Early ST2 - heavier headlight wiring/relays - Ducati.ms

ptourin · Feb 2nd, 2012, 5:49 pm

I'm sure I've seen a few outfits that sell wiring kits for installing heavier headlight wiring with relays for the early ST's (mine's a '98 ST2) - but I can't put my fingers on them. I searched the archives but couldn't find any links. Does anybody happen to know who sells wiring kits and supplies?

va duc · Feb 2nd, 2012, 6:15 pm

Motorcycle Solid-state "Relay" kit.
?

ptourin · Feb 2nd, 2012, 7:04 pm

That's an odd website. I see they have wiring kits with solid state relays - good idea. But they don't explain very well what they're actually selling, don't give basic specs like wire gauge, and most of their links don't seem to work. Have you used them before?

va duc · Feb 2nd, 2012, 8:32 pm

I thought that was what you were looking for. Maybe Paul from Ducati Designs can hook you up with a remote relay kit if that's not what you were looking for.

ptourin · Feb 2nd, 2012, 9:46 pm

Yes, that's what I'm trying to do - bring heavy gauge wires up from the battery to the 2 lights and trigger them via relays - the usual thing. As for that site - their dual H4 or dual H7 kits would probably do the job - I just wish you could tell better from the website what they're actually selling.

Bill_Anderson · Feb 3rd, 2012, 12:55 am

Go first class and get a Ducati Designs headlight.
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Ducati Designs, LLC - Sport Touring Headlight Upgrade

More than just a pretty face.
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ptourin · Feb 3rd, 2012, 4:59 am

Bill, I may end up there after fooling around on my own. But not ready to do that yet - can't afford it this year and am also enjoying the tinkering. I'm thinkng of trying the bi-xenon mod.

ptourin · Feb 3rd, 2012, 11:40 am

For anyone who's also looking - I just found one of the sources I was trying to remember...

Motorcycle Relay Kits, Parts, Powerlet, Centech, Posi-Lock, and More!

KarlFitt · Feb 6th, 2012, 7:03 pm

Forget a kit.

Go to Radio Shack.
But two 30 amp relays, a fuse holder (or two) and some 12 gauge wire.
Don't forget to buy some black 12 gauge wire too, doesn't make sense to upgrade the red ones if you don't also upgrade the black ones (limited by the smallest wire in the circuit.

Here are a couple of pictures from when I did mine.

Better Headlights

HTH

Stick · Feb 7th, 2012, 10:29 am

I can verify that there was a 1V loss in the OEM wiring between the battery and the low beam lamp. I made my own harness for my own headlight kit, and now measured 0.1V of drop. This was on my 1998 ST2.

1V at 5 Amps = 5 Watts of power that's not getting to your lamp. So the 55W element was only putting out 50W.