Indicator Warning Buzzer fitted to C800

Fitted the Indicator warning buzzer today, it took about 30 minutes from start to finish.
I have housed the buzzer in the headlight assembly as it turned out the black/white was earth & the black/red was live. I never take anything for granted when it comes to electric's.
At later stage when I have a little more time I will wire the buzzer earth into the brake light live, the reason for this is so that no earth is available to the buzzer when the brake is being applied whilst the indicators are on whilst sat in traffic, therefore temporarily disengaging the buzzer.



Video & Sound Clip


Ebay LINK to item bought.

Hope this helps anybody wishing to attempt this safety mod


Cheers Dave

Hi Dave recieved mine today and fitted aswell.The way I done mine was to go into the headlamp shell,scotch clip the wires,to the live,as you have said the black and white are earth wires.Then passed the earth wire through the hole in the back of the headlight bucket,leaving the buzzer and red wires in the shell.When I earthed this wire out,good all worked.Then tried to put the black wire to the front brake light switch,but no mater which one I placed it on the buzzer would only sound when the brake was applied,I decided that I would leave it alone till tomoz and look into it,for it gets dark to early now,and had been out riding all day.Too easy to make mistakes when you rush.As I said all works perfect,until I tried to connect to front brake switch.

Good move Alfie, I will give that a go 2morrow as well.
Alfie out of curiosity when you connected  to the break light switch wiring, was it loose or still attached at the handle bar end?

I am just wondering if it all needs to be connected at the swicth end as well to make that part of the mod work?
Glad your on this as well, 2 minds & all that!

Oh I think I may have miss read how you have done it!

Correct me if I am wrong - so you have disconnected the switch end of the wire, then tapped in to it to re-make the original connection & then tapped on to both wires one at a time but still did not get the required earth when the brake lever was pulled?

Yes but it would only make a buz when the brake lever was pulled.ie: opposite to what you want.Connecting the black wire to earth perfect.

Hmmm now that's bloody confusing, I am itching to get out to the bike now but if I do at this time of night I risk getting locked out there for the duration. Her indoors already says I love my bike more than her

Alfie if you do crack it tommorrow, post up as soon as you can mate & I will do the same. that way we might save the other a lot of time!

Guys, hopefully this will end your confusion. The brake light switch is an open circuit live ( i.e. a break in the live cable ) until pulled, at which point the live part of the circuit completes and current flows. This is why, when you connect the earth to it your buzzer will only sound when the brake light switch is operated.



What you are doing is connecting the buzzer's earth to a switched live which goes to your brake light bulb. The earth for the brake light will be the other side of the brake light bulb .

I'm not sure how you'll get a "switched earth" to prevent the buzzer sounding when the brakes applied, I don't know if there's a way to do that as you would need a normally closed circuit to acheive that

Hope this picture helps to explain my somewhat convoluted answer. You'll see the black wire ( earth ) runs from the other side of the lampholder from the live ?



Cheers ... Mick

I'm completely flummoxed by this Mr I. The 2nd wire they refer to is the "switched live" and as they say, this becomes live when the brake lever is pulled but that doesn't make it turn from an earth to "not an earth" ! On a DC circuit which all vehicles run, there is no return circuit as you have on a 240v mains system ( as in a neutral cable ) but generally the earth is the opposite side of the load ( eg bulb ) rather than the other side of the switch . I'm no auto electrician though having said that.

I think the fact that you can't get the buzzer to work until the switch is operated and the fact that it works if connected directly to earth backs up my theory though. Sorry i can't be of any more help mate



Mick

Hey twojob don't forget that when the brake switch is open you should have earth( ground , 0volts or whatever you want to call it)via the bulb (whidh should only be about 10 ohms) which is a really low resistance if it is only being used for a signal rather than power. However, if you have LED indicators it is not going to work.let me know how it goes, if need be I gan give you a down and dirty circuit using a transistor or if you prefer a relay to deal with the issue.

WHere I said LED indicators I meant LED brake lights.

Hmmm now that's interesting icetachaus, I am not sure about the M800's but the newer C800's which mine is does have led brake lights!
Oh well looks like I may have to leave that part of the mod until I can be bothered to get around to putting in a relay to switch the earth either off or live possibly if that'll work?

To be honest because Alfie & I have both put the warning buzzer in the headlight bucket, when the engine is running it isn't all that loud or iritating when active (to me at least) and is very much in the background.

