Suzuki should really have provided a switch for the main headlamp and just let only the DRL remain on all the time.
BHPian kirans recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
I have been irritated with the fact that there is no headlight switch on the VStrom other than for the high beam. The low beam stays on all the time, and drains battery, and also is an irritant to others because the beam is quite bright even in daylight.
I was living with this for some time, but last week a gentleman in a car ahead of me was so troubled with my bright headlight that he stopped his car and asked me to turn off the headlight to which I responded that unfortunately I am stuck with a headlight that’s always on. He shook his head, and probably said some expletive in his frustration as he rolled down the window. This incident was the last straw, so I went ahead and added a switch to the headlight last weekend.
The procedure is quite straightforward and does not take more than an hour or so at most provided you have all the tools at hand of course.
Parts needed –
- Headlight Switch or Fog lamp switch that can be mounted on the handle.
- Extra wiring
- Male/Female connector clamps (Optional)
- Wire wrapping tape 3M
- Electrical Tape
- Allen key No.4 and No.5 (Included in toolkit of the bike)
- Wire clippers/Scissors/etc
- Multimeter
Remove the 4 hexagonal bolts that hold the windshield using an allen key. Remove carefully the windshield and the number plate. Place the windshield on a towel or somewhere in the house where it cannot get scratched.
Remove the plastic housing by pulling out the panel. It is mounted on 3 clips. You will see a small harness with two couplers on left and right side. The one you need is on the left hand side. You will need to pry it out with a screwdriver or equivalent tool. This is a fiddly process but eventually it will come loose. Disconnect the coupler and look for the 4 wires connected.
The female part of the coupler connects to the load (lamps) and the male part is the 12V line from the battery. There are 4 wires on the male connector –
1. Yellow – Flash
2. Brown – Ground
3. Blue-white (2) – One for DRL and one for Low beam
TO avoid cutting the wire, you will need to remove the blue-white wires from the coupler. To do that, look at the coupler carefully. You can notice that there is a clip that can be pushed that will release the pin from the housing. This is very fiddly especially if you have larger hands/fingers. But do this to avoid cutting the wires. Once you have them out, you can figure out which one of the two is the DRL and the Low beam. You can insert the DRL back into the coupler if you do not want to add a switch to the DRL also.
The same method is used to pull the female side of the coupler. You can only pull out the one for the Low beam (matching the blue wire).
Now attach wires to both pins, and tape them well with electrical tape. Run the wire through the gap under the headlight assembly. This is where you must take care to route the wires so that they will not get pinched. Alternately you can route it via the side panel, but that means removing the entire side panel which I was not interested in doing. Of course, that will be a better way to route the wires.
Wrap all the wiring with 3M wire wrapping tape for robustness and longevity. I swear by this tape, as I use it extensively in all my cars and motorbikes. It is very long lasting and very abuse friendly.
Connect the wires to the switch. My switch had three leads, with one for a small LED on the switch which I have left disconnected. The switch is mounted on the right hand side between the mirror mount and the right switch panel.
Before assembling everything check that the handle can be rotated freely without the wiring being entangled anywhere and enough slack is available. I used male/female connector clamps to attach the routed wiring to the switch moulded cable so that it provides rigidity and allows the wire to stay in place when the handle is rotated left or right to the extremes.
In reverse process you can now assemble the casing, numberplate and windshield. Of course test everything before assembly. Make sure to check that all connections are rigid and will withstand abuse. As I have used couplers in all connections and not joined the wiring anywhere, the entire new harness is able to withstand normal day to day movements easily.
Finally you can ride along without causing disturbance to others on the road, with just the DRL which remains on and is mild enough to not be a nuisance. I’m sure the service center will make a fuss about warranty etc., but so be it. Suzuki should really have provided a switch for the main headlamp and just let only the DRL remain on all the time.
Please ask me if you have any questions if you want to do the same on your bike.
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