shrinking isn't your forte.

 

My stock PIAA switch is part of the harness, so it's still there even though I don't need it. It sits under my seat, atop my airfilter, along with a coil of the attached cable.

 

For daily use, you'll need an indicator to determine whether the PIAA lights are on. The PIAA switch has an LED for that purpose, but I can't see it because it's under my seat, so I use the LED provided by Autoswitch, inconspicuously attached to the brake or clutch cable using a clip provided with the Autoswitch. Other solutions were described in this thread

 

Where is the easiest and best places to mount the Autoswitch?

I tucked mine in an empty slot in the fusebox. This helped minimize wires running in and out of the fusebox. I did still have to drill a tiny hole in the side of the fusebox to get a wire through.

 

1- Do most of you drive with the PIAA lights on all the time or just at night?

You can find numerous threads on this. I turn them off at night if there's oncoming traffic because otherwise I get flashed. If I pointed them down enough to avoid that I don't think they would provide the benefit I want at day - making me visible to cagers.

[Francis]

Which autoswitch did you get...the one tap or two tap (on the cancel switch) to activate/de-activate the lights?

[Jameseo]

1- Do most of you drive with the PIAA lights on all the time or just at night?

 

"So unless you're one of 'those guys'"...

I tend to agree with Russell on this one.

 

The Autoswitch AS-5NCY (single press) works well. But I find that the delay prior to deactivation ends up blinding the oncoming traffic. Triggering off the high beam circuit enables you to turn off the PIAAs with your normal high beam switch. Personally, deactivating normal high beams while simultaneously deactivating the PIAAs with any other switch is too much hassle. It requires the use of two hands and distracts you from the road. I strongly recommend using the high beam circuit or, as Russell did, buy the Euroswitch.

 

Where is the easiest and best places to mount the Autoswitch?

It's completely sealed from the elements so anywhere there is room is acceptable. I have mine bundled in the loom underneath the glove compartment.

[motoleo]

1- Do most of you drive with the PIAA lights on all the time or just at night?

 

"So unless you're one of 'those guys'"...

I tend to agree with Russell on this one.

 

The Autoswitch AS-5NCY (single press) works well. But I find that the delay prior to deactivation ends up blinding the oncoming traffic. Triggering off the high beam circuit enables you to turn off the PIAAs with your normal high beam switch. Personally, deactivating normal high beams while simultaneously deactivating the PIAAs with any other switch is too much hassle. It requires the use of two hands and distracts you from the road. I strongly recommend using the high beam circuit or, as Russell did, buy the Euroswitch.

 

I also must agree about the delay. I have an Autoswitch on my F650GS and it sometimes still blinds oncoming drivers.

 

How did you wire it to work with the high beam switch?

I guess the way I wire will depend on how I use the lights (day and night vs night) and also how I aim them.

 

Thanks for all the posts so far.

[NoHeat]

Here's a photo of my setup under the seat, showing:

- Kisan SignalMinder SM-5

- AutoSwitch AS-5NB

- PIAA kit #74150 (1100x kit for 1150RT) excess cable and switch.

 

The SignalMinder is plugged into the turn-signal relay socket. The AutoSwitch is tucked into an empty cavity in the fusebox, where it is wired up.

 

The hole in the fusebox side allows me to run a wire from the AutoSwitch to the PIAA relay (that relay is the size of a pack of gum and it's tucked under the rubber strap that holds the battery down, which is not visible in this photo).

 

The photo also shows a Techlusion fueling box, which sits on the airfilter cover, like the PIAA cable & switch.

 

The photo also demonstrates how Night Black tupperware can trick a camera flash into overexposing some nearby dusty gray stuff.

 

 

edit: here's another photo, which might be clearer:

 

[motoleo]

Here's a photo of my setup under the seat, showing the Kisan SignalMinder, AutoSwitch AS-5NB, and PIAA 1100x excess cable and switch. The SignalMinder is plugged into the turn-signal relay socket. The AutoSwitch is tucked into an empty cavity in the fusebox, where it is wired up.

 

The photo also shows a Techlusion fueling box, which sits on the airfilter cover, like the PIAA cable & switch.

 

 

John,

Thanks for that photo. I'm leaning towards a set-up like yours. I also have the techclusion on the airbox but on the other side.

 

A few more questions-

 

What wires did you splice and connect the autoswitch in the fuse box?

 

How did you wire up the PIAA harness? Where did you mount and connect the PIAA relay and where did you get power...directly from the battery?

 

How did you run(which path or along what parts) the PIAA wires up front to the lights?

 

Would you happen to have a photo of Autoswitch led mounted near the lever/cable?

 

Thanks,

 

Lenny

[NoHeat]

What wires did you splice and connect the autoswitch in the fuse box?

I followed the recommendations I found somewhere, probably in the autoswitch instructions, to identify wires of a certain color. There's a little slack in the required wires in the fusebox, but not much, so I tugged them up to expose them. At this point, you really need some experience with cutting/stripping/soldering/heat-shrinking. I used small diagonal cutters to cut at least one wire in the fusebox, don't remember if it was two. I might have spliced in a few inches of insulated 20-gauge wire if I needed extra length (don't remember for sure), I soldered some wires together and heat shrinked the connection so that it's insulated.

 

How did you wire up the PIAA harness?

I followed the PIAA instructions, mostly, except that I connected the control wire input for the PIAA relay to the output wire from the Autoswitch - probably I soldered and heat-shrinked that connection, but I don't remember for sure.

