How can I bypass the "always on" headlight?

[SA14]

Short version:
How can I wire a switch in to the loom to disable the headlight if needed?

Longer version:
So late last night I decided to go and do some more practicing my slow work (tight slow turns, u-turns, figure 8s, practicing emergency stops with my new awesome front brakes...etc) to gain more confidence and scrub my new tyres [video] in a vacant car park. Along come the f(ine) police officers and pull up next to me and asked what I was doing.

I saw them coming, thought "here we go" but had stopped and switched off the bike as they approached, removed my helmet. I smiled and asked (don't do this at home kids) "what does it look like I'm doing?" - not in a cheeky but surprised way with a bit of a chuckle at the end. They said, "burnouts, hooning"...lol I replied "can you see any tyre marks or smell any smoke? Smell and look at my brand new tyres if you like. You'll see I have all my nipples". They sat in the car with it idling and just talked to me through the window so I knew they weren't angry or anything and they didn't look angry. They weren't amused either though and asked again "so what are you doing here?". "Practicing to become a better rider" I said and I caught the passenger officer smile. "Am I not allowed to be here?" I asked. They said "not really, it's a private car park and with your lights flashing around and it looked like you were hooning". Yeah, to Karen maybe. 

It was a gigantic car park in a massive shopping centre so I'm guessing a security guard or a Karen reported me as suspicious and hooning or something. They were pretty cool about it and if I read their eyebrows correctly they were a bit impressed that I was even practicing. After a license and name check and 15 minutes waiting they said "ok you check out but turn your high beams off so it doesn't flash the passing cars (the roads were a ghost town) and if the guard asks you to leave you have to leave. I said "roger, understood". Didn't want to push the cheek by arguing my high beams weren't on so I left it alone.

So, first off, I'll check and adjust my headlight (I wasn't using my high beams) but is there a way to bypass the "always on" headlight? This is a good example of my needing to ride without a headlight and to be honest it's a bit "nanny" for the authorities to insist on my lights being on all the time no matter what. I do ride with the light on as the safety aspects are obvious but I'd like to also have the ability to turn them off if I want. I'm not super scared of electrickery and I imagine there's a switch involved and maybe a relay but that's about the extent of my knowledge.

[Eric GSX1400K3]

 :lol:you need your headlight always on in Oz. Otherwise the police will ping you for riding an unroadworthy motorcycle AND hooning. 

[SA14]

:lol:you need your headlight always on in Oz. Otherwise the police will ping you for riding an unroadworthy motorcycle AND hooning. 

Yeah but when I'm practicing at night in a car park I'd like to switch them off to prevent this happening again. I don't mind if the switch is in the cargo area under the seat.

[SA14]

I just rang the Vehicle Standards branch (South Australia) and asked the question and they said there's nothing in the code for any year motorcycle that states that a light must be switched on during the day. It must be functional but it doesn't need to be on.

Straight from the horses mouth.

Source:
https://www.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/19153/MR808-Motorcycle-and-Sidecars.pdf

Ph: 1300 882 248

[GSX1400Convert]

It used to be:
DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS FOR MOTORCYCLES
Michael Paine
David Paine
Vehicle Design and Research
Jack Haley
National Roads and Motorists Association
Samantha Cockfield
Transport Accident Commission of Victoria
Australia
Abstract ID 05-0178)


In 1992 Australia introduced mandatory "hard-wired"
headlights for motorcycles - low-beam headlights
were required to illuminate whenever the engine was
running. This requirement was rescinded in 1996, due
mainly to pressure from motorcycle lobby groups:
"The Motorcycle Council of NSW (MCC) counts
amongst its major achievements... Convincing the
Federal government in 1996 to provide an alternative
to ADR 19/01 (requiring hard wired lights on for
motorcycles) in the form of ADR 19/02 (which does
not require hard wired headlights)" (MCC website)

[Horse]

:lol:you need your headlight always on in Oz. Otherwise the police will ping you for riding an unroadworthy motorcycle AND hooning. 

Yeah but when I'm practicing at night in a car park I'd like to switch them off to prevent this happening again. I don't mind if the switch is in the cargo area under the seat.

I have a push button switch located under the LHS switchgear through a relay to a HID globe the square switch is a neat stealth fit into an existing hole.

[VladTepes]

So if it was rescinded why do new bikes have always on lights (I think they do anyway).




That police attitude sucks, I have to say. That someone that happens to be in a car park riding MUST be hooning 

[froudy]

I reckon it would be possible to fit a R/H switchgear from an ealier model Bandit and get the lighting switch to work. It would be in place of the hazard lights flashing switch though.
It would probably be better to do what horse did and fit an extra push button switch.

[Hooli]

So if it was rescinded why do new bikes have always on lights (I think they do anyway).




That police attitude sucks, I have to say. That someone that happens to be in a car park riding MUST be hooning 

Still required in the EU (& I think the US) so I doubt they'd want to make a special switch gear for convictshire as that'd increase production costs.

[grog]

Never found a reason or need to want to turn mine off. Not sure if has to be on by law here. Did find out that fitting LED globe makes my bike illegal. WTF. Easier to be seen daytime, easier for me to see nighttime, thats illegal.

[Notty]

:lol:you need your headlight always on in Oz. Otherwise the police will ping you for riding an unroadworthy motorcycle AND hooning. 

Yeah but when I'm practicing at night in a car park I'd like to switch them off to prevent this happening again. I don't mind if the switch is in the cargo area under the seat.

Mick has done this mod 
@mjgt @SA14

[SA14]

I have a push button switch located under the LHS switchgear through a relay to a HID globe the square switch is a neat stealth fit into an existing hole.

That sounds ideal. May I see a pic of the placement of the switch and some (any) specs such as the type and spec of the relay and how I'd wire it up? Or any further info would help.

Mick has done this mod 
@mjgt @SA14

Awesome, I did a search under a few terms before posting but couldn't find anything. Is there a thread or any info?

That police attitude sucks, I have to say. That someone that happens to be in a car park riding MUST be hooning 

I resisted getting into the politics of it at the time but the force of the urge was strong. I might have been an Aunt Eefa or Bike Lives Matter terrorist or something. These days they're on edge because we're living in clown, muppet and potato head land.

[Mick_J]

I don't like my lights on so have modified my lights to only come on when I want them to.  It's a very easy plug and play module that I make in my shed, one other forum user had one I made and is happy with it.

[SA14]

I don't like my lights on so have modified my lights to only come on when I want them to.  It's a very easy plug and play module that I make in my shed, one other forum user had one I made and is happy with it.

Excellent, if I can get some info on how to do it I'd appreciate it or if you sell a kit or something I'd be interested.

[Big Phil]

The lights on the K2's in the UK don't come on permanently but the law changed in the Europe in 2002 so the K3's and onward lights are always on if I'm not mistaken. I always keep my on anyway so makes no difference. However, it's easy to forget they are off if you have inadvertently turned them off so unlike SA14 I would be happy if they were on permanently.