Improving headlamp

[m312]

Hi

I have done a few trips in the dark on unlit country roads recently, and it's not a happy experience due to the poor brightness of the headlamp even on main beam. It passed it's MOT recently so I know it's lined up correctly. The beam doesn't exactly light up the road, and I found myself doing about 30 in a 60 zone, just because I couldn't see far enough ahead for corners etc. Being a single headlamp I guess there's not much scope to improve this except maybe for a brighter lamp.....

Anyway, does anyone have any ideas? I have wondered about upgrading to Xenon, or fitting extra lamps, etc etc. I'm a novice at bike wiring but willing to give it a go.

[Tango]

First up would be to replace the headlamp bulb with something like an Osram Night Breaker and see how that goes......

[megawatt]

HID is the way to go.

[Joeman]

HID is the way to go.

 

35quid from EuroCarparts - reduced from 78quid...

and thats for a pair, so split it with a mate...

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/car-a ... &0&cc5_774

[Stu]

Hid is not the way to go!

Besides been illegal you will blind other road users which could cause an accident!

[Bogof]

Hid is not the way to go!

Besides been illegal you will blind other road users which could cause an accident!

 

HID is short for hideous!

[banditjohn]

I put the HID for the dipped beam and as long as it's set on the lower side of adjustment it'll be fine, I can say that I've had no flashing to signal that I'm dazzling everyone coming the other way. I've kept the normal bulb for high beam and if you play with it you can get the adjustment so you can see.

John

[Joeman]

Actually, I think the future is LED headlight bulbs. Low wattage, low(ish) heat output, direct replacement for standard halogens.

[Chrissb6]

These look like there worth a try.The beauty of these lights is that there on in an instant, variable brightness and draw little current so loading up of the bikes electric's.

As Stu say HID's requires a special lamp holder - reflector or they dazzle and become illegal

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cree-Motorcycle ... cle+lights

[mealexme]

These look like there worth a try.The beauty of these lights is that there on in an instant, variable brightness and draw little current so loading up of the bikes electric's.

As Stu say HID's requires a special lamp holder - reflector or they dazzle and become illegal

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cree-Motorcycle ... cle+lights

that plus they need to be self leveling, which isn't possible on a bike

[m312]

These look like there worth a try.The beauty of these lights is that there on in an instant, variable brightness and draw little current so loading up of the bikes electric's.

As Stu say HID's requires a special lamp holder - reflector or they dazzle and become illegal

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cree-Motorcycle ... cle+lights

 

Look good,but as the info says "Not DOT approved. For off road use only." Hmmm

[Chrissb6]

Agree it say's not D.O.T approved, there's not many aftermarket accessories that are! This includes aftermarket exhaust system, tinted visors the list go's on and on!! Use your common sense if you have any?! That should keep you safe and inside the boundaries of the law.

Edited October 11, 2013 by Chrissb6

[mealexme]

isn't SOT approved a USA thing?

[Throttled]

First up would be to replace the headlamp bulb with something like an Osram Night Breaker and see how that goes......

 

x2, worked for me.

[m312]

Use your common sense if you have any?!

 

[Lumor_uk]

can buy higher wattage bulb. if it's 35watt I used a 55watt bulb for over a year in my xr 125.

[m312]

can buy higher wattage bulb. if it's 35watt I used a 55watt bulb for over a year in my xr 125.

 

The lamp (bulb) in my headlight is 55w/60w, so I can only really keep to this wattage to a Philips Extreme Vision or Osram Night Breaker....and possibly upgrade the wiring to give a higher voltage.

It could also be that the existing lamp is past its best - it does have some blackening on the glass so I guess even a straight halogen replacement would improve the light output.

Work in progress!

[Chrissb6]

can buy higher wattage bulb. if it's 35watt I used a 55watt bulb for over a year in my xr 125.

 

The lamp (bulb) in my headlight is 55w/60w, so I can only really keep to this wattage to a Philips Extreme Vision or Osram Night Breaker....and possibly upgrade the wiring to give a higher voltage.

It could also be that the existing lamp is past its best - it does have some blackening on the glass so I guess even a straight halogen replacement would improve the light output.

Work in progress!

