It has proberbly been asked before, but I want to connect my spotlights via the ignition/headlight circuit so that they only work when the ignition is switched on. Also will put an inline fuse and on/off switch etc.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks in anticipation.
Forgot to say my bike is a 2018 cb500f

Use one of the accessory sockets. There’s one under the seat near the battery, and another behind the fairing.

My wiring is a mess and I have no idea what I am doing, but this is what I have done…

First I bought a 2-way Sumitomo HM 090 connector, this is what Honda use for the switched option connector located under the seat.

I also bought a set of bullet connectors, some black and red cable, and a crimping tool. I cannot remember the wire gauge, but for the distance and amperage involved it was probably 18 AWG / 0.75 mm² and still thicker than neccessary.

To the Sumitomo connector I used a few inches of cable with female bullet connectors on the ends. For anything I want to connect I then use male bullet connectors.

To be able to attach more than one device I made some splitters by attaching a male bullet to a double female bullet with a very short piece of cable.

This allowed me to wire up my USB ports and TomTom cable to a switched connection.

But then I wanted to attach an always-live 12V socket, which I keep under my pillion seat. The idea was that I could attach a solar charger to the battery, but I have never done that. Instead I used it to recharge my helmet's bluetooth adapter when away from the bike.

So I bought some ring terminals, and again attached them to female bullet connectors. As it comes straight off the battery, on the live side I included an inline fuse. This is more to function as a sort-of kill switch, as I put an inline fuse on everything I attach anyway. But this way if nothing is attached to the bike I do not have a live connector.

Again, with splitters, to this I have attached a motion alarm, the under-seat 12V socket, and my top box plate as I bought the remote control lock for it.

Though I intercepted the lock within the box to also include a 12V connection there too. I keep meaning to buy an LED strip so I can have light inside the box for when unloading in the dark, but have not gotten around to it yet. But I digress.

Having bought some spotlights — which are not really that good, great running lights as they are bright, but they throw the light far too wide to be useful for seeing in the dark — I did not feel comfortable putting them on the option connector.

My bike has the Honda heated grips, which attach to a second option connector behind the headlamp. But adding a pair of lights to everything else felt like it would draw too much for the single 7.5A fuse.

So as well as the lights and a switch, I bought a relay.

The switch goes from a positive on my option connector to pin 86 on the relay (via a fuse), and pin 85 then goes to switch, with the ground going to the negative side of the option connector to keep things neat. My battery connector (via a fuse) goes to pin 30 on the relay, the pin 87 to the positive on the lights, with the negative from them going back to the battery connector.

One advantage of the relay over the option connector is that only a minimal current goes through the switch. If you put the switch on the lights themselves everything will go through it. It is rated to handle it, but it seems better even though it needs more cabling.

For reasons I cannot explain, everything works!

What spotlights did you both use, and where do they mount.

Thanks guys, I will have to get a wiring diagram so I don't mess it up when I eventually do it.

OldRocker, Ref the 2-way Sumitomo HM 090 connector. I do not have access to my 2019 CB500X at this time to look for the subject connector. How many pins does the connector under the seat have? Is the connector under the seat a male or female plug? Thanks. azokie

I just remembered something, the option port under the seat (on my 2016 CB500F) had a blank plug attached to it for protection. So you may not need to buy one, just the pins and rubber stoppers. It will probably save a pound or two.

I cannot remembered which side was male and which female though, and not in a position to look at my bike right now. But it is a white connector and I think attached somewhere near the pillion seat. Not to be confused with the red connector with a flat cover, which is the diagnostic port to which you can attach a gear indicator.

Also, on some early models (2013–15 I, think) in some countries a four-way connector was used. So not relevant to OldRocker, but best to note it in case anyone with an older bike is also interested.

I bought these…


…because they use the mirror bolts, and because they were cheap enough to not be a problem if they were not good enough.

I would not agree that they are "premium quality" either. The metal mount arms showed rust at the first sight of water. I cleaned them off and rubbed in some ACF50, but then last week after being out in the rain they had rusted again.

And I wanted them to enhance the poor headlamp so I can see more than a few feet ahead the main. As I said, for that they scatter the light too widely. In a confined space they are brilliant, you really notice the difference. On an open road though most of the light disappears into the air. Also mounting on the mirrors is too high, and without risers some of the light is wasted on the back of the indicators.

But if you only want running lights for visibility, so long as you paint the arms to waterproof them, then they seem to be good value.

I did say on another thread I would show pictures, and I do have various photos on my phone but have not had the time to do anything with them. The same reason I have yet to do anything about replacing them even though the nights are reaching into the afternoon.

I think I have a solution for the mount problem though, which is to use the bolts which attach the front mudguard / fender. I will take one off to see what size it is, buy a longer pair I can cut to size with some kind of rubber washer to fit in the recessed part of the mudguard.

I cannot remember the brand now, but I know one accessory brand does L-plates for spotlights which should then allow attaching many types of spotlight. Although if not too worried about the cosmetics, some basic ones brackets from a hardware store should work just as well.

The good thing is my (over)use of bullet connectors means I just need to crimp some onto a new set of lights then replacing the current only is just changing the ones plugged in behind the head lamp.

Thanks for all the info SOMEONE. The lamps are not bad for that price. Its good we can share stuff. We gain from our brothers mishaps and adventures.

Thanks for all you help guys it is very much appreciated.

The spotlights I have in the shed are by Givi complete with relay, fuse etc etc. I have ordered some brackets off AliExpress to fit on the front mudguard (fender) complete with s/s socket head bolts and are due within the next 4-5 weeks. They are specific for my bike as well as the cb500r and cb500x.

These are the ones I ordered:


For HONDA CB600F Hronet 600 900 CBR650 CB500F/X CMX 500 300 Motorcycle Lower Fork Spotlight Holder Lights lamp Mounting bracket-in Covers & Ornamental Mouldings from Automobiles & Motorcycles on AliExpress