H4 Dual Kit for Rocket III Installation Page

with help from J.L.Gorman, Rocket III Owner

Pre-Install Info: H4 bulb wires are left out of the new H4 sockets so that you can insert the wires into the headlight bowls easier. After getting the wires into the bowls through the rubber grommets, you can then insert them into the H4 Sockets as shown in the pic below.  To remove the old headlight H4 sockets you can simply cut them off.  You’ll also need to cut the yellow position light wires to remove the old wiring.  If you want to retain the position lights operation you can use the one of the OEM loom connectors (there are two, this install only requires one) and splice the yellows together and use the black ground from the connector. (Note: position lights are the flashlight bulbs mounted in the bottom of the reflector.) Use some heat shrink tube to insulate the yellow and black wires and tie them up so they can't short out inside the bowls or on the frame harness.

Removing Unused Stock Headlight Wiring: If you want to really do the job right, you'll want to remove the stock headlight wiring to the second headlight socket, which is no longer used. Remove old headlight wires by removing any wire wrap or tape and cut the old H4 sockets off. The main thing is to get a clean install without any possibility of a short. The two OEM loom sockets are separate so it is relatively easy to remove wires completely.

Installing The Switching Leads: This Kit has two small blue Posi-Locks instead of a standard H4 Coupler. Posi-locks are used to make the HI/LO beam connections to the bike for normal switching. The kit’s yellow wire is LO beam and the white is HI beam. You will be connecting only ONE OEM H4 socket’s hot wires to connect the switching leads.  When you lift the fuel tank on the right side frame you’ll find two connectors to the lighting circuit that go to the headlights.  Removing the cover from the headstock on the right side will ease installation (requires an allen key).  You can disconnect the small OEM loom connectors from the loom harness.  You need to cut one of those small OEM loom connectors off leaving about 2 to 3 inches of wire.  Remove the old heat shrink-wrap from the connector and you’ll find a black, yellow, red/blue and blue/white wires.  Before connecting these wires to the Kit's blue Posi-Locks on the yellow and white wires, slide new heat shrink tube from the kit over the posi-locks and kit wires. When finished connecting to the HI and LO hot wires of the bike finish the job by shrinking the tubing over the Posi-Locks and wires to keep out dirt and moisture.

To get the HI/LO beam connections perform the following:

The OEM red/blue wire goes to the LO beam and the blue/white wire goes to HI beam.  In this install the black and yellow wire are not used. For Hi/LO you don't need the ground, just the red/blue and blue/white wires from the small OEM loom connector.  Strip � inch to 1/3 inch of the insulation from the blue/white wire and use the posi-lock connector to attach to the Kit’s white posi-lock wire.  Simply unscrew the open end, slide the connector’s wire through the posi-lock barrel fitting, insert the stripped wire into the base and reconnect.  Do the same to the red/blue and our kit’s yellow posi-lock wire.  Then plug the OEM connector back into the loom harness.

H4 Sockets Installation: Run the wires with terminals through the headlight shell rubber grommets, and into the shells. Refit the grommets in place. Now snap the terminals into the H4 Sockets that came with the Kit (see pic below). Push the sockets on the bulbs.

Main Leads Installation: Now take the Kit's main leads back to the battery carefully routing the wires around any sharp edges and the steering parts. Do not install the fuse until the install is done and checked. With fusepanel main leads, you connect to your auxiliary fuse panel instead of the battery.

Remove all wires from the battery in this order - start with the NEG post. Remove the bolt/screw, and move all wires here away from the post so they will not contact the post. Now remove the bolt on the POS wires and install the main Red Lead's ring terminal, with all the bike's POS leads onto the battery's POS post. Tighten the bolt snugly but do not over-tighten. Install the main Black lead with the bike's wires that came off the NEG post, onto the battery's NEG post, tighten the bolt snugly.

Now the install should be complete, go back over your work and check the wire routing.

Testing the Install: Put the 20A fuse into the fuseholder and turn the bike's key on and check both HI and LO positions are working properly.

Completing the Install: Now cable tie up all the wires snug (not too tight) and carefully. Reinstall all bike parts you had to remove and you're done. Done right, the lights are much brighter, and will prevent ignition switch failure.

LO Beam Cut Option: If you opted for the LO beam cut-out option, the installation is the same as described above, plus the switching leads also need to be installed, and your switch.  The SPST switch can be mounted on the right side frame cover by drilling a pilot hole in the cover and mounting the switch.  The two leads on the kit connect to the back of the SPST switch.  Switched off the low beam headlights will not come on until switched on.  You can leave the switch ‘on’ and the headlights work normally.  This option is useful in cold climates to prevent the headlights coming on at start or for tuning the bike’s ECM (requiring the ignition to be on (means you don’t have to pull fuses to work with headlight off).