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4 wire and 2 wire ignition switch

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Spanner1972:
Another question, sorry. Apart from the a obvious, what is the difference between the 2. Thanks.

steff750:
 ;) obviously the extra wires are for the parking lights what was you thinking :-\

Bryanj:
All should have 4 wires never seen one with 2

Lobo:
Hi Spanner.

Bottom line, if you buy an OEM type switch (4 wire) you'll not be disappointed, whereas if you buy a 2 wire switch you're more or less committed to a bike with no parking lights. A 2 wire switch will work fine, basically you feed the (Honda) RED live in from the battery... and then the other wire (Honda BLACK) connects to your bike loom, supplying (key) switched +ve to all circuits, ie ignition, horn, lights, indicators... everything.

The 4 wire switch is a bit more complex, but can indeed be used (simply) as described above if you so wish.

If you want parking lights it gets a bit more complicated. An electrical circuit is not fussy as to where the battery is placed within it... ie, in the PARK position you cannot simply feed +12v to the tail lamp because the power will also flow back through the system, through the inst illumination lights, and through the lights switch into the bike's loom.... powering everything.

What Honda did was to make the tail light (& UK small pilot lamp) a completely independent circuit on the bike....ie completely detached from the loom.

This parking lamp circuit then got its power from one of two supplies... dictated by the 4 wire ignition switch.

In the normal position, @ Main Lights switch on, power went to the binnacle illumination lights + Dip or Main beam. This power ALSO went back to the ignition switch (dashed brown wire) where (due the position of the Switch) it was then connected to the parking lamp circuit (BROWN) ....and bingo, the tail light + small pilot lights come on.

In the PARK position, the main loom is unpowered. In this case the ignition switch RED was connected directly to the ignition switch (BROWN) independent parking light circuit ... just powering the tail light & UK headlight bowl pilot lamp.

In the OFF position everything is obviously disconnected.

In summary:

(1) RED - Battery feed (& normally fused)
(2) BLACK - switched live out to the main loom.
(3) DASHED BROWN - Lights switch power feed back to the ignition switch.
(4) BROWN - Power feed to the Tail lamp / headlamp pilot light.

Normal running (1) & (2) connected, also (3) & (4) connected
PARK - (1) & (4) connected.
OFF - nothing connected.

Simon

JamesH:
Simon that's a brilliant Explanation thanks for taking the time to share your wisdom.

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