Light Switch & Push/Pull Throttle Cable Questions

[Neveragain55]

Hi Gang,

I promise I searched on this one but I came up with nothing.

I received the brand new, stock, left & right handlebar switches for my project bike and I noticed that there is no on/off switch for the headlight.

These stock switches are for a 1989 GSXR1100. (I got lucky and found brand new ones)

The left side switch has controls to switch the lights from low to high beam, a horn, and turn signals.

Here:

The right side switch has controls to select power, and a start button, and that’s it, but no button to turn the headlight on & off.

Here:

 

Was the headlight on the 89 GSXR1100 the “constant running” type?

I’ve never owned one so I wouldn't know.

I absolutely don’t want the headlight to constantly be on all the time.....

My 79 GS750E has the switch that allows you to turn the headlight on & off and I’m just used to that.

So, my question is, did the supplier/vendor send me the wrong switch, should there have been a button to turn the headlight on & off, or again, did these bikes come with "constant running" headlights?

The next question would be, can anyone give me some suggestions for wiring in an on/off headlight switch - if the switch I have is correct?

Lastly, I’m putting 39mm Keihin FCR Flatslide (push/pull) style carburetors on this thing, and I only have one cable hole on the right hand switch.

These are the carbs going on the bike:

The carbs will come with a set of push/pull cables and I believe a throttle control designed for the push/pull cables, but I’m wondering if there’s anyway I can make that "second hole" that's necessary for the cables in the bottom of the switch that I currently have. That way, the throttle doesn’t have to sit so far to the right of the switch.

As you can see in this picture, there's only one throttle cable hole in the right-hand switch:

As you can see in this picture, the housing where the cables will route will take up space and push the throttle further to the right. If I can route the cables into the switch above, it will look & feel better.

 

                                                                                                                                As usual all suggestions are welcome……

 

 

[HWB]

 

My post from 3 weeks ago, same question 

[Fazz711]

Looks like the switch with no on off may be for north America Market. 

I have a SRAD which is the same. 

That is a grey import from Canada I believe. 

My previous SRAD was UK one and had on off on the lights. 

[Neveragain55]

1 hour ago, HWB said:

 

My post from 3 weeks ago, same question 

Thanks, I got a lot of good ideas out of that thread....

 

 

[Neveragain55]

21 minutes ago, Fazz711 said:

Looks like the switch with no on off may be for north America Market. 

I have a SRAD which is the same. 

That is a grey import from Canada I believe. 

My previous SRAD was UK one and had on off on the lights. 

Yes this part came from a company called CMS and I believe they're based out of the Netherlands.

You can't get a right hand switch here in the states for an 89.

[Neveragain55]

I just went on Eblag and bought a used one of these, but it looks brand new:

 

The female plug looks pretty much identical to the Suzuki unit so it should plug right in.

I promise I'll come back with a follow up down the road once the part comes in.

The part is coming in from Japan so it's going to be a bit.

Thanks for all the advice guys.......

 

[Dezza]

2 hours ago, Neveragain55 said:

I just went on Eblag and bought a used one of these, but it looks brand new:

 

The female plug looks pretty much identical to the Suzuki unit so it should plug right in.

I promise I'll come back with a follow up down the road once the part comes in.

The part is coming in from Japan so it's going to be a bit.

Thanks for all the advice guys.......

 

What country is the bike originally from? Right bar switches have always varied according to the market the bike was sent to for bikes 70s,80s,90s. E.g. UK bikes have a 3 stage switch: off, parking light, main light. The rear lights work on the parking light circuit and the switch has 2 separate circuits: parking light and main lights. For USA models, they never had a parking light. The switch was on/off, so the rear light works off the main light circuit. The switches I have seen with no on/off function (lights on all the time) are more recent. I assume this is due to market standardisation across e.g. all EU countries, which makes mucho sense for manufacturers. Anyway, that switch looks a bit like one from an SV 650 but with a parking light function: is it from an RF900? I think they use that sort of switch but with a parking light function but I may be wrong. The colour coding will be very similar to the GSXR but you will have to remove the wires from the block and rearrange them in the correct manner first at least. Don't be surprised if you have to faff about with different feeds: I recently fitted a switch from a DR650 to a GSXR loom and the switch uses a single feed to both circuits rather than 2 for the gsxr, even though the switch had a parking light function.

[Neveragain55]

6 hours ago, Dezza said:

What country is the bike originally from? Right bar switches have always varied according to the market the bike was sent to for bikes 70s,80s,90s. E.g. UK bikes have a 3 stage switch: off, parking light, main light. The rear lights work on the parking light circuit and the switch has 2 separate circuits: parking light and main lights. For USA models, they never had a parking light. The switch was on/off, so the rear light works off the main light circuit. The switches I have seen with no on/off function (lights on all the time) are more recent. I assume this is due to market standardisation across e.g. all EU countries, which makes mucho sense for manufacturers. Anyway, that switch looks a bit like one from an SV 650 but with a parking light function: is it from an RF900? I think they use that sort of switch but with a parking light function but I may be wrong. The colour coding will be very similar to the GSXR but you will have to remove the wires from the block and rearrange them in the correct manner first at least. Don't be surprised if you have to faff about with different feeds: I recently fitted a switch from a DR650 to a GSXR loom and the switch uses a single feed to both circuits rather than 2 for the gsxr, even though the switch had a parking light function.

