Undressing the R1200RTW for Darla Installation

[fastlarry]

Got a set of Clearwater Darla auxiliary lights to mount on my '16 RT. Looks like I need to undress at least part of the front panels to get the wiring done. Does anyone know of a video (or written instructions) showing how this is done. I don't want to start tugging on the panels, not knowing how they are attached. Does the battery come out to install the power leads?

Larry

[LIRider]

This video should be helpful It's for the Ilium Works engine guard install but does show the removal of the tupperware.

 

[fastlarry]

Thanks, that is indeed helpful. I think I can do everything from the right side. Going to mount lights on factory foglight brackets. Waiting on the brackets to get here and was scoping out this job. Thanks, again.

 

Larry

[LIRider]

No problem Larry. I did the Darla install on my 2016 on the Ilium engine guards and everything went down the right side. Good luck & ride safe!

[fastlarry]

I've been out in the garage staring at the bowels of the front end. Do you mind telling me where you attached the relay? Did the power wires from the battery follow the data cable? Did you have a lot of extra wire and cable to coil and store somewhere in the front end?

[Slyder_Steve]

Hi Larry,

I had the same issue when I installed them on my '14. I placed the relay under the fork mount and stowed the excess wire under the right speaker cover.

 

Hope this helps,

Steve

 

Love the lights by the way...

[fastlarry]

What do you mean by "fork mount"? I see some frame tubing, a square or rectangular section beam, which reaches forward for the lights, and body work up front. All these are kind of inaccessible for making the wiring connections. Getting one's hands in there is not easy, probably not impossible. The instructions from Clearwater show a GS and are not particularly illustrative for RT wiring.

 

Everybody seems to like these lights. That helps getting over the cost of them.

 

Hi Larry,

I had the same issue when I installed them on my '14. I placed the relay under the fork mount and stowed the excess wire under the right speaker cover.

 

Hope this helps,

Steve

 

Love the lights by the way...

[fastlarry]

I thought I would slide back and take the battery out to connect the power wiring for the lights. What's the deal here? The battery is immovable! It is wrapped in some padding, insulation, and it is tight in there! I hate to strong-arm these things and break stuff, expensive stuff. The riders manual provides no help at all.

[strataj]

I thought I would slide back and take the battery out to connect the power wiring for the lights. What's the deal here? The battery is immovable! It is wrapped in some padding, insulation, and it is tight in there! I hate to strong-arm these things and break stuff, expensive stuff. The riders manual provides no help at all.

 

Battery removing is a PIA, you'll need to pry it out. It's not easy to put back either.

 

Jay

[fastlarry]

There is a terminal to the right of the battery that is used as the positive terminal when jump starting the bike. I think I will feed my lights off this. The lights' fuse will be fully accessible from here. If I run to the positive on the battery the fuse is buried somewhat. Please tell me if I am doing something wrong here.

[Mike]

There is a terminal to the right of the battery that is used as the positive terminal when jump starting the bike. I think I will feed my lights off this. The lights' fuse will be fully accessible from here. If I run to the positive on the battery the fuse is buried somewhat. Please tell me if I am doing something wrong here.

 

That'll work fine. It's the connection I used to power my PDM60.

 

 

[Slyder_Steve]

It was zip tied right up under the tubing. Pretty tight getting to it, but doable. I'm away from home at the moment or i'd post a photo...

[LIRider]

Using the positive post is the way to go as far as grabbing power from the battery. I ended up tucking all of the wires up behind the plastic panels to the right of the seat. I'm not sure I will keep it that way (everyone talks about mounting the relay somewhere up in the front but this just seemed easier to me) ... perhaps when I get some more thing to install I'll think about moving this around but for now, it works. The lights really are very nice ... couldn't be happier about their integration with the bike and I even used the brake light function on the CANOpener to run the lights in my Shad top case.

[fastlarry]

I got the power connections to the battery done. Stored the cable and relay behind the RS fairing panel until I get the fog light brackets I ordered. I fall asleep thinking how and where I am going to secure this bundle of connections in a sanitary way. Maybe there is no sanitary way. Thanks for your help.

[RTnger]

I don't understand these installations for the Darla lights

 

Aren't the Darla lights installed with a can-buster and they just plug in?

[92Merc]

Not exactly. The CanOpener is just the controller for the lights. There is a second thicker wire and fuse you need to run down by the battery to power them. The Canopener serves as the relay IIRC.

[PadG]

Not exactly. The CanOpener is just the controller for the lights. There is a second thicker wire and fuse you need to run down by the battery to power them. The Canopener serves as the relay IIRC.

