Here Comes the Beaver

Beaver Update

Hopefully my EB kit will be on my doorstep in the next day or two. I have read the installation instructions, hints, and how to's concerning the install from all of the sites and it really doesn't appear to be all that bad. I am considering a couple of scenarios on keeping the parking lights, and will cross that bridge when I get in there. Actually I enjoy wiring projects and have gone through a couple of Harbor Freight soldering guns, partly due to their quality and the fact there used to be a couple of Lucas sparked Bonnevilles in the garage. It doesn't look like I will be getting to the Beaver of the Eastern variety this weekend though. The Wife and I are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary with a oceanfront room at our favorite beach. Second time around for our both, and we are hoping this one will take. In reference to any other beaver comments, at out age we both are very happy with a good meal, couple of cocktails, and a promise.

britman said:

Hopefully my EB kit will be on my doorstep in the next day or two. I have read the installation instructions, hints, and how to's concerning the install from all of the sites and it really doesn't appear to be all that bad. I am considering a couple of scenarios on keeping the parking lights, and will cross that bridge when I get in there. Actually I enjoy wiring projects and have gone through a couple of Harbor Freight soldering guns, partly due to their quality and the fact there used to be a couple of Lucas sparked Bonnevilles in the garage. It doesn't look like I will be getting to the Beaver of the Eastern variety this weekend though. The Wife and I are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary with a oceanfront room at our favorite beach. Second time around for our both, and we are hoping this one will take. In reference to any other beaver comments, at out age we both are very happy with a good meal, couple of cocktails, and a promise.

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Congrats George. I hope you and Barb have a great weekend.

The offer is still open if you need a supervisor. I'm sure between Scott and myself, we could clean you out of your beer stash.

hanso said:

............. you will still get resistance at the dipper switch therefore not the full power to lights= less brightness than is possible

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I understand your concerns but I searched on 4 Triumph forums for ignition switch and dip switch problems and found only one poster with a dip switch issue, where as there were loads of issues with the ignition switch - some with multi replacement.
Imo the brightness thing is down to the ign. switch being 'on the way out'. Before fitting the relay I did a quick test by taking a photo of headlights before the mod and then after laying a couple of direct feed wires from the battery to the lights, to be honest I couldn't make out any difference.
I think this has been mentioned by another poster and he thought that the dimmer lights were caused by extra resistance in the switch starting to go bad.


'Keep it simple' has always been my motto hence the decision to go the way I did - if it turns out it was the wrong direction I will come back on here and tell, my hips are broad and I can take the flack .

It will be interesting to see if the 2010 Roadsters that have had the wiring upgrade get any dip switch problems, also the 2011 models as well - this would be the 'proof of the pudding is in the eating' so to speak.

tdragger said:

Congrats George. I hope you and Barb have a great weekend.

The offer is still open if you need a supervisor. I'm sure between Scott and myself, we could clean you out of your beer stash.

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James,

Garage door is always unlocked, and Coors Light in the fridge. Anytime my friend. All the best to you and yours for a great Holiday Season. We should probably think about trying to drink the Tiki Bar dry again next spring.......

Battersea said:

I think this has been mentioned by another poster and he thought that the dimmer lights were caused by extra resistance in the switch starting to go bad.

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But I was talking about the R3T with 1 headlight. It seems there have been fewer igniton switch failure on teh T than other models. I think it is due to only 1 headlight and less power thru switch. I still reccommend the EB kit or similar removing lights from switch.

britman said:

James,

Garage door is always unlocked, and Coors Light in the fridge. Anytime my friend. All the best to you and yours for a great Holiday Season. We should probably think about trying to drink the Tiki Bar dry again next spring.......

