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Buell Motorcycle Forum » XBoard » Buell XBoard Archives » Archive through August 16, 2006 » 2 fulltime low beam headlights on a Lightning » Archive through August 09, 2006 « Previous Next »

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Danman2540
Posted on Monday, August 07, 2006 - 09:52 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Has anyone done this or know how to do it? I'm constantly being told I have a headlight burnt out and personally think it would look better with both lit all the time. I would assume I could just put a low beam bulb in the highbeam side and jump wires between them to power them both. Am I missing something?
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Eboos
Posted on Monday, August 07, 2006 - 09:57 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

A basic rule of universal beauty is symmetry. I also would like to see both lights on. Unfortunatly, I can offer no suggestions on how to do this.
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Midnightrider
Posted on Monday, August 07, 2006 - 09:59 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

don't know about a lightning but in the uly they are the same lamp (bulb), lenses are aimed differently. again in the uly they can't be independently aimed so if they are both on its driving with one beam aimed high and one aimed low - blinding oncoming traffic. some uly drivers do wire them both to come on together - but only when the high beam switch is activated

(Message edited by midnightrider on August 07, 2006)
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Blackxb9
Posted on Monday, August 07, 2006 - 10:02 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Place the switch in the middle. They will both stay on. I do it all the time with no ill effects.
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Xbbeebob
Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 01:03 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

If you are not electrically skilled find someone who is and explain this.

Add a relay (used one from an old fog light kit) supply power to coil from one low beam. connect power to contact on relay from another switched source to the light you want to be on.
Hope this is not to confusing?

I done this to mine for both headlights on -on high beam.
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Samiam
Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 04:00 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I have heard of someone modding the lights on a Lightning to make it house H4 bulbs(basically an H3 bulb with high beam and low beam built in). In fact, here's a picture:




All you'll have to do is get some H4 plugs, splice the wires going to your low beam and send that wire to both bulbs' low beam plugs, do the same for the high beams, and then just make the ground common for both bulbs.

That may sound a little intimidating, but it's not as hard as you might think. About the only hard thing I can think of there is finding the H4 plugs since the bulbs should fit in just fine. Napa maybe?

But you don't have to take my word for it, contact fellow badwebber Fontana_motorsports if you have any more questions, since he seems to have done just this. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/32777/196130.html?1147398964#POST653055

Please forgive my reckless train of thought, it's late.

Sam
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Aussie_buell
Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 06:16 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

been lots on here about that topic mate.

try starting at these. do some research into current draw and if you need to upgrade fuse or go to a relay.

http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/3842/54029.html

http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/3842/146620.html

I am not certain myself. Maybe some clever sparky types on here can help.

Are you there Opto?? or Diablobrian
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Rich
Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 07:06 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I don't mind having one headlight on, but I like more light at night.

I put a connector(Scotch-loc) between the blue and yellow wire, behind the flyscreen, near the plugin.

Both lights come on now when the switch is on bright.

I put some dialectric grease in it before I clamped it.
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Rich
Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 07:09 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Huge, crummy pic. See the red thingie, on the right?

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Aussie_buell
Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 07:18 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

great idea Rich. I like it, easy too.

Does any one have info on the load on the system then, and are there any reports on melting the headlight shrouds etc.
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Gentleman_jon
Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 08:49 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Rich,
Great idea!

Could you tell us a bit more about the Scotch Loc, like a model number or more complete description?

I have never seen one. Where did you get it? What kind of store carries them?

Does the "brights" indicator light on the dash stay lit all the time?

Is the purpose of the Scotch loc to connect the blue and yellow wire?

(Message edited by gentleman_jon on August 08, 2006)
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Darthane
Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 10:31 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

There's a myriad of ways to accomplish this, ranging from bone stock solutions like Blackxb9's to quick and dirty's like Rich's to involved, professional additions of relays/fusing like Xbbeebob suggested.

...it primarily depends on 1) how comfortable you are doing electrical work and 2) how involved of a solution you want to implement.

