| Author |
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Rhinowerx
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 09, 2006 - 12:33 pm: | 
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Gentleman_jon,
With the male end of the plug right side up (bracket mounting clip underneath), look inside at the metal prongs. Above them, part of the plastic housing, is a tab that locks the the wire connectors in place.
The idea is to insert small pointy object in between the metal prong and the tab. Push the small plastic tab upward, at the same time, gently pull on the wire from the opposite end. The wire should come out without any force.
It may take a few tries, and will definitely test your dexterity.
Hope this helps
Cheers
-Jack |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Thursday, August 10, 2006 - 04:34 pm: |
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Fact: Over time it will fail the headlight assembly from the heat. So that's why we, and Honda, and Ducati, and Suzuki, and ... run only one light of dual systems. the tight packaging of high power beams in small lightweight plastic packages has it's limitations.
Symmetry is beautiful, but only when balanced with knowledge of function. However freedom of choice is yours no matter the knowledge level. |
Don668
| | Posted on Thursday, August 10, 2006 - 07:35 pm: |
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Define failure please. Would that mean running my High Beam in the daytime (to help be seen) would also lead to failure?
I would think having both lights on at night... at speed, would be enough to keep them cool.
Just wondering.
Don |
Rhinowerx
| | Posted on Thursday, August 10, 2006 - 07:49 pm: |
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I was thinking the same thing - I would only use the high beam to help increase visibility during heavy traffic situations (which I try to avoid), and for night visibility when there is no other traffic - night riding is something else I don't do much of if I can help it.
-Jack
(Message edited by rhinowerx on August 10, 2006) |
Mdm
| | Posted on Thursday, August 10, 2006 - 08:12 pm: |
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Fact, the single low beam at night is horriable 
I swapped the wire, only run high beam at night so Ill let y'all you know when it fails. |
Reddog3624
| | Posted on Thursday, August 10, 2006 - 09:02 pm: |
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Fact: Over time it will fail the headlight assembly from the heat
If the headlights don't fail with a single low beam on constantly, or when the high beam is used, how is it any different using two low beams & two high beams, of the same wattage, in the same headlight shells?
The logic just doesn't add up? |
Mdm
| | Posted on Thursday, August 10, 2006 - 09:34 pm: |
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twice the wattage, twice the heat |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Thursday, August 10, 2006 - 09:54 pm: |
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Mdm is right. The logic absolutely adds up, and it is a fact. Watts equal heat, and heat is what will fail the unit. The supplier is a major lighting manufacturer and they provided a great deal of the information. They have very specific rules for design, and that's the deal. Just like a Ducati 998 or 748, or a Honda pick a model. |
Rhinowerx
| | Posted on Thursday, August 10, 2006 - 10:33 pm: |
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Seems to me that a lot of folks would prefer the 'both lights on' condition. Perhaps an upgraded unit should be made available as an option.
I would think, especially in this instance, where improved safety and visibility are a concern, perhaps going the 'small light weight plastic' (cheap?) route was not the best option...
Guess I'll have to fork out $300 bills for some aftermarket motolights to give me a better fighting chance out on the road.
BTW - If I'm not mistaken, don't both lights come on for the R models? And if so, are they not considered small, light weight lights? Maybe because they're not a single unit?
Nonetheless, IMHO, there should be a better lighting option for the S. The bike I owned before my Uly was a VStrom - it had some of the best OEM lighting on any bike I'd ever ridden - I know, not exactly small and light weight, but it threw out some serious light...
I think I'll stick with the lighting mod for now, and see, based on how I use them, how long it lasts - I tend not to keep bikes that long anyway - always a tempting new model lurking somewhere around the corner. And if I'm real lucky, it'll have twin headlights, that work all the time for both low and high beam 
Something about being a guy, and seeing twin headlights coming at ya' - it just looks natural 
Cheers
-Jack |
Don668
| | Posted on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 12:48 am: |
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Ericz suggestion seems to be the most logical. Normal low-beam, both lights on high-beam. (and the flash to pass would still work) I tend to drive with my highs on in "major" traffic, but it would be nice to have the extra light at night. I'm not sure there would be a heat failure issue at any kind of speed.
