Hey peeps! My friend just bought a 06 CBR600RR and asked me to help her troubleshoot it.

Me riding it home for her:



Issues I've found so far with the bike:

1. The highbeam/lowbeam switch does nothing, the highbeam indicator light stays lit constantly.

2. If the highbeams (both bulbs) are on (can't turn them off currently) and you turn on the left turn signal, the right headlight bulb goes out for the duration of the signal (the left headlight stays on). The right turn signal doesn't affect the headlights at all, both stay lit.

3. It's got a SUPER weird electrical device plugged into the dash cluster (at least I think that's where it's going):



Previous modifications to the bike:

Security system (unknown brand, no marking on the remote, no markings on the brain in the trunk).

Rizoma front and rear LED turn signals (with inverters and resistors), and a Rizoma LED license plate light.

HID headlights (the left side ballast is bad and the bulb is cracked):



As far as I know the sub harnesses for the headlight bulbs are missing. I wanted to get rid of the HID's and put some stock H7 bulbs back in but the tabs on the H7 bulbs are too close together to fit into this connector:



Unfortunately the previous owner actually cut the connector off the wiring harness to install the LED turn signals

Other than that, bike works mint, sounds amazing and runs a like a dream even with the exhaust modifications (akrapovic, not sure if just slip on) and no fuel controller.

Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated, I've only ever owned Yamaha so a bit lost as to where to start with the troubleshooting.

-Jamie M.

 

No doubt that that HID job is messing things up. The stock lights has one for the low beam that is on all the time. The other light is for only the switched high beam. When someone wants them both on all the time, for symmetry and everyone won't keep telling you that's headlight is out, they end up wired together.

The h7 bulb has a socket that it plugs into. The other end accepts the larger plug.

Can't tell you what that other mess is, only that it's not stock. I'd remove it.

 

No doubt

Sweet, thanks for confirming that. Because it used two H7 bulbs I assumed one was low beam and one was high beam (with double activation). Can you tell me which one is supposed to be the low beam and which one is the switched high beam? I have no way to test because it's stuck on high beam.

I unplugged both HID ballasts from the headlight sockets and the highbeam indicator is still stuck on. There doesn't appear to be any modifications to the headlight harness to force the highbeam constantly on. Is there somewhere else I can look for modifications? Doesn't anyone ever short out the highbeam relay? I know on some other models of bikes that is a popular modification for both headlights always on.

Figured as much. I'll give Honda a call and see if I can buy the two sub harnesses.

I'm worried it's part of the security system and removing it might stop the bike from starting. If I can't figure out what it is I might just tuck it back where it was and worry about it another time.

Thanks a ton for all your help and advice, I'm a Honda noob

-Jamie M.

 

I think the left is the low beam. I don't have a 600rr, s I'm not 100% positive. The high beam is just aimed differently, or supposed to be.

Unplugging the HID headlights won't change anything. As long as the rest is wired in and whatever bypass has been done, the problem will remain.

You can remove a security system, just pay close attention to how its wired in and restore to circuits that it interrupts. You could leave it, but if it activates out on the road she will be stuck.

 

Making progress. I saw some strange/messy electrical tape on the wiring harness coming out of the highbeam/lowbeam switch so I unwrapped it:



Well there's your problem lady! Looks like they cut almost every wire in the harness for no reason

I guess the only question is: Do I just repair those two wires with new solder and heatshrink filled with silicone or do I re-do all the rest of the cut wires too?

Hopefully this will fix both issues (stuck on highbeam and the right headlight shutting off when you turn on the left turn signal).

-Jamie M.

 

I guess the person who did the previous modifications didn't own a soldering gun



But, GOOD FREAKIN NEWS! All fixed. Sorry for no photos, I was in a hurry because there was a rain storm coming, only a few hours of daylight left, and the mosquitoes were just waiting to pounce on me. I don't have a garage and the bike goes in for certification tomorrow (which they wouldn't pass with the high beams stuck on).

I put the two white wires back together and reconnected all of the rest of the cut wires with solder and silicone filled heat shrink. I added an extra inch or two of ofc wire in a Z shape as strain relief so every time you turn the bike it won't be bending at the solder joints, better setup than factory even!

The highbeam and lowbeam work perfectly now (the low beam is the left bulb, as you're sitting on the bike, in case anyone is wondering) and using the turn signal no longer causes one of the headlights to cut out! WOOT!

She wanted to stay with HID's. I tried to talk her into a projector upgrade but no go, oh well, can't win them all. Dropped in a new 8000k (I suggested 3000k or 4300k but "it wasn't pretty enough") 35w HID kit. Worked flawless of course, even without having to use the honda bulb adapters. When the honda bulb adapters arrive I'll plug the HID ballasts into the bulb adapters so when the next owner decides to get rid of the HID's they'll have everything there to just plug in some stock bulbs.

Adjusted her throttle freeplay, it was WAY off, you had NO idea when it was going to start accelerating, just twist and twist then THERE YOU GO! So much slop. It's tighter than a Nun on Sunday now, instant throttle response even if you just breath on the throttle. I suggested she lubes the throttle and clutch cables (I don't own the adapter).

It had quite a bit of negative clutch freeplay, hopefully it didn't damage the clutch

Took it for a rip, sounds freaking amazing, runs nice. I can't believe how much more torque this CBR 600 has down low compared against my 08 R6! Makes the R6 feel like a CBR 125 under 7k RPM!

Thanks for all the info and advice guys.

-Jamie M.

 

That's awesome. I hate when people without any electrical skills mess with wiring.

Glad it's all sorted. Now get her to join up. After all, she has a CBR now!