Cruise Control when NOT in OD?

[MartinKemp]

The cruise control works well enough. But I live close to the Rocky Mountains. More up and down terrain than flat terrain, and I'm often in lower gears (4-5) even at highway speed of 50 mph. Cruise control only engages in OD (6). Anyone ever bypass that limitation to allow cruise to engage in lower gears? Advisable? Stupid? If it's been done and proved successful, I'd like if you could share the procedure.

Thanks,
Martin

[Bill O]

Years ago, My '94 OD switch stopped working. Turned out to be the internal switch contacts in the tranny. So, I just set up a switched ground to the wiring at the tranny contact so I could manually turn on the OD light in any gear. The results was that the Cruise would work in any gear. Did com in handy at times. There was never any adverse effect of using the Cruise this way. One thing I found out years later (I suspected and Carl Leo Confirmed) If the OD light in the dash burns out, you are screwed, again. You have to replace the bulb......

Bill O

P.S. You still have to be going faster than the cruise minimum for it to engage.

[Barry]

I saved this info from one of the forums 20 years ago. I'm not the author, but can attest that it's worked on 2 of the 3 vxii's that I've owned over the years.
"CRUISE CONTROL MODIFICATION:
OK! here it is; It is a fairly easy process although it is time consuming. First remove the left outer fairing shell. Next locate the cruise control main control module. It is attached with three 10mm nuts to a bracket forward of, but not to, the cassette tape storage compartment. From the bottom of the module are two plugs. One has 5 blue wires with various colored tracers. The other has 12 wires of assorted colors. The second plug is the one you're looking for.

Locate the orange wire with a white tracer. Cut the wire as close to the wire harness wrapping as possible. Splice a piece of wire about 6" long to the orange w/white wire coming from the plug. Ground it under one of the 10mm mounting nuts. Re-install the fairing shell. YOUR DONE!!! This was done in 98 and to the best of my knowledge is still using it this way today."
FYI I chose to tie this wire to one of the many ground wires near this plug. If you ride 2 up & pull a trailer, this is the only way to go.

[Nails]

Does the OD light still work normally?

[Barry]

Yes. That's how I know I'm done shifting! Sure wish we had 6 speeds.

[Nails]

Okay, next time I have the fairing off, this change definitely is happening. I hate arbitrary, asinine rules like, "you can only have cruise in OD". That's a big part of why I ride bikes in the first place. Thanks.

[MartinKemp]

Thanks everyone! Great advise. That's why I keep coming back to this forum!

[Thadbaker86voyager]

This would be good information to add to the tips section!!

[cranky]

This would be good information to add to the tips section!!

... + 1 ...

[MartinKemp]

Hi folks. So I did this mod to my '93 (1200). Works great!! It's a pleasure to ride in the mountains now.

I looked at the wiring diagram and is seems that when the transmission is NOT in OD the orange / white wire that goes from the harness to the cruise module (see previous discussion) is OPEN. When you shift to OD, that wire becomes grounded (through a switch), and that tells the cruise module that the transmission is in OD. So by following the mod procedure and installing a permanent ground, we're essentially tricking the cruise module to thinking that the transmission is always in OD. Brilliant.

Modification time - ~30 minutes.
Time wasted deliberating over whether I wanted to cut the wire (I HATE cutting wires) - ~ 2 hours.
Cruise control in 4th and 5th gear - PRICELESS.

[Nails]

I just made this mod, too. Was already in there disabling the Reserve Lighting Unit for an LED headlight.
XII don't seem as hackable as 4-cylinder Goldwings. But hackable enough, I reckon.

[Nails]

Unfortunately, the orange/white wire hack did not work for me (1996). The OD light stayed on all the time, and the cruise control couldn't be turned on (much less set).
I put it back together stock -- maybe I have a second problem.

[Barry]

Did you zoom in on the picture I posted? The wire I cut I used a piece of scrap brown wire that must be connected to ground.. Also the other end of the cut wire can be seen where the black tape ends on the wiring harness. Is your OD light staying on in ALL gears?? My OD light works fine.

[Nails]

There might be something wrong with the module. I'll RTFM -- I understand there's instructions to test it.

[ekap1200]

There might be something wrong with the module. I'll RTFM -- I understand there's instructions to test it.

If I were you , I would check out all the cut - out switch's first. ( don't forget the one to the carbs. ) left side ,behind faux tank at the bottom. one of the 3 connectors you will SEE has 2 wires -the wires going straight towards the center of the carb's .If anyone has taken up too much slack and there is no free play at the throttle grip that one WILL ALSO cut-out the sys and keep it from setting on enabling CC. Foot brake s/w you can visual and the others you can meter or buz out to test. Double check plug connections if things were removed. I see here you did have power on lamp but it would not set. Now it is back to grounding only in 5th , And now with it working and turning/on - the sys/on lamp - it still won't turn the set lamp on or activate the Cruise.
They are the first items I would look into . verify all the cut-out's, then a point to point test from the harness plug up to the same wire in the control head and if need be from the control head right to the module plug... These wire's can be open without the insulation showing signs of damage, Just by improper routing or tie - straps.

[Nails]

Thanks, Gene. I was working until mid-ride, when the cruise suddenly went off and I couldn't set it again. I could turn it on, but now (after shorting out the OD switch) I can't even do that.

I messed with the rear brake about when it all quit (switching from floorboards to pegs), and this might've had something to do with the original fail. I've been over that pretty good. I've checked all those switches and screwed around with the throttle cables a lot (lub &etc); but all of that was before it quit working. I've had the carbs off way too many times, so I know the switch you're talking about there. The front brake connections are especially wonky given my narrower bars, but those are good.

Since defeating the OD switch, the cruise won't even turn on. I read where another inmate fried his OD module by unplugging it without dealing with some actuator. Let me read up on it; but I'm thinking I might've done the same.

I understand the manual has checks for the module. I'll run those and see whether I need to ask Mr. Leo for a spare module.

Yes, this bike seems especially sensitive to routing and tension, both electrical and cables.

[VoyKimmer]

Also check the cruise control relay. Swap with another known good relay. There all the same.
Check 10 pin connector. Unplug it and plug it back in. Look for burned wires. If on light is not coming on then relay is not activating.

[ekap1200]

Also check the cruise control relay. Swap with another known good relay. There all the same.
Check 10 pin connector. Unplug it and plug it back in. Look for burned wires. If on light is not coming on then relay is not activating.

GOOD call Kim, forgot about that one.
I guess you made it home , did you install the fender inserts and were the one's in there crushed out ?

[Nails]

Well, I installed the fender inserts. And I didn't have any at all, crushed or otherwise.

[ekap1200]

Well, I installed the fender inserts. And I didn't have any at all, crushed or otherwise.

Oh I was asking Kim about the ones I sent him, did I make some for you ? So how did you make out with them. Did the fender end up being a bit loose after not having ANY in there ? Sometimes when they have been crushed or not in there at all, the fender, will end up with too much play from the plastic being crushed and require one of several ways to compensate for that. Would like to know how you ended up with them. ie. Improved or not. The dimension of 0.232 is the average I came up with gauging several years of fenders.
Gene Kap