headlight relay problem (maybe)

Is it ok to remove the headlight relay?

Some background. The WR is new to me so I am not too familiar with it. I installed a headlight cut-off switch and it didn't work. I traced backward from the light looking for voltage until I got to the headlight relay.

I pulled the relay and checked it. I applied 12V to the coil and the contacts closed, so the relay appeared to be ok. The relay coil measured 94 ohms if that means anything. With the relay still removed, I put in a jumper on the relay connector to mimic the relay contacts. Now the headlight and cut-off switch worked as expected. This is a mystery, the relay checks ok yet does not work in the circuit.

What is the relay for? One side of the coil goes to the ECU so I assume the ECU is supervising the headlight in some way. At first I thought maybe the ECU kept the light from coming on until after the motor is started. Or maybe the ECU sees that my fuel pump is disconnected and the tank removed and determines I don’t need a headlight. But both of these seem wrong because I hear the relay click when I turn the ignition switch to on. However, I didn’t actually try to start the bike since my tank was off, so maybe the ECU opens the relay contacts when cranking the motor.

Can I just leave the relay out and put in a jumper? If the ECU is only disconnecting the light during startup, I really don’t need it since I now have a cutoff switch. Also with it out, it is one less thing that can fail. But what goes on inside the ECU is a mystery to me. I wonder if the ECU needs that wire from the headlight relay coil for other purposes. I would be nice to have a document explaining what the ECU does with all it’s inputs and outputs.

If replacing the relay with a jumper is not a good idea, I guess I can buy another relay and cross my fingers.

Thanks for your help.

The headlight doesn't come on until the bike is started.

There is a load control relay so like hertz says the headlight among many other things does not come on until after the engine is running
There is a lot more stuff going on in there, regulations make it switch beams if there is a failure of one of them
It makes this kind of hard to test if you are not familiar with the system, you can create circuits with a test light that don't exist in normal life
Are you just putting a switch in the ground wire?

0007onWR wrote:

There is a load control relay so like hertz says the headlight among many other things does not come on until after the engine is running
There is a lot more stuff going on in there, regulations make it switch beams if there is a failure of one of them
It makes this kind of hard to test if you are not familiar with the system, you can create circuits with a test light that don't exist in normal life
Are you just putting a switch in the ground wire?

The switch is in the green wire going to the headlight.

yellow is high beam, green is low beam, black is ground..
you can run without a relay, just jump it, but as posted beware of extra load during cranking..
the wire to the ECU is indeed the way the lights come on after starting..
happy trails