ST1300 Parking Lights Change Help

[ST Gui]

My car is a 2002 American vehicle. I can turn only its parking lights on with the headlight switch. The next click turns on the headlights and the parking lights both. The parking light position also illuminates the instrument lights and the radio/player controls. (This is one reason I see cars driven at night with no headlights.) This has been the same for every car I've owned.

I haven't driven a newer car so I don't know if this still holds true for later or current cars sold in the US.

As far as the ST1300 is concerned it may be that Honda didn't want a bunch of different versions of wiring harnesses so they said let's just wire them up 'full time'.

The position lights would remain on if one or both headlight bulbs failed. In the case of a NA ST1300, would a loss of power to the headlight bulbs would leave the position lights on? If I were motivated enough I'd wire the position lights only to light with the key in the P position. It's almost feasible if all bulbs concerned were LEDs. The battery might last 5 minutes longer.

 

[Andrew Shadow]

The position lights would remain on if one or both headlight bulbs failed. In the case of a NA ST1300, would a loss of power to the headlight bulbs would leave the position lights on? If I were motivated enough I'd wire the position lights only to light with the key in the P position. It's almost feasible if all bulbs concerned were LEDs. The battery might last 5 minutes longer.

Assuming that the US version of the ST1300 is the same as the Canadian version, and I believe it is identical, they remain on if one or both headlamps go out.

On the North American ST1300, assuming the above to be true, the only electrical device that functions with the key in the P position is the hazard lights as far as I know.

 

[HampshireBiker]

Likely a safety feature to keep the headlight assy still lit, hence visible to other road users at the instance a main bulb went out...

I actually didn't think of that. It makes sense.

I did wonder if maybe early 1300's had "switchable" lights. My 1100 had them, but I did have issues with lights occasionally going out while riding due to worn contacts in the switch! So maybe the "permanently on" setup is better anyway.

Wait, so the North American ST1300 has a P positon on the ignition switch? I'm already amazed by the small regional variations on these bikes!

 

[Andrew Shadow]

Wait, so the North American ST1300 has a P positon on the ignition switch? I'm already amazed by the small regional variations on these bikes!

To be more precise on the North American ST1300's it isn't a P position, it is an ACC (accessory) position which directs power to the accessory circuits.

When I wrote above that the only thing that functions that I know of is the hazard lights I should mention that I do not have the quartet harness installed. I would suspect that with the quartet harness installed at least some of the electrical accessories that were available from Honda, such as the accessory power plug, might be powered in this position as well. What I don't like about the ACC position is that the key can not be removed when it is in this position. If I needed to leave the motorcycle on the side of the rode and wanted to leave the hazard lights on I would have to leave the motorcycle unattended with the key in the ignition. I don't like that idea.

 

[HampshireBiker]

To be more precise on the North American ST1300's it isn't a P position, it is an ACC (accessory) position which directs power to the accessory circuits.

Ah, ok. Same over here.

Yeah, hazard lights which don't function unless the key is in the bike. That's a question which is probably more deserving of an answer than the "parking lights" one!

 

[Andrew Shadow]

Ah, ok. Same over here.

Yeah, hazard lights which don't function unless the key is in the bike. That's a question which is probably more deserving of an answer than the "parking lights" one!

I can understand the logic behind it. If the hazard lights could be operated without the key in place that would not be good either as someone could turn the hazard lights on and kill the battery. That is a simple problem to overcome however. The way that it should work is that the ACC position should lock the steering stem and allow the key to be removed the same as the LOCK position does. This would allow the accessories to be powered without having to leave the key in place.

 

[Thnxx]

Is there any quick way to change the parking lights without having to take off all of the Tupperware?

Will gladly pay for help with this. Am in Myrtle Beach, SC and will gladly drive to you.

As an ST1300 owner, I can say there really isn’t a true quick-access way to change the parking lights, but you also don’t have to remove all the tupperware. The most common and least painful method is to remove just the mirror housing on the side you’re working on, which gives you enough access behind the fairing to reach the small wedge-style parking light socket and twist it out.

 

[Andrew Shadow]

As an ST1300 owner, I can say there really isn’t a true quick-access way to change the parking lights, but you also don’t have to remove all the tupperware. The most common and least painful method is to remove just the mirror housing on the side you’re working on, which gives you enough access behind the fairing to reach the small wedge-style parking light socket and twist it out.

That is how I did it as well, no fairing removal other than mirror covers.

 

[ST Gui]

Wait, so the North American ST1300 has a P positon on the ignition switch? I'm already amazed by the small regional variations on these bikes!

That was my slip of little gray cells. As Andrew says it's ACC. I think there was a radio available from Honda as an ACCessory. The P marking was from my CL77 memory.