Motorcycle Repair: ref bandit 600 p reg, bandit 600, headlight bulbs

Question
hi use my bike in the day time when i switch my light on it blows the tail fuse i replace the fuse.it blow strainght away.could you shed some light on it please also when ive got the lights on the ignition wiring gets warm

Answer
Chris, I am not a Bandit expert, but the fundamentals of electrical systems all apply. Bandits in the US have headlights on all the time, but I am aware that UK and Euro bikes apparently still have the option of turning them all the way off when riding.

The blown tail light fuse indicates a short circuit either in the bulb socket or the wiring going back to it from the fuse. Look for chafed wiring in the harness or take the bulb socket apart to check for a broken lamp base or the tension spring getting loose and touching the wires behind the bulb contact base.

Lighting systems draw a lot of electrical energy, which creates heat. On many modern bikes, the headlight switch units on the handlebars get noticeably warm during operation. Changing out the headlight bulbs with ones of greater wattage aggravates the heat problem and can lead to wiring meltdown incidents.

Bill Silver