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Excellent idea!! That Tiki Bar ride was a lot of fun. I'll check the dates for next year when they become available.

britman said:

Hopefully my EB kit will be on my doorstep in the next day or two. I have read the installation instructions, hints, and how to's concerning the install from all of the sites and it really doesn't appear to be all that bad. I am considering a couple of scenarios on keeping the parking lights, and will cross that bridge when I get in there. Actually I enjoy wiring projects and have gone through a couple of Harbor Freight soldering guns, partly due to their quality and the fact there used to be a couple of Lucas sparked Bonnevilles in the garage. It doesn't look like I will be getting to the Beaver of the Eastern variety this weekend though. The Wife and I are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary with a oceanfront room at our favorite beach. Second time around for our both, and we are hoping this one will take. In reference to any other beaver comments, at out age we both are very happy with a good meal, couple of cocktails, and a promise.

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Hope you have better luck than me..now waiting 13 days for arrival

Ygransom said:

................ I still reccommend the EB kit or similar removing lights from switch.

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100% agree with that, the evidence is too strong to ignore - the fact that Triumph have an upgrade kit for older models to bypass the switch and the 2011 Roadster does so as standard, proves the point.

Battersea said:

I understand your concerns but I searched on 4 Triumph forums for ignition switch and dip switch problems and found only one poster with a dip switch issue, where as there were loads of issues with the ignition switch - some with multi replacement.
Imo the brightness thing is down to the ign. switch being 'on the way out'. Before fitting the relay I did a quick test by taking a photo of headlights before the mod and then after laying a couple of direct feed wires from the battery to the lights, to be honest I couldn't make out any difference.
I think this has been mentioned by another poster and he thought that the dimmer lights were caused by extra resistance in the switch starting to go bad.


'Keep it simple' has always been my motto hence the decision to go the way I did - if it turns out it was the wrong direction I will come back on here and tell, my hips are broad and I can take the flack .

It will be interesting to see if the 2010 Roadsters that have had the wiring upgrade get any dip switch problems, also the 2011 models as well - this would be the 'proof of the pudding is in the eating' so to speak.

Click to expand...

The dipper switch is just another set of contacts that can overheat and cost a motsa to replace for the cost of a simple garden variety 30 amp 5pin relay I hope you don't find out the hard way, Triumph in their recall kit are doing like yourself just trying to save a couple of bucks only using one relay but over time and if you don't regularly pull your switch apart and put some electrical grease in IT will fail costing you a lot more than a relay. Why do you think the good folks at Eastern Beaver choose to use Two relays.... Think about It I did and please don't tell me the contacts in the dip switch are not going to cause resistance because unless you are prepared to maintain the switch religiously it will deteriorate in time... any way it's your money spend it as you see fit, I know I would rather replace a $15 relay than an expensive Triumph Switch block and I say switch block becaus I doubt they will just sell the the switch inards. oh and just an observation I did the relay trick when my bike(08) only had 2,000klm(there was no real change to the light brightness) on it while at the same time a mate who had an 05 model with 50,000 klm was showing the first signs which was the lights dulling, as soon as he put the relays in the bike also started up better and the lights were as bright as mine, a short time later while we were on the Tassie Salvo we both noticed that we were brighter than another 08 model which had covered 20,000klm which leads me to believe that it is a very gradual process and probally would be the same if all the power is going through the Dipper switch.
Anyway I'll get of my soapbox now and hope you don't have to replace the switch block down the track!:soapbox:

hanso said:

....................

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I agree with most of what you say - but how many people have had dip switch problems? From what I have read, some have replaced their ignition switches more than once without installing a bypass kit like the EB. Surely in those instances the implication is that the dip switch has outlasted the ign switch by two, sometimes three times. Also the dip switch is a single pole switch carrying just over 9amps - the ign switch is multi pole and does the headlights plus everything else that it switches, and in a confined space with poor heat dissipation.

I am happy with what I have done and it had nothing to do with cost - the total cost for me was under £20, to put two relays in it would have only increased by about £5 - if I genuinely thought it was necessary it would have been done that way. As I have said before, I like to keep things simple and prefer to alter my bikes to the minimum amount necessary to achieve a goal.

I accept that some will consider the EB route is the only way to go, thats fine - after all this is as much as just a matter of opinion, and we could go on debating for ever .

If I have dip switch problems I will be back on here and admit I was wrong, with a very red face of course - only time will tell.

That's about me done on the subject .