head light switch

rob carter · Dec 11, 2016

I have a 1971 750 commando.
The question is the left hand switch position,is it up for main beam,off middle,and down for head light,with buttons for main beam flash, and horn.

Rob

Ron L · Dec 11, 2016

Left handlebar switch is paddle up high beam, down for low beam (two position switch). Top button is highbeam flash and lower is horn.

L.A.B. · Dec 12, 2016

rob carter said:
I have a 1971 750 commando.
The question is the left hand switch position,is it up for main beam,off middle,and down for head light,with buttons for main beam flash, and horn.

The switch clusters were reversed on early Commandos, so if you have a three-position paddle switch on the left, then that cluster is likely to be for direction indicators (not always fitted at that time) the upper button is the kill button and the lower button is a 'spare'.

DogT · Dec 12, 2016

I was wondering where that 3 position switch came from. So the 71 is the same for 69-70. Ron has it right and so does Les. The on off for the headlamp should be on the center of the shell, 3 positions, left=off, center=pilot, tail and instrument lamp3 on, right= Head, tail and instrument lamps on. The red light to the left (from the rear) of the switch indicates hi beam.

L.A.B. · Dec 12, 2016

DogT said:
The on off for the headlamp should be on the center of the shell, 3 positions, left=off, center=pilot, tail and instrument lamp3 on, right= Head, tail and instrument lamps on.

Yes, for pre-'71 models which have a 2-position ignition switch and single Wipac switch cluster [Edit] although apparently, some early '71 models may have had the pre-'71 electrics.

'71-'74 models normally had a two-position headlamp switch as the lighting switch was incorporated into the 4-position ignition master switch, so the headlamp toggle switch should turn the headlamp either on or off as required but only when the key is at the 'Ignition and lights' position.

DogT said:
The red light to the left (from the rear) of the switch indicates hi beam.

For '71-on, red became the ignition/charge warning light, green (on the right) was main/hi beam warning.

N0rt0nelectr@ · Dec 12, 2016

I have often wondered why there are switches operating switches? You have the lights function on the ignition switch, then you have the light switch in the headlight and then the hi lo switch on the bars. I am in the process of wiring up a bitza Norton using a quality Cole-Herssy on off on toggle switch in the headlight. The original Lucas bar switch contacts are worn and the cost for replacements are high so it is time to think outside the box.

John in Texas

Danno · Dec 12, 2016

L.A.B. said:
rob carter said:

I have a 1971 750 commando.
The question is the left hand switch position,is it up for main beam,off middle,and down for head light,with buttons for main beam flash, and horn.

Click to expand...

The switch clusters were reversed on early Commandos, so if you have a three-position paddle switch on the left, then that cluster is likely to be for direction indicators (not always fitted at that time) the upper button is the kill button and the lower button is a 'spare'.

I have that switch on the right (master cylinder) side of the SS clone. It's wired paddle up for high beam, paddle center for pilot light only, paddle down for low beam, bottom button kill switch and top button for the horn. It's a little clumsy on the right rather than the left, but the stock Lockheed M/C needs it to complete the bar clamp and I have no use for other switches, so the clutch lever is just a clamp. First click on the ignition switch is sparks, pilot and gauge lights and second click powers up the headlight, taillight and brake light. I probably should get the brake light on the first click.

L.A.B. · Dec 12, 2016

Danno said:
L.A.B. said:

The switch clusters were reversed on early Commandos, so if you have a three-position paddle switch on the left, then that cluster is likely to be for direction indicators (not always fitted at that time) the upper button is the kill button and the lower button is a 'spare'.

Click to expand...

I have that switch on the right (master cylinder) side of the SS clone. It's wired paddle up for high beam, paddle center for pilot light only, paddle down for low beam, bottom button kill switch and top button for the horn.

That doesn't seem right if it's possible to switch the headlamp off between main and dipped beam. Also, the kill button and horn button are not in the same switch cluster.

Danno said:
First click on the ignition switch is sparks, pilot and gauge lights and second click powers up the headlight, taillight and brake light. I probably should get the brake light on the first click.

Yes, the brake light should obviously work at 'ignition' but the pilot and instrument lights should not, so something would seem to be connected incorrectly.

Danno · Dec 12, 2016

L.A.B. said:
Danno said:

L.A.B. said:

The switch clusters were reversed on early Commandos, so if you have a three-position paddle switch on the left, then that cluster is likely to be for direction indicators (not always fitted at that time) the upper button is the kill button and the lower button is a 'spare'.

Click to expand...

I have that switch on the right (master cylinder) side of the SS clone. It's wired paddle up for high beam, paddle center for pilot light only, paddle down for low beam, bottom button kill switch and top button for the horn.

Click to expand...

That doesn't seem right if it's possible to switch the headlamp off between main and dipped beam. Also, the kill button and horn button are not in the same switch cluster.

Danno said:

First click on the ignition switch is sparks, pilot and gauge lights and second click powers up the headlight, taillight and brake light. I probably should get the brake light on the first click.

Click to expand...