Don |
Mooner
| | Posted on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 02:50 am: |
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My SV-650 uses two lights all the time. My VFR had two lights on for low and 4 lights on for high and they were BRIGHT (like better than my car lights bright). Granted I am not sure of the wattage, and far be it for me to dispute the authority of "anonymous" but it seems strange don't it? |
Darthane
| | Posted on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 09:11 am: |
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Rhino, you are correc that R lights are both on when the high beams are on, however, they are mounted considerably farther from one another than on an S and likely do not produce nearly as much 'sympathetic' heat due to proximity. |
Don668
| | Posted on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 12:35 pm: |
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So I put this issue to an engineer friend if mine and this is what he came up with.
Halogen bulbs are widely used in automobile headlamps, for example, and because headlamps often contain plastic parts, halogen headlamp bulbs' envelopes are made out of hard glass or quartz that has been 'doped' with additives to block most of the UV output (hard glass blocks UV without need of dopants). This also allows halogen lamps to be run at higher temperatures which would cause unacceptably short lamp lifetimes in ordinary incandescent lamps, allowing for higher luminous efficacy, apparent brightness, and whiter color temperature. Because the lamp must be very hot to create this reaction, the halogen lamp's envelope must be made of hard glass or fused quartz, instead of ordinary soft glass which would soften and flow too much at these temperatures.
My thinking is that the actual bulbs are sufficiently far apart, because its just the little guys that give off heat. That and they're in separate housings. And that little bit of heat added by the other bulb shouldnt make that big of a difference when the filament is white hot.
Seems to make sense to me in an OVERLY technical way!
Don |
Reddog3624
| | Posted on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 08:03 pm: |
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twice the wattage, twice the heat???
EXACTLY!
It's the same wattage in TWO different housings. Are you trying to tell me that the heat emanating from each shell is contributing to the failure of both?
That's like saying if you park two Buells side by side, the headlights will burn out.
If one, or either headlight functions, it shouldn't matter much if both are on. The heat emanating from each couldn't possibly be enough to cause both to fail. There are a huge number of bikes running dual headlights with no problems.
Sounds like "Harley Davidson logic" to me. |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 08:25 pm: |
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Lightnings do not have two housings Redog, they have both lamps in one. No H-D logic here, just the same logic that Ducati and others use, which is called engineering. Good stuff that engineering. |
Reddog3624
| | Posted on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 10:15 pm: |
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My Lightening has TWO headlight housings! One for high beam & one for low. Granted, they ARE connected, but still two housings.
I thought the thread was referring to using two H-4 bulbs, one in each housing, as was pictured earlier in the thread?
In that case, I fail to see any problem with melt downs and it should help improve the atrocious stock lighting.
I plan on doing the conversion myself.
(Message edited by reddog3624 on August 11, 2006)
(Message edited by reddog3624 on August 11, 2006) |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 12:13 pm: |
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Different Anony
If your headlight is the same one we shipped the bike with, there is just one housing. The bulbs are separated by the reflective surfaces (which also get warm, btw), but it's all inside one housing. I've taken more than my fair share of these apart, trust us, just one.
(Message edited by uwgriz on August 12, 2006) |
Don668
| | Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 12:20 pm: |
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"If your headlight is the same one we shipped the bike with, there is just one housing. The bulbs are separated by the reflective surfaces (which also get warm, btw), but it's all inside one housing. I've taken more than my fair share of these apart, trust us, just one."
So it makes sense... but what would the preferred way to put more light on the road at night? (I was hoping at speed they would cool down enough)
Don
(Message edited by don668 on August 12, 2006) |
Gentleman_jon
| | Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 12:35 pm: |
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OK,
Why not put a fan on the head light enclosures?