I would still like to get it done tho'

Hi Dave and followers at this time I have lost my brake lights plus my parking bulb as we used to call it in the headlamp.To be honest I would not try and put the lead to your brakes for it just will not work.I will try and get my brake lights front & back to work again now before my next mot in March.I agree with Dave over the queitness of the buzzer I feel you would have to put in your helmet for it to be annoying.You have to experiment to get anywere and at least you get to be more familiar with your bike at the end of such mishaps.If I find a safe way to do this mod Dave I will keep you informed, but as I said before,I dont think it will work.

Ok cheers Alfie looks like we will have to leave the second part of the mod for now but I don't think it will bother me as it is
Sounds like you may have shorted out & possibly blown a fuse as they are on the same 10amp fuse. but obviously it all depends on what else you have lost as well. If the horn still works the fuse is ok. (just an idea)

Hi Dave have lost horn,speedo lcd's have checked right back all wiring,went to fuses could not find one that supports what I have lost.Speedo,horn,brake lights front and back,small light in headlamp.I am not sure if these are protected with a relay,I will say I am completely lost so if anyone out there is reading this and can assist with some idea's I will be very grateful.Joys of motoring,at least it is safe in my shed and not out on the road somewere.

alfie92 wrote:

Hi Dave have lost horn,speedo lcd's have checked right
back all wiring,went to fuses could not find one that supports what I
have lost.Speedo,horn,brake lights front and back,small light in
headlamp

Alfie from 2 of your post's it says you have lost
Speedo
Horn
Brake light (stop lamp)
Parking light (pilot lamp)?
These are all on one fuse

C800 FUSE LIST (should be the same as m800)
• 30A MAIN fuse protects all electrical circuits. (UNDER SEAT)
• 10A HEAD-HI fuse protects the speedometer and headlight high beam.
• 10A HEAD-LO fuse protects the headlight low beam.
• 10A FUEL fuse protects the ECU, fuel pump, injectors and speedometer.
• 20A IGNITION fuse protects the *oxygen sensor, solenoids, ECU, fuel
pump relay, fan motor relay, starter relay, ignition coils, *canister
purge solenoid, headlight relay and side stand relay.
• 10A SIGNAL fuse protects the horn, speedometer, pilot lamp, stop lamp, running lamp and resister.
• 10A POWER SOURCE fuse protects the electrical accessories connected to output terminal

alfie92 wrote:

I honestly feel that the noise out of the unit is too poor.(nothing ventured nothing gained).

If your thinking along those lines Alfie then think about moving it from the headlight bucket to under the speedo housing.
I am personally happy with it in the bucket, I know as engine and exhuast volume picks up a bit the buzzer all but gets drowned out but I think it would be very hard to get all things equal. I think of the buzzer as just an extra precaution, if you could here it at all engine noise levels you would probably find that at lower revs it would drive you mental!

Alfie, going between what you and I have both posted on the fuses I think you need to pull (Fuse 5, signal)

Cheers Dave will look at the fuse you menioned.Just out of curiosity were did you find the what the fuse protects?,might sound stupid of me but can not find were it tells you what fuse covers the horn,speedo and pilot.I will try the buzzer unit in different places.As a tool for making you more alert it works perfect,I just like to try and improve,too much time on my hands.Thanks for taking the time to reply and helping me sort out the problems I put myself in(electrical) I just love to tinker with things.

alfie92 wrote:

Just out of curiosity were did you find the what the fuse protects?,might sound stupid of me but can not find were it tells you what fuse covers the horn,speedo and pilot.

I am a seriel internet info hunter & I put that info in the Maintanance section a while ago!

alfie92 wrote:

I will try the buzzer unit in different places.As a tool for making you more alert it works perfect.

100% agreed, well worth a couple of £'s

alfie92 wrote:

I just like to try and improve,too much time on my hands.Thanks for taking the time to reply and helping me sort out the problems I put myself in(electrical) I just love to tinker with things.

I am exactly the same as you Alfie, maybe not as much time on my hands but I can't resist a tinker & that sometimes causes me problems in the same way.

Hi Dave well you were spot on m8,it was the signal fuse,thank you.These forums are worth their weight in gold,a small thing like that fuse, could of cost me a fortune,I have placed the buzzer under the speedo as you said.Well it was a very interesting mod and forum post Dave,now for the next mod.There is always something to tinker with.I have been the road of having more than bike at a time but it is not the same,the urgency goes out of the fact you must get it back on the road asap.

alfie92 wrote:

Hi Dave well you were spot on m8,it was the signal fuse,thank you.These forums are worth their weight in gold

I am just glad your sorted mate & that's why we are here, to support each other!

