I need help installing my passing lamps. Awhile back the switch inside the lamp housing detached from the wires. I fixed that. Later on it did it again and the switch went bad. I didn’t use my lights on the headlights during that time. Later on the whole glass bulb and housing fell out on the highway. I order a new OEM kit. It came with 2 passing lamps and bulbs. It didn’t have the bar. Technically I only needed one but they were not that expensive for 2 chrome lamps. There are only 2 wires that came with it. one wire that you fish through the light bar to connect the 2 lamps (clearly marked) and another extra wire that connects to the lamp with the switch. That wire has a in line fuse.
First of all I tried installing just the one bulb to save time. I connected the new lamp that has the switch to my old existing lamp wire. Nothing came on. I then connected both new lamps and ran the hot wire to the battery. Nothing came on. What am I missing here? It looks real simple. So again im back to just having 2 passing lamps just for show. I want my lights! help

Did you run the ground wire? Should be in the light with the switch. Also you are halfway there, do yourself a favor and get rid of the switch and the crappy stock wires that come with the lights and upgrade to 14gage stranded wire. For some reason the wires will heat up, melt and short out. (at least it did twice on mine)I think they are under rated for the power needed. IMHO

Steven

speaking of heating up. you are right...back when they were working the wires inside dang near melted the clear plastic protective sleeves. some became hard and would just snap off of the switch. i didnt do any extra grounding because i dont see any extra connections. within each lamp the bulb only is grounded with a black wire to the inside of the lamp housing. where would i connect the ground? i took pics but im at work now. like i said 1 passing lamp has only 1 connector..i took one wire, connected it to that single plug and the other end of that wire to the 1 of the "2" plugs on the switch lamp..that only leaves 1 open plug so i connected the provided in line fuse wire directly to that plug. how do i ground it further? i can really go by the old setup b/c the wires snapped off the bike when the lamp fell out. thanks..

If you have multiple accessories needing ground on the steering set (bar or fork mounted) you can run grounds to the forward equipment if you install a bonding strap between the main frame and the steering set. I intend to do this eventually, but have not yet. You can get a decent ground without it, but it is going through the steering head bearings and stem, which is not ideal. A good, low resistance path to ground helps to reduce heat build-up in your connections, just like a good clean power supply does. I'll look around a bit in my manual (bike is not in Maine!!) and see if there is a good point-to point run that can be made and stay concealed. the grounds going to the light housing are depending on the previously described "variable" path. When we steer, go over bumps, and change atmospheric conditions, the quality of that ground path changes, inducing resistance.

i don't understand why i can't ground it where it originally was grounded. keep in mind i alreaday had a set on the bike. im simply replacing one. i just dont know where the "original" lamp was grounded on the inside somewhere behind the bulb. there's not an additional ground wire going through the actual light bar. that tells me i must be missing a wire somewhere. there are 3 prongs on the switch but only two are used. maybe the empty one is a ground.

Check resistance to ground somewhere on the chassis to somewhere on the forks. That will tell you if you are getting a good ground through the neck. Some late 90's-early 2000's Shadows are bad about not carrying a good ground without a bonding strap. Haven't heard of it on a Roadie, but it could be an issue with yours.

friggin bad wire in the headlamp assembly.. i replaced it, ran the fuse wire outside of the headlamp so that i dont have to take it apart if the fuse blow one day and replaced the old lamp/switch with the new...looks great and feels great having 3 lights again...its 1am..im going to bed folks

Glad you got it. I replaced my switch with a higher rated switch from Radio Shack. The specifics escape me at the moment. Left it out there on the right lamp housing. It's not like I turn them on and off a lot. Took out the toggle on the last one with a wash cloth! Pretty tiny lever on that switch. Regardless, it is probably a lot safer out there than it would be on my bars, plus, I don't have to run another hot wire up the bars that way.