Yes, the brake light should obviously work at 'ignition' but the pilot and instrument lights should not, so something would seem to be connected incorrectly.

I'll look into that over the winter. It was probably originally a turn signal switch, so it has an "off" central paddle position.

L.A.B. · Dec 12, 2016

Danno said:
I'll look into that over the winter. It was probably originally a turn signal switch, so it has an "off" central paddle position.

Yes, as the only push button switch out of the four capable of operating as a kill switch (switch normally closed as the other three are normally open) is in the direction indicator cluster.

Ron L · Dec 12, 2016

DogT said:
I was wondering where that 3 position switch came from. So the 71 is the same for 69-70. Ron has it right and so does Les. The on off for the headlamp should be on the center of the shell, 3 positions, left=off, center=pilot, tail and instrument lamp3 on, right= Head, tail and instrument lamps on. The red light to the left (from the rear) of the switch indicates hi beam.

The '71 is the same as the '72 and '73, not the '69-70. It has Lucas handlebar switches not Wipac. The toggle in the headlight shell is a two position switch, not three.

The original post was how the handlebar switch operated, not the toggle on the headlight shell.

MikeM · Dec 12, 2016

Ron L said:
DogT said:

I was wondering where that 3 position switch came from. So the 71 is the same for 69-70. Ron has it right and so does Les. The on off for the headlamp should be on the center of the shell, 3 positions, left=off, center=pilot, tail and instrument lamp3 on, right= Head, tail and instrument lamps on. The red light to the left (from the rear) of the switch indicates hi beam.

Click to expand...

The '71 is the same as the '72 and '73, not the '69-70. It has Lucas handlebar switches not Wipac. The toggle in the headlight shell is a two position switch, not three.

The original post was how the handlebar switch operated, not the toggle on the headlight shell.

My headlight shell switch has 3 positions. Headlamp on is far right, center might be pilot lamps and far left could be off. Never really used anything but the center and right position. My left paddle goes to up and middle with a flash at the bottom. Never really looked but it might be for flashing the light. The right side has the 3 position switch. Cant remember exactly right now but will surely check this summer.

rob carter · Dec 12, 2016

Hi Guys
I just received a Lucus replacement left hand handle bar switch from the UK.Cost me an arm and a leg
It has the following function.Up--- will bring on the main beam, (with the two position light switch on).Push buttons---- are horn and flash.
and that's it. The other position down seems to be a momentarily flash.I will have to buy a 3 position switch to replace the two position switch and use that to wire up the main beam.
As I said earlier,its a 1971 750 Commando.

ROB

L.A.B. · Dec 13, 2016

rob carter said:
I just received a Lucus replacement left hand handle bar switch from the UK.Cost me an arm and a leg
It has the following function.Up--- will bring on the main beam, (with the two position light switch on).Push buttons---- are horn and flash.
and that's it. The other position down seems to be a momentarily flash. I will have to buy a 3 position switch to replace the two position switch and use that to wire up the main beam.

That switch must be faulty because the cluster already has a flash button. No original Lucas handlebar cluster ever had a flash on the paddle switch, and I can't see how fitting a 3-position headlamp switch would cure the problem as you still won't be able to select both high and low headlamp beams.

DogT · Dec 13, 2016

I wasn't trying to explain the 71 and up. I got my info right out of the 750 Riders handbook, first edition May 1968 and I'm sure it's good through 70 because I have a copy of the "S type and Roadster Handbook" and it's the same, plus LAB indicated that there may be some early 71 with the same arrangement. I'm sure there's a combination of a whole lot of different arrangements that people have mixed and changed by now. I was just trying to indicate what the early bikes had, if that's what the OP has, not to sew confusion. So it looks like if you have a 3 position switch on the headlamp, it should be an early one and only have a 2 position on the left handle, and if you have a 2 position on the headlamp, there should be a 3 position on the left? I'm not sure when turn signals came in.

Ron L · Dec 13, 2016

Yeah, there were probably some late 1970 models sold in 1971 and titled as a 1971. There were a number of differences between 1970 and 1971 model years.

As for turnsignals, I know some '72 models had them and the wiring is there from '71 and turn signals are listed in the '71 parts book. However, I don't remember ever seeing one with turnsignals.

My '73 Roadster came without. There were two Interstates in the showroom and both had signals. Go figure!

rob carter · Dec 14, 2016

L.A.B. said:
rob carter said:

I just received a Lucus replacement left hand handle bar switch from the UK.Cost me an arm and a leg
It has the following function.Up--- will bring on the main beam, (with the two position light switch on).Push buttons---- are horn and flash.
and that's it. The other position down seems to be a momentarily flash. I will have to buy a 3 position switch to replace the two position switch and use that to wire up the main beam.

Click to expand...

That switch must be faulty because the cluster already has a flash button. No original Lucas handlebar cluster ever had a flash on the paddle switch, and I can't see how fitting a 3-position headlamp switch would cure the problem as you still won't be able to select both high and low headlamp beams.

You are correct the old one was faulty.
The new one now works great.

Rob

head light switch

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