| Author | Message | ||
     Speedstar |
I found a thread on here over the weekend that said if you soldered the yellow and blue wires in the switch housing together it would run the low and high beam lights together when the high beam switch was on, and only the low beam when in the low beam setting. I tried it and it worked. I just left the original solder points and added a short wire across the points between the wires to tie them together. I like it much better with both lights burning during the day, and at night I can still run just the low beam. | ||
| Chadhargis |
I read somewhere that this was bad for the headlight housing due to the heat. Let us know if you have any issues. | ||
| Speedstar |
Chad - you are my electrical guru. Am I setting myself up for a problem here? It is the same as having the passing switch illuminated although not for full-time use. I haven't had an issue yet. I will let you know how it works out. | ||
| Chadhargis |
Technically, you shouldn't have any issues, but I seem to recall reading somewhere (can't remember where...old man's disease), that the reason Buell only lights up one light at a time is to reduce heat in the headlight housing. After looking at it, the headlights are individual units. Both sealed from each other. Don't know how they'd swap too much heat. One thing I did notice is that the headlights are horribly aimed from the factory. Luckily it only takes loosening one screw under the fender to adjust them up a bit. | ||
| Thesmaz |
IS there a way to wire it so that both lights are on for both low and hi beam? | ||
| Speedstar |
I know what you mean, mine were aimed way low. At 25 feet off the wall, they were about 1 foot off the ground instead of the suggested 34"-36" high. That made a big difference. Thesmaz - the way I did it they are both on when the switch is on the high beam setting. The housing adjustment adjusts both lights at the same time and it is the lens construction that creates the differing patterns for high and low beam. | ||
| Thunderbox |
If you want both on just select high beam why bother having them both on all the time. I think that would also be highly ilegal and wouldn't make others happy with you. | ||
| Bienhoabob |
but I seem to recall reading somewhere (can't remember where...old man's disease), Chad, you read about over heating the housing unit on the interview with Eric, about a month or two ago. It didn't make much sense to me either, since they look like separate units. I'd like two on all the time to wake up the drivers around here. But black bike, black riding suit and black helmet doesn't help either. | ||
| Ftd |
Would running slightly higher wattage bulbs,say 70W, be a problem heat wise? Would that wattage increase help the light intensity noticeably? Frank | ||
| Speedstar |
I switched the bulbs to Sylvania Silverstar bulbs and they are noticeably brighter. They are only 55watt though. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
The overheating part was not the bulb housings but the handlebar switch. Too much current for too long. | ||
| Javadog |
Sounds like one of the electrical engineering geniuses here could design a relay controlled circuit and possibly even market a new wiring harness with larger gauge wiring. Painless wiring (see painlesswiring.com) sells harness for SUVs with 4 headlights that allow all 4 bulbs to illuminate when the "high beam" switch is selected. | ||
| Brad1445 |
I would like two lights to increase people seeing me, I think the Buell is invisible at night. | ||
| Bosh |
Ftd, I have a 100w in my high beam. It is MUCH brighter than stock. You need to be careful not to leave it on when you come up behind cars at stop lights though, because you'll melt the[cars]bumper.  | ||
| Thesmaz |
Thunderbox, The reason I'd like to have both lights on, either lo or hi, is that with the lo only it tends to look like a car with one headlight out and I live out in the county, so it gets a bit dark. Same goes for hi beams although I am planning on adding a HID aux kit. I would think that it would be illegal, I've owned numerous sportbikes that have two headlights that are on all of the time | ||
| Thunderbox |
If you have both lights on all the time you will get pulled over by the Belgique Police the first time they meet you head on. It would also be very bad manners to meet everyone head on and leave both your lights on. I can't believe thats what you mean to do. | ||
| Bienhoabob |
I think what we're after is two low beams all the time for normal riding, and two high beams on when you hit the high beam switch. Or at least that's what I'm after. I'll be adding Motolights as soon as I get delivery. | ||
| Thunderbox |