Hi Dezza,

So, .I'm building a bit of a Frankenstein bike (like most of us in here) and it has many parts. (all mostly Suzuki)

I have an 89 GSXR1100 Slingshot engine that's been punched out with an 1186 Wiseco piston kit, and there are a ton of other mods done that would take too long to explain here. (a project build thread will be created once I'm done)

Needless to say the wiring harness is for that same 89 motor so I wanted to stick with 89 GSXR1100 handlebar controls and like everything else with this build - I'm getting quite the education......

The left side switch came from a Suzuki OEM source here in the states, and it's fine, no issues. But like I wrote in my original post, the right side switch that I got does not incorporate the headlight on/off button, and it has one hole for a single throttle cable.

The right side switch came from these guys:   https://www.cmsnl.com/ and they're located in the Netherlands, so I have no idea where they get their parts from.

They were the only place I was able to find a "new" switch from, so I'm giving up on trying to find another new switch that will have everything I need. 

Plus, I needed a right-hand switch that accommodates push/pull cables for the Keihin FCR Flatslides going on the bike and the switch I got from CMS only has one hole for a single cable.

Solution: I found a 2000 Yamaha YZF-R1 right hand switch that gives me everything I need. The part was advertised on the UK version of Eblag, and it's located in Japan. I have no idea of the switches origin, but it's a good bet that it started its life in Japan and has always remained there.

The Yamaha switch is thin enough to accommodate the push/pull throttle set up that I need, and it has an on/off button for the headlight.

I probably went overboard with my explanation but it's in my nature to over explain. (sorry, I like to be clear)

Hope all of that answers your questions, and addresses your comments.

 

                                                                              Thanks for the reply...  

 

 

Edited April 20, 2021 by Neveragain55
spelling correction

[Dezza]

Does the bike have a e.g. USA spec loom? If so this will differ slightly to a loom meant for a bike for a market that requires a 3 way light switch. It would have been easier to fit a USA spec 2 way light switch (on/off) but the 3 way switch will work if you wire it  P for on, so the lights will stay on when switched through to ON. If you wire to ON, the lights will not come on when switched to P. In the UK, some pedantic MOT testers may have an aneurism over this and fail the bike but that's not going to be a problem in the US.

[Neveragain55]

3 hours ago, Dezza said:

Does the bike have a e.g. USA spec loom? If so this will differ slightly to a loom meant for a bike for a market that requires a 3 way light switch. It would have been easier to fit a USA spec 2 way light switch (on/off) but the 3 way switch will work if you wire it  P for on, so the lights will stay on when switched through to ON. If you wire to ON, the lights will not come on when switched to P. In the UK, some pedantic MOT testers may have an aneurism over this and fail the bike but that's not going to be a problem in the US.

Yes, I believe the wiring loom is US spec as I bought it from a motorcycle wrecking yard in California where all parts sold come from wrecked & used motorcycles here in the states.

I think what your telling me is that the Yamaha switch I just bought from Japan and the switch that came from the Netherlands may be wired differently and that I may have to do some wiring to make either one of them work with my US spec wiring loom.

The switch that came from the Netherlands doesn't have the headlight on/off button, so.........it's a moot point, that's why I bought the Yamaha unit.

I just went back on Eblag and looked at a bunch of used 1987 to 1993 GSXR1100 R/H switches and (to your point) all of the US spec switches have different connectors from the UK switches.

Also, all of the US spec switches have a different connector from the two that I bought.

Ok.......I got it, when the Yamaha switch from Japan comes in, I may have to do some wiring to make it work but I will make it work, because again, it has everything that I need.

I'll come back with a follow up once it's all done in case somebody else in the future runs across this same issue.  

 

                                                                                                Thanks for the guidance Dezza.....

[Spazpecker]

Its the same on my KTM, euro shite means lights on all the time. I ride with my lights on all the time but that's my choice! You can remove the plain cover and put the switch in. May need to re pin the block 

[Neveragain55]

5 hours ago, Spazpecker said:

Its the same on my KTM, euro shite means lights on all the time. I ride with my lights on all the time but that's my choice! You can remove the plain cover and put the switch in. May need to re pin the block 

Yes, I thought about that, but I'm horrible at soldering & assembly of such small electrical components, and I still would have to find another unit with a donor light switch

It's a great suggestion, but I still would have had the issue of having a "wide" switch only made worse by butting up a push/pull throttle next to it.

The reach for my thumb to turn things on & off would be ridiculously long.

Going with the "slimmer" Yamaha unit with the headlight switch already incorporated into it solved three problems in one.

I'm going to keep the switch I have though, I may have a use for it in the future some day.

                                                                                           Thanks for the tip......