Hi it's not possible to upgrade the wiring to give a higher voltage, would strongly suggest you stick to the standard wattage if the lamp is already a 55 watts. Increasing the wattage any higher could result in you overloading the power supply and ending up with a) a flat battery, b) burnt out regulator - alternator c) a meltdown of the plastic reflector and wiring to your headlight circuit. Try a new higher spec 55watt lamp first before you go any further.

[Tango]

I think what the OP is referring to with rewiring the headlamp is to get the correct voltage to the headlamp......reducing the voltage drop through the existing wiring Chris. A 12v 55w bulb will only produce 55w if there is 12v across it......so, if the wiring and connectors in the lighting circuit drop the voltage to 11v the output of the bulb will be correspondingly lower.....

[Chrissb6]

I think what the OP is referring to with rewiring the headlamp is to get the correct voltage to the headlamp......reducing the voltage drop through the existing wiring Chris. A 12v 55w bulb will only produce 55w if there is 12v across it......so, if the wiring and connectors in the lighting circuit drop the voltage to 11v the output of the bulb will be correspondingly lower.....

Hi Tango, that is a possibility, but l would of thought the wiring would be up to spec, if volt drop is detected most probably cause is by a high resistive connection of a terminal or maybe even the switch. With a volt meter in hand he needs to check the voltage across the headlight terminals and work his way through. Note: Any sign of green verdigris corrosion of the cables or connectors needs to be sorted. A blackened - burnt glass on the present bulb will not help matters l would suggest he starts here.

[m312]

I think what the OP is referring to with rewiring the headlamp is to get the correct voltage to the headlamp......reducing the voltage drop through the existing wiring Chris. A 12v 55w bulb will only produce 55w if there is 12v across it......so, if the wiring and connectors in the lighting circuit drop the voltage to 11v the output of the bulb will be correspondingly lower.....

 

Thanks Tango, succinctly put. That's what I was aiming at. I found out the hard way that 12v suffers from voltage drop over distance if the cable used is not suitable. I wired up some 12v lights at my shop a few years ago and had dim lamps, had to go back and buy some heavier duty cable and rewire it all!!

If the Philips Xtreme Vision don't do the trick I'll be surprised, but if not then I'll look at upgrading the wiring.

@ Chris, good advice. I will check the voltage at the lamp connectors before I change anything.

[Stu]

I think what the OP is referring to with rewiring the headlamp is to get the correct voltage to the headlamp......reducing the voltage drop through the existing wiring Chris. A 12v 55w bulb will only produce 55w if there is 12v across it......so, if the wiring and connectors in the lighting circuit drop the voltage to 11v the output of the bulb will be correspondingly lower.....

Hi Tango, that is a possibility, but l would of thought the wiring would be up to spec, if volt drop is detected most probably cause is by a high resistive connection of a terminal or maybe even the switch. With a volt meter in hand he needs to check the voltage across the headlight terminals and work his way through. Note: Any sign of green verdigris corrosion of the cables or connectors needs to be sorted. A blackened - burnt glass on the present bulb will not help matters l would suggest he starts here.

 

I would have thought my suzuki wiring would have been up to the job but you only get 10v at the headlight plugs

and also on mine you dont get full charge output at the battery either

bit a wiring here and there and hey presto 13v at battery and the same at the headlight with really bright lights

[m312]

bit a wiring here and there and hey presto 13v at battery and the same at the headlight with really bright lights

 

A bit modest there, Stu! Rewiring a bike isn't something I take lightly, as I'm a bit of a novice at it. Is it just a case of tracing the wiring back bit by bit and upgrading the core size of each wire? Or changing relays? Any advice or help would be much appreciated.

[Stu]

A bit modest there, Stu! Rewiring a bike isn't something I take lightly, as I'm a bit of a novice at it. Is it just a case of tracing the wiring back bit by bit and upgrading the core size of each wire? Or changing relays? Any advice or help would be much appreciated.

 

No

what you want to do I create a new loom for the lights run off relays and a direct feed off the battery and use the old headlight connections to power the new relays

it sounds complicated but its pretty easy to be honest

you can actually buy ready made looms for it if you look hard enough and some are plug and play

first thing to check is the volts at the headlight plugs you may already have enough power there and not need them

[Stu]

see if you can figure this out

you dont need 4 relays though like whats shown here you can use 2

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/attachments/f38/9016d1235079780-headlight-wiring-upgrade-hlwd.jpg