Right head light not working

Dawg68 said:

If you turn off the kill switch, all power is cut, even to the gauges. I agree with the post above and in the operators manual it states to just use the key, not the kill switch. As for the light bulb, as it's under warranty I'd take it back but if that's a pain you can always do a simple test, take the bulb that is good and plug it into the right headlight socket to test if it's the bulb or the system. Sometimes bulbs can lie to you. A simple continuity test may reveal the bulb is okay but when you plug it in the heat will cause a disconnect within the bulb.
Just a thought.

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yes the book says to just use the key, not the kill switch.
however i always use the kill switch. my reason for this if you use the key the ign switch takes the first contact load. if you use the kill switch the kill switch takes the first contact load.i would much rather replace a kill switch than an ign switch.(also my understanding is that you can take apart the kill switch and clean it) you are not going to do that with the ign switch.
just my opinion

TURBO200R4 said:

yes the book says to just use the key, not the kill switch.
however i always use the kill switch. my reason for this if you use the key the ign switch takes the first contact load. if you use the kill switch the kill switch takes the first contact load.i would much rather replace a kill switch than an ign switch.(also my understanding is that you can take apart the kill switch and clean it) you are not going to do that with the ign switch.
just my opinion

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Just for clarification the reason the manual states or recommends using the ignition give the kill switch is that if you forget to turn off the ignition after using the switch you may drain the battery.

I've attached the ignition diagram for clarification. You will notice that the kill switch is in series with the ignition and the only thing that can damage the ignition or the kill switch, other than wear and tear, is excessive current draw through either of these devices. So wether you turn on the ignition first then the kill switch or the kill switch before the ignition it makes no difference electrically, either way the entire electrical load of the rockets electrical system is going through the ignition( that being said the systems factory designed to go through the ignition) this is why you will notice on the diagram that the ignition system is heavily fused to protect these devices from excessive current draw. Anyway the ignition is first in the circuit after the battery so the current will pass through it first regardless of your starting sequence.

One of the major contributions to ignition failure due to excessive current draw or excessive loads, other than bad design, is people adding accessories to the bike and tapping into the bikes wiring harness. A lot of spots that people like to tap into are the lighting circuits that actually use the ignition as a switch. In a car you can turn light on and off, on a bike it uses the ignition as the switch. You may not draw a big enough of a load to trip the inline ignition fuses but the added current draw will generate enough heat in the ignition switch to cause premature failure.

Hell yeah - I got all that - now I'm electrically solid? NOT!

You got it......you know you did.....lol

All that to say, turn on your ignition when you want to start and turn it off when your done......oh ya, don't overload the rockets electrical system....

I put a Beaver in my Roadster thinking on those night rides I'd have something real useful to keep me warm.

Zen2osho said:

Thanks Kevin for the reply. I will swap the bulbs and check if its working!! I imported this bike from USA to Africa and I am the only service centre, mechanic, showroom & owner everything for this Rocket

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after the last dawg68 clear explanation on rlrctrics and ignition do yourself a favor look into an eastern beaver kit for headlight a god sent system to avoid overload and possible meltdown in the ignition barrel

It is possible to take the ignition switch totally apart and fix it up. I repaired the switch for someone from this forum and then installed a set of relays. I cleaned the contacts and fixed where they were burned and filed the plastic where it had melted against the brass parts.

Friends,

My rocket is new 2012 Roadster, Do i still need the eastern beaver kit!! because i saw somewhere that the ignition switch probs was rectified after 2011 models?? Pls clarify, so that i could order the same.
Thanks
ZEn

Zen2osho said:

Friends,

My rocket is new 2012 Roadster, Do i still need the eastern beaver kit!! because i saw somewhere that the ignition switch probs was rectified after 2011 models?? Pls clarify, so that i could order the same.
Thanks
ZEn

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as long as the headlight are powered through the ignition barrel I believe the problem is still potentially there, look at hanso posting
Relay Harness, Ignition bypass for Headlights

dawg68
So wether you turn on the ignition first then the kill switch or the kill switch before the ignition it makes no difference electrically, either way the entire electrical load of the rockets electrical system is going through the ignition.

i agree that all current passes through the ignition switch. and i believe that the head light current is what causes the ignition switch to go bad because of the first initial contact spark inside the ignition switch each time you turn on the switch keeps deteriorating the switch until the contacts can no longer carry the electrical load. that is why you need to remove the headlight current from the ignition switch.
however it does make a difference in what order you turn on the kill switch or ign. switch.
if you turn on the ign. switch first with the kill switch on the electrical contact will be made inside the switch,
if you turn on the ign. switch then the kill switch the electrical contact will be made inside the kill switch.
and the same is true for turning it off.
if you have the eastern beaver or something similar it probably will not make a hole lot of difference. i do it that way because of the ign. switch failures that are posted on this forum, and because if the throttle ever sticks open i will know exactly where the kill button is.
this is what i do and i think every one should do what is best for them.