Correction - the Canopener is the control electronics that meshes with the bike's computer. It does NOT serves as a relay! There is a separate relay that is provided with the Clearwater kit.

[moshe_levy]

Not exactly. The CanOpener is just the controller for the lights. There is a second thicker wire and fuse you need to run down by the battery to power them. The Canopener serves as the relay IIRC.

Correction - the Canopener is the control electronics that meshes with the bike's computer. It does NOT serves as a relay! There is a separate relay that is provided with the Clearwater kit.

 

Correct. CANopener allows the use of OEM switchgear to control the lights via CANbus.

 

-MKL

[fastlarry]

I got the factory light brackets and am back to finish installing the Darlas. I guess I will have to take the front wheel off to reach up to the top of the shock where they recommend you secure the relay. I can barely touch it with two hands and cannot see what I am doing at all. Hope removing the front wheel will get me closer. This is a PITA.

 

Larry

[fastlarry]

The PITA hasn't gone. The tool kit has nothing for removing the front or the back wheel. The axle has a male hex with which to hold it, if you had a tool for it. Man, I hate putting channel locks on the axle to pull it out. I can't grasp it and pull it out with my hand. What to do. I looked up the price on a factory tool kit-$220. Wow. Think I will have to take the fender off, too, to get close to the work at hand.

[strataj]

The PITA hasn't gone. The tool kit has nothing for removing the front or the back wheel. The axle has a male hex with which to hold it, if you had a tool for it. Man, I hate putting channel locks on the axle to pull it out. I can't grasp it and pull it out with my hand. What to do. I looked up the price on a factory tool kit-$220. Wow. Think I will have to take the fender off, too, to get close to the work at hand.

 

You can use a spark plug socket the back side fits perfectly, if you have large allen wrench's it's either a 17 or 19mm (I'm traveling and forget the size of the spark plug) with the nut off and the pinch bolt loosen the axel can be easily removed by hand with allen or socket.

 

Jay

[fastlarry]

I got it out OK. Tapped it out with a 3/4" hardwood dowel. I'll try the spark plug socket when I reinstall the wheel. Thanks.

 

Better access with the wheel off, but it is tight up there for two hands to work. I'll try again tomorrow.

[LudemJo]

I am starting to question whether I want to tackle this job in the future based on this thread. I really like the Clearwater lights, but this sounds like it is far from plug and play. My condolences.

 

John

[bdfbeemer]

Why are you pulling the front tire? I zip tied the relay where it was suggested. I didn't take off anything. The job was done mostly from the top down. I did use some long hemostats to help with the zips ties. It was trying but doable. Minmimal mechanical skills and some common sense and it isn't a hard job.

[92Merc]

I installed my relay behind the right hand panel. Pull the two screws and carefully remove panel. I do have the Illium bars, so I crossed the left wire over to the right side on the Illium bars and up into that right panel area.

 

I tucked my Canopener under the tail of the bike, behind the rear seat.

 

Wish I was close to you. I'd assist in a heart beat...

[fastlarry]

I am giving up on installing the wiring per Clearwater's instructions. They say to attach the relay to a tube crossmember way up by the top of the shock. I can reach it with one hand, but I can't position it and secure it with tie wraps (2) with one hand and without being able to see what I am doing. Maybe on a GS it is more accessible. I am going to try and route all the wires and cables to the right side behind the right fairing cover. There I will coil them up and tie them to something if possible. There is a little room in front of the right radiator.

[fastlarry]

I've got good mechanical skills and plenty of common sense and it was hard doing it per Clearwater's instructions. Once I abandoned that tack it wasn't so hard. I put the relay and all the splices behind the right hand panel, like 92 Merc did.

[bdfbeemer]

I've got good mechanical skills and plenty of common sense and it was hard doing it per Clearwater's instructions. Once I abandoned that tack it wasn't so hard. I put the relay and all the splices behind the right hand panel, like 92 Merc did.

Didn't mean to be an ass. So many people make working on this bike so much more difficult that it should be. Granted all the plastic is a pain in the ass. Did you have enough length of wire to make the connection on the left side? I have Darlas and Ericas. I would have had to add wire if the relay wasn't centrally located.

[fastlarry]

Made the connections on the right side. Plenty of cable provided had to cut some off and coil the rest up to store.

[bdfbeemer]

I installed my lights fall of '14. Sure wasn't any extra from the relay to the lights. The connections to the Ericas is a plug.

[Sam Rowland]

Here's a video of a buddy of mine installing Darla's on his 2016 RT...