| Author | Message | ||
     Rhinowerx |
Sorry if this has been asked before... I'm interested in doing this to my Uly - I found a thread referencing earlier XB's, and wondered if the process is the same? (see Aussie_buell's post in this thread - http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/3842/54029.html) Has anybody done this or something similar recently? Any problems? TIA Cheers -Jack | ||
| Reepicheep |
I believe this came up in the online chat with the Elves... you can get a transcript off the Buell site. Anyway, the gist was that for the lightnings, it will work for a while, but will eventually melt the plastic housings. I have toyed with the idea of modulator that would allow you to deliver a total of X watts (where X is like 1.3 times one bulb stock) and distribute it across both headlights. Low beam would be 70% low beam and 30% high bulb, high beam would be the opposite, or maybe even 100% high beam and 50% low beam (assuming you won't run on high beam at low speed for long periods of time). The circuit would not be awful. Is there interest? | ||
| Mikej |
With all the machinist's talent on the board here I wonder how long it will be before someone turns out a metal lathe turned headlight.... | ||
| Reepicheep |
Come to think of it, I believe it was the reflectors that melted... | ||
| Jlnance |
Reep, I bet they will only melt if the bike is standing still, and you don't need both lights on then. | ||
| Rhinowerx |
If the reflectors can melt, then one of them (the high beam side) must be different than the other one - which would mean, theoretically, that it could be done by replacing the reflector on the low beam side, with the same as that on the high beam side. Am I wrong? Cheers -Jack | ||
| Al_lighton |
Jack, Not so. They will supposedly melt because they are ONE housing. That housing will get much hotter with 110 watts dissipated in it as opposed to only 65. And because they are one housing, I'm not sure what you wrote is even possible. I've certainly heard Buell's caution on this. Has anyone actually melted theirs by doing it? I don't recall reading of first hand experience with it. Note that the Firebolt runs both at high beam...separate light housings. But the high beam housing IS different than the low beam housing on a firebolt. I run the Mig lights on my XB-S, ( here), and was considering putting them on my Uly, but I'm planning on developing a frame mounted fairing for it so I'll hold off. But they won't melt, so I want to convert to both on for high beam on the shop XB-S. Has anyone confirmed where the difference is on the Firebolt circuit is the Lightning Circuit? Is the change made in the left handlebar control pod, or is it somewhere else on a Firebolt? I know it can be jumped in the pod, but was curious if that is how the Firebolt did it. Al  (Message edited by al_lighton on September 15, 2005) | ||
| Spike |
Not sure how much it relates to the "lightning" headlights, but the low beam reflector on my Firebolt melted with the stock bulb in place. The bike was about a year old when I noticed the reflector was damaged, so the damage likely started well before then. If the stock low beam can melt within a year it stands to reason that the stock high beam would melt once the light had been run long enough. Unless the failure was caused by a faulty batch of reflector housings, the problem should be consistent on both lights. I've also noticed a good number of Firebolt riders that leave the high beam on constantly and yet the melted reflector issue doesn't seem to be that common. My replacement low beam has been in place for almost a year, I'll pull it out when I get a chance to see if the reflector has suffered any damage. If the reflector looks fine I think it'll be safe to assume that the "problem" with the original reflector has been remedied. Of course, it's possible that none of this applies to the lightning models. Mike L. '04 XB12R | ||
| Rhinowerx |
Thanks for the info Al - those MIG lights look trick. Well, this looks like one of those projects I'm going to fixate on until I either do it, or find a really good reason not to... I haven't had a chance to take a close look at the Uly setup, but I might this weekend while the bike sits quietly in th garage, with 979miles on the odo, waiting for it's 1k service which is scheduled for next week. Cheers -Jack | ||
| Fullpower |
wired my low beam to one of the 2 unused fuse positions in the fuse box under the seat. low beam ( HID in my case) is always on when key is in run position, hi beam switch only operates the high beam now. been wired this way for a long time. | ||
| Dagwood |
Both lights on...always. I'll report back when and if they ever melt. I prefer my own safety to that of my machine. | ||
| Heretic |
I opened my high beam switch and carved a third detent with a Dremel in between the low and high detents. I now have a third "both lights on" position in between H & L. Try fiddling with the HL switch and you'll see them both come on. It's an easy mod. Careful when you open the switch. There's a loaded spring with a tiny bearing on it that will fly out. | ||
| Lowflyer |
Has anybody that has wired the lights together had any problems with melting or otherwise? I just installed a jumper wire on mine. | ||
| Fullpower |
i have run both head light bulbs for many many hours. bike has 16,000 miles, and has probably run around 25% of those miles with both headlights on. | ||
| Rhinowerx |
Another related question - what type of bulbs are used on the XB12X? Are they H7's? I want to upgrade to Philips Vision Plus bulbs | ||
| Dentfixer |
Any new info on this issue?? I'm with Dagwood, I want to be as safe as possible. Too many idiot cagers out there. So, on a stock 06 Lightning, can this be accomplished without damage to the bike? | ||
| Heretic |
I have been using the above mentioned "third detent" method for about six months. No evidence of melting the housing, but I don't run both lights all the time. I DID kill my battery one hot stop-and-go day. (fyi - BRAG road service does NOT give jumps to bikes. I had to put up a fight to get them to send someone) So now I only run dual when I'm not idling so much. This mod is really easy - just file a detent in between the high and low positions on the white nylon switch actuator. | ||
| Dentfixer |
Thanks Heretic! | ||
| Lowflyer |
I have been running both lights on (using jumper wire method) almost constantly since my post above. 8k on the bike and no issues with the lights. I use both during the day and flip it to low at night when around other traffic. | ||
| Toxic |
I was looking at rewiring my firebolt so that i could use 2 stage lights in both the right and left, with the idea that i could run both when i was using low beams, then they both get brighter for the highs...anyone have any ideas on the easiest way to do this? P.S. Sorry about the runon sentence |
