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position light ?

25K views 16 replies 13 participants last post by  jaknife 
#1 ·
can anyone tell me what the purpose is of small light bulb inside of the headlight housing?-it is referred to in the manual as the position light-i remember lights of this sort in older bikes but they were before headlights ran constantly-tnx
 
#6 ·
I think it must be a European thing as I don't know anyone in the states that uses it. Some folks put colored accent lights on their bike, but they serve little purpose other than decoration. Again, I doubt anyone here uses the "position" light.
 
#8 ·
Thanks Engage. I did put the key in the park position and the tail-light comes on but this little position light does not. I guess I will have to open up the headlight and see if this bulb is burned out and there is power to the socket when in the park position.
 
#9 ·
Well, I finally had time to open up the headlight to see what this position light was all about. Engage was correct it does work with the key in the park position. However, mine did not because it was never connected to the wiring harness in the light housing. I used my brand new service manual to find out which wires it was, connected it up and, shazam, it worked with the key in the park position.

Mystery solved. Thanks for your help...:)
 
#10 ·
its sole purpose is to drain the battery on any motorcycle so equiped. It waits for the rider to turn the key the key the wrong when shutting off the bike and dismounting. The key can be removed and the 'postioning lights' stay on. this is seldom discovered in a timely fashion.

Many bike manufactures include this feature and there is no consistant key position. Colusion with the battery makers? or just a bad idea?
 
#12 ·
Parking lights are becuse of UK law.

Highway code

Parking at night
248
You MUST NOT park on a road at night facing against the direction of the traffic flow unless in a recognised parking space.
[Laws CUR reg 101 & RVLR reg 24]
249
All vehicles MUST display parking lights when parked on a road or a lay-by on a road with a speed limit greater than 30 mph (48 km/h).
[Law RVLR reg 24]

251
Parking in fog. It is especially dangerous to park on the road in fog. If it is unavoidable, leave your parking lights or sidelights on.
252


So I suppose they have to fit them, even if they are never used in the country they are sent to.
 
#15 ·
I had that feature on my 1987 Porsche and used it frequently until one evening some jerk kicked out my lit taillight assembly. I never drew attention to my car like that again. :(
 
#17 ·
IMHO the parking light is about as useless as the auxiliary light switch if you don't install auxiliary lights. I installed an LED bulb and wired it to the auxiliary switch. At night it fills in the shadows from the headlight directly in front and beside the bike so it provides better visibility while turning at a dark intersection. In the daytime, at certain angles, my LED headlight is hard to see. With the "parking" light on it makes the headlight look like a bright white light from any angle.
 
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