I think that is about what everyone would think is ideal. I haven't even looked at the lights yet so I can't really say what can be done but I will look this weekend. -9 this morning so biking is not high on a priority list yet. | ||
| Speedstar |
I ride with my highbeam on in the day anyway as a lot of motorcyclist do. Most bikes that have two headlights have both sides on at the same time. At night, Highbeam on would not be good for oncoming traffic. The way I have it wired when the highbeam switch is on (daytime) both lights are on, no worse for oncoming traffic than I would normally have as the lowbeam is directed lower than the highbeam. When I switch to the lowbeam setting, only the low beam is illuminated (night time). I don't see this as a problem. | ||
| Thunderbox |
All Canadian models have the headlights on when the bike is started. We also have daytime running lights on all our cars. This has proven to lower accident rates beyond any doubt whatsoever. Keep the headlights on boys. We just start ours up and away we go. | ||
| Chadhargis |
Once I adjusted my lights, the work well. Much better than I expected. Everything about this bike seems to be much better than I expected. I rode in to work this morning, and the fan didn't come on the entire way. Even in slow moving traffic. Once I turned off the engine it kicked in due to the lower temp threshold when the engine isn't running. My bike now has 100 miles on it! YEAH!! | ||
| Thesmaz |
Thunderbox, you are obviously misunderstanding what I want to do, so let me make it real simple for you: turn bike on, right and left low beam headlights on at same time. Push button, make right and left hi beams on at same time. Is that clear enough for ya? So what I'm talking about isn't that difficult to understand and no need to bash me. Other folks have asked the same if not similar questions and you don't attack them. Besides you live in Canada, how the hell do you know what the laws are here in Belgium? I don't really care if I •••• anyone off "because I have two lo beam headlights on all of the time",they'll see me, right and I just don't want to get creamed by one of the many semi trucks that travel on all of the roads overhere and don't give a damn about anyone else around them. Does anyone else have any advice other than Thunderbox if there is an easy way of doing what I'm looking for without causing damage to the bikes electronics? Thanks in advance | ||
| Thunderbox |
Well nice of you to properly explain what you are wanting. What I know about Belgium really isn't the issue but I will explain. I was in the Army for 20 years and was deployed in Europe for 10 of those 20 years and made many trips to Belgium and the other 2 Benelux countries. Returning for the last time in 1992. You are right I did misunderstand what you meant as your explanation was poorly written. Unlike your last post, I was not bashing you in any way shape or form. But hey what could I know. I'm just a "Canadian". Now I have a question for everybody. As I don't have my Uly manual here with me right now are the bulbs in the headlights both the same or are they different as supplied from Buell. If they are the same bulb it would seem that the lenses are different and then it is not possible to get 2 highs and 2 low beam lights out of the present Buell setup. | ||
| Chadhargis |
The bulbs in the Uly are the same. Each are single filament bulbs. The only difference between the high and low beam is the reflector. So there is no way to have a low and high beam in each reflector. At least that is the case here in the US. | ||
| Thesmaz |
Chadhargis, That may put an end to my quest in this endeavor  I guess I'll have to find another way to increase my visibility. I will probably add the city-light bulbs, I'm getting a US Spec bike, but I know that they wont help much for what I'm wanting to do. Thanks | ||
| Chadhargis |
You might consider a set of Motolights. They look very nice, and work quite well. | ||
| Lowflyer |
"But hey what could I know. I'm just a "Canadian"."\ You asked... Hockey, Moosehead, seal clubbing(this one's for Newfie), and Pamela "even my crabs have crabs" Anderson   | ||
| Thunderbox |
I am sure the light housings are the same on the US and the Canada model so we all have the same problems I see. Looks like we have to install some other lights to make the best of it. We still can use both lights on high beam but it would be nice to have better lights on low also. | ||
| Chadhargis |
Be sure you properly adjust the headlights. Mine were awful when I first got the bike. Dangerous in fact. After adjustment, they work very well. | ||
| Thunderbox |
That is an issue for the dealer. Poor pre delivery routine. We get that all the time when a vehicle is in for an accident repair. |