Heat is generated, heat needs to be removed. Air is sucked into one side through a filter, out the other side. Fan stays on for a bit after the bike is shut down.
I mean, we really need better illumination, lets get some engineering to make it happen, not explain why it can't.
Am I right, my brothers?
 |
Don668
| | Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 01:11 pm: |
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Or just separate them.  |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 04:37 pm: |
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Believe me, I thought about a fan, but with all the ranting about the fan that cools the engine, I knew the engineering behind a fan in the headlight enclosure would be way over most folks' heads! |
Gentleman_jon
| | Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 05:35 pm: |
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Right.
I do see your point on the fans.
However, I believe I have spent 1375% more time explaining why one head light is out, than I have spent discussing the continued operation of the fan.
Your point is well taken non the less, and that suggests a natural convection solution to cooling the head lights.
Perhaps I shall convert my current unit to dual lamp operation, ( as I had on my previous model), and drill some holes in the top and bottom of the reflectors, near the front, so they won't interfere overly with lighting efficiency. I think three holes, one quarter inch in diameter might be a place to start.( Note to self: Need to think about water entering the bottom holes.)
Thoughts?
(Message edited by gentleman_jon on August 12, 2006) |
Mdm
| | Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 05:53 pm: |
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how about a heat sink behind the housing ? |
Elf
| | Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 10:39 pm: |
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A heatsink might be a good idea.
Years ago, I had a couple of these Dick Cepek lights on my truck. 210 watts each! They not only had a heatsink in the back, but also a scoop to route cooling air to them! I mounted them on the front of the truck because I was afraid that they would blister the paint if I mounted them on top!
The H7's in the Lightning housing only amount to 110 watts, but the housing is plastic, so I can see where there could be a problem. Anybody wanna engineer somthing like this. I'm a lousy fabricator.
Or, pony up the money for HID's |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 10:53 pm: |
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Yeah, the chimney idea might work. We suggested that to the headlight supplier and they panicked over water getting in in quantity. Time had run out for proving ideas, and the supplier was not willing to stand behind the quality if we didn't do it their way. And since so many competitors do it that way we figured why not? Jeez!
Y'know, I've never read a complaint about only one side headlight working on a Ducati board or a Honda board, and at first that frustrated me. Then I realized that sheep don't argue; they just follow blindly. Except for black sheep!!!! So question away, but I promise you we won't be headed over a cliff! |
Thespive
| | Posted on Monday, August 21, 2006 - 06:51 pm: |
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So has anyone with the mod suffered any issues from it so far? I'd like to do the mod myself and was just curious. While the 194 bulb sounds cool, I'd probably never use it as much as I would need to use two lights on the high beam. Although a blue 194 would look cool parked at the coffee shop at night.
--Sean |
Sdlabrat
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 - 01:42 am: |
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Lighting in general-
Well, for some complex UV free-radical x-link reasons, the coating in the headlight housings breaks down, when light is not reflected out, you get heat. Heat then accelerates the degradation. There's no way of getting around getting replacement housings about every 10kmi -For Firebolt anyhow. They are only $100 a pair, not even 1/2 an insurance bill for me. Imagine how much the current big CBR series lens costs to replace when it gets hit by a rock?
It gets even worse when you put in 100W output bulbs. 100W lights will clear a path in traffic for you at night though! If your are really blinding someone who can't escape though, be nice & reduce your candlepower if you think it's safe. I ride with both of them on night & day due to too many near misses in areas with a high density of international license holders & Paris Hilton wannabes on cell phones. External sound and light might stir brains out of internal dum-dum mode?
Oh, Whitehorse sells a relay that can be toggled from existing circuits in switch pods (for HID running light users). Runs off main accessory power, as an accessory should. So, no extra thermal burden on OEM relay which is already busy. |
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