 

Where did you mount and connect the PIAA relay and where did you get power...directly from the battery?

The PIAA relay is the size of a pack of gum, it can be tucked anywhere, I put it under the rubber strap that holds down the battery. The PIAA lights require beaucoup current, so there are two wires connected directly to the battery for that.

 

 

How did you run(which path or along what parts) the PIAA wires up front to the lights?

I ran them along the left side of the bike along the top of the frame. At first I did this loosely outside the gas tank, which can be done with just the left side of the tupperware removed. That scheme doesn't allow tie-wrapping the PIAA harness to the frame, so ultimately I removed the gas tank (and installed my Techlusion at that time) allowing me access to the frame under the gas tank so that I could tie-wrap wires to it, being careful not to make the wires obstruct the gas-tank's resting place.

 

Would you happen to have a photo of Autoswitch led mounted near the lever/cable?

 

Here ya go:

 

 

[motoleo]

John,

Great explanation and the photos are much appreciated. Thanks again.

 

After checking the PIAA instructions I am surprised at the fact that there is no fuse used on the PIAA harness. I would think that you should have one somewhere after the positive battery connection on the harness to prevent a meltdown.

 

I'm trying to avoid removing the gas tank to install the PIAA harness as I dont have to go run the wires for the lights all the way to the front as I will be mounting the lights on the sides of the tupperware where the roundels are. I'm hoping get lucky with the light wires on each side but I'm not so sure about running the autoswitch LED wire up to where you have located. I'll only know once I go ahead and do the installation.

 

I need to order the autoswitch before I start taking th bike apart.

[NoHeat]

After checking the PIAA instructions I am surprised at the fact that there is no fuse used on the PIAA harness. I would think that you should have one somewhere after the positive battery connection on the harness to prevent a meltdown.

 

Mine has a fuse on the positive battery terminal. See the wiring diagram from the PIAA instructions in my post halfway down this thread. That's for the PIAA 74150 kit for the 1150RT.

[motoleo]

After checking the PIAA instructions I am surprised at the fact that there is no fuse used on the PIAA harness. I would think that you should have one somewhere after the positive battery connection on the harness to prevent a meltdown.

 

Mine has a fuse on the positive battery terminal. See the wiring diagram from the PIAA instructions in my post halfway down this thread. That's for the PIAA 74150 kit for the 1150RT.

 

My kit # is 1192. My installation sheet wiring diagram shows no fuse. I just checked the wiring harness itself and it does has a built in 20 amp fuse/holder on the positive wire near where the positive wire connects to the battery.

[motoleo]

Here's a photo of my setup under the seat, showing:

- Kisan SignalMinder SM-5

- AutoSwitch AS-5NB

- PIAA kit #74150 (1100x kit for 1150RT) excess cable and switch.

 

John,

If I'm not going to be using the PIAA switch is there any reason why I shouldn't be able to eliminate the PIAA switch wiring under the seat by releasing the PIAA switch harness from the main PIAA wiring harness and making a jumper wire to connect the 2 wires with a jumper wire (that way if I ever want to use the switch I'll still have the stock PIAA switch wires and connection)?

[NoHeat]

If I'm not going to be using the PIAA switch is there any reason why I shouldn't be able to eliminate the PIAA switch wiring under the seat by releasing the PIAA switch harness from the main PIAA wiring harness and making a jumper wire to connect the 2 wires with a jumper wire (that way if I ever want to use the switch I'll still have the stock PIAA switch wires and connection)?

 

Should be okay. I'm not sure if the PIAA switch has two wires or three, but in any case you should be able to make a permanent connection that replaces the switch.

 

Doing nothing, as I did, had the advantages of making less effort and allowing moving the lights to a different bike, or re-selling them. It had the disadvantage of leaving a big coil of cable sitting on my air filter cover, which is a little untidy but doesn't cause any problems.

 

The PIAA switch that came with my harness is a nice one because it is fully waterproof, has LED on/off indicators, and has an adhesive back that would allow you to stick it on a dashboard. So I could imagine finding another use for it, if you cut it off as you suggest.

[Jameseo]

How did you wire it to work with the high beam switch?

 

I used a standard automotive relay (i.e.-Radio Shack 275-226) which was triggered off of one of the high beam leads. This relay is a cheap and safe solution but requires some skill.

 

I guess the way I wire will depend on how I use the lights (day and night vs night) and also how I aim them.

If you do any amount of night driving I would highly recommend aiming them at their optimum visibility. They make a world of difference over the factory high beam. We have a lot of deer in my area and I wouldn't enjoy driving without my PIAAs (aimed properly.) Good luck with the setup.

[motoleo]

Here's a photo of my setup under the seat, showing:

- Kisan SignalMinder SM-5

- AutoSwitch AS-5NB

- PIAA kit #74150 (1100x kit for 1150RT) excess cable and switch.

 

John,

If I'm not going to be using the PIAA switch is there any reason why I shouldn't be able to eliminate the PIAA switch wiring under the seat by releasing the PIAA switch harness from the main PIAA wiring harness and making a jumper wire to connect the 2 wires with a jumper wire (that way if I ever want to use the switch I'll still have the stock PIAA switch wires and connection)?

 

John,

If I decide to use the leave the PIAA switch connected to the harness and position as you did under the seat do you leave the PIAA switch in ith "ON" position so that the autoswitch will work? or can the PIAA switch be left in the "OFF" position?