If the issue had not happened to you Alfie then I would bet a £1.00 to a pinch of shit that it would of happened to me, because I would have tested it in very much the same way that you did

icetechaus & Twojobmick for your input on this issue, it's nice to know your not paddling on your own when your floating at speed down shit creek. The more people giving input on a subject the quicker the elimination process

Alfie you might want to consider moving the buzzer up under the speedo shroud if you can. That looks like a basic mechanical buzzer and I don't think that it will be too happy if you start to get too much water into the sound slots on top.

Very good point

You're welcome Mr I, hope my comments were of help.

In agreement with Icetechaus, that buzzer won't last too long where it is just now, especially with our wonderful british weather !

Alfie, If it won't go in the speedo housing, put it on the underside of the fork yoke. You've got a screen on the bike which'll protect it from the worst of any water.



Cheers ... MICK

Cheers Mick good point will address it right now.Thanks.

No probs Alfie .. hey are you gonna try to get to the northern meet up we're planning bud ?

I will be moving my buzzer after being out today on it, I will go a bit closer but I don't think it'll make a lot of difference but hey, for a couple of quid either way it's still an extra precaution!

Hi Dave stuck mine under the speedo housing a bit nearer and you can hear it when you shut the throttle off.

Thanks Alfie, Mine will be moved as soon as I get the chance, it really don't cut it in the headlight at all, so I am definately with you on this one

That's a clever little mod & cheap at twice the price. Glad to see that the issues raised were rectified so quick

hi, i have only had my Volusia for a few weeks and have immediately noticed that the indicator warning is out of view on the tank console, i have thought of a buzzer but it would have to be very loud to still be heard over engine and wind noise when overtaking,which would then be an annoyance in quieter
situations, say sitting at a junction. so i have decided to go for some kind of visual repeater, what i have in mind is 2 of the cheap miniature led spotlights that boy racers fit in their cars,
angled to reflect on the wind shield or directly at the rider, connected separately into the front indicators, the current draw should be negligible and not interfere with the indicator functions, i will post the results of my experiments

Good idea,with them being led they will not interfere with your flash rate.

I have thought about doing something similar myself, good idea. I will watch out for this one with interest

These are a great thing to have.

Mine is part of my Acumen alarm system. The day I picked the bike up I was riding home and suddenly this beeping started and got louder and louder. I thought there was a problem and the alarm was going off haha. I pulled over and it stopped. I realised later that it was the indicator warning. I was never told about it.

That's clever

Thanks for the pics Dave. I have mine installed now. It faces the rider under the light cowl, but not in it. I didn't hook up the earth to the break wire as I figure if I'm making more noise at an intersection I'm likely to be heard even if not seen.

Same as that, I want to here it. I am always forgetting to turn my indicators off when I have no buzzer to remind me.

Pardon me for asking a probably stoopid question regarding the earthing/grounding of the buzzer.
Surely if you want it on all the time then you need only connect it to a suitable earth/ground point or wire?
Sorry but to me it makes obvious sense rather than search for an eronious wire from the brake light switch etc...
As for hiding it away to stop water ingress then I agree it ought to be placed carefully but putting it under the speedo binnacle will muffle it too much I think?
If I'm wrong I apologise now but hope I'm being sensible at the same time ok.

The one I got came with good instructions as mentioned above. To  'have it on all the time' I presume to mean when you have switched the indicators on only, that is not to cease wailing when you apply the brake. If you apply the instructions as given with the device and just don't connect up the brakes as mentioned. It will work fine. I followed the directions in the very first post as the pics were a great help, but I had  the instruction sheet that can with it there as well.
The thing is very noisy, more like a truck backing and can be heard most of the time except when going at speed with a noisy helmet on.
I have mine under the head light cowl and pretty protected from weather but it is starting to sound a little sick. Just FYI for those fitting them. I'm wondering if a wireless sender could be  connected in and tuned to something like the receiver for gps/phones. Just a wild idea. That would mean the sender could be put somewhere more weather proof.

Hi Chris for more info and tips type this in your search  In sight indicator repeaters .


The author was Miker.Mainly the led repeaters.