I had a guy contact me a long time ago that I worked up the latter of the three solutions for, and I even have the correct parts to accomplish it with (terminals, relay, etc). His was slightly more involved as he wanted both lights to stay on but the flash-to-pass to still function (cutting the high beam out instead of turning it on). I sent him a writeup and diagram of the thing but never heard back as to whether or not he'd actually done it.

Rich's solution is probably the best one from a 'layman's' perspective. Easy, pretty low-risk, and also easy to undo should you ever wish to return to a stock configuration.
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Samiam
Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 02:52 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Jon,

The scotchlok is basically a jumper between two wires, in this case the power wires for both headlights. I am not sure if the high beam indicator stays on or not, I would say no. I would think you'd be able to find one at any Radio Shack or possibly an automotive parts store.

http://www3.3m.com/catalog/us/en001/utilities_telecom/electrical_contractors/nod e_GSPV65GVLXbe/root_GST1T4S9TCgv/vroot_GSBCDFDZ1Zge/gvel_RZZJLFZNT6gl/theme_us_e lectricalcontractors_3_0/command_AbcPageHandler/output_html

Sam
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U4euh
Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 03:46 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I tried the H4's in place f the H3's. Does not work well for lighting's sake. The Bulbs glass length's are different, therefore you get a different refraction of light, which in fact stopped the 'you gotta a head light out' stuff. But did nothing but scare me at night with lack of light! I now do the switch in the middle, and considering the scotch loc. I have a ton of those in the garage. My only question is, both lights stay on no matter what the switch position is or not?
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Samiam
Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 04:09 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

U4euh,

Yes both should stay on no matter the switch position, since the power will be going from whatever power wire you have the switch in through the scotchlok to both lights.

Sam
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Rich
Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 04:37 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

When the switch is on low, only the low beam is lit. Switch to high, and both light up along with the indicator light.

The passing switch works normally when on low, but not on high.
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Blasterd
Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 05:18 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I think it was EricZ that came up with a better solution on Buelletinboard.com, I could be wrong though. Putting the switch "between" the high and low setting will prematurely burn the switch out.
Ken
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Jbird
Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 07:10 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

All you have to do is add a jumper wire in the switch on the handle bars. I did this to mine, but dont remember wich connections you have to jump. Wouldn't be hard to find out though. I found out how to do it here on the web so it should be somewhere in the vault.
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Jcbikes
Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 07:15 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Rich,
Sounds great. Question, how long have you had it like this and do you run the bike a lot with both lights on? I use high beam always during daylight hours, so on most of the time the bike is running. Just wondering about all the heat and if any problems long term.
thanks for a easy solution.
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Rich
Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 07:34 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I don't run both lights during the day often, I mainly did this for night riding.

I'm old, I need more light at night.
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Gentleman_jon
Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 07:39 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Sam, thanks for the spec.s on the scotch loc.

Rich, thanks for the additional info.

Bird, I bridged two switch points in the handlebar switch with a drop of solder and it worked ok.

The problem was that the high beam indicator light on the dash was always lit. No big deal, but I would prefer that it only come on when high beams are selected.
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Ericz
Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 08:27 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I found a simple change to make that allows one light to stay on for low beam as normal and both beams when you switch to high for even better lighting.

There is a center bulb socket in the headlight unit of the Lightnings that is not used on the US models. It serves as a running light for the European models. The wiring for the light is already in place and can be switched out for the low beam circuit. There are four wires that are housed together in the harness for the headlight. The black is a ground, the yellow is low beam, white is high beam, and brown/yellow is for the running light. If you swap the yellow with the brown/yellow in the harness the running light circuit will now light the low beam and stay on all the time. The high beam circuit will no longer interrupt the circuit powering the low beam light.
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Gentleman_jon
Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 08:34 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I ask you, is there any limit to the inventiveness of Bad Webbers?

Ericz, your idea seems terrific.

I wonder if you could post a photo that illustrates your plan ? I am not too sure what you mean. Might be more obvious when I poke around in the headlight nacelle.

How do you switch out the wires? Do you just pull them out