Simple switched power source?

[cfr]

Hooking up some aux lights (more on that later). Currently have it test-wired to the battery with a relay and handlebar switch. Thinking I should use a switched power source instead. Is there a simple option for this?

Thanks,

-Charles

 

[CaptCapsize]

It depends on what you want.  If you want the aux light relay to be control by the ignition key or by High or Low beam headlight. I found I like the Aux lights (spot) with the low beam.  The LED Aux light reach out pretty far and my low beam (Acerbis Cyclops) fill in in the near terrain.  The simple solution would be to just tap off either the Low of High beam wire with a switch to the aux lights.  That is if you Aux lights are  LED.  The headlight circuit should be able to handle an additional couple 10W LEDs.  If the power is more than that in power the a separate circuit would be a good idea. 

I have mine with the relay powered by the ignition switch and mounted a separate switch on the handle bars.  But my bike is an DRZ-E and I had to put an after market lighting harness to be street legal.  I added to it with another relay power and fused circuit for Aux light, GPS power and heated grips.  I guess it is the nature of being a anal retentive electrical engineer.  

Really a separate fuse circuit give you a lot more options.  But it is a bit of a pain to route and protect a fused circuit back to the battery with both power and ground.  When I initially did the wiring I added an SAE 12V connector, behind the headlight, which allowed adding the GPS and Grip Heater at a later date, 

[Noble]

Your separate circuit with a relay is good.  I think you just are asking how to control the relay.  Do you want the circuit activated anytime the key is ON? or only with HI or LOW beam?  or do you want independent control but still only with the key ON?

[cfr]

I have a new handlebar mounted switch to turn the aux lights on and off. When I turn the key on, I want the aux light on/off switch to turn on/off the aux lights. When I turn the key off, I want the aux lights to be disabled. If I can find power source that's switched with the key, then I can simply power the aux light on/off switch to that. I bought a relay kit with an inline fuse to the LED aux lights.

 

[Noble]

Tap into any orange wire (or gray or brown or yellow with white stripe wire. They all get power from the orange) to activate your relay. Key ON you can choose to turn on the aux light or not with your bar mounted switch.  Key OFF, the aux lights will be OFF regardless of your handlebar switch position.  The relay draws very little current to activate so you are not overtaxing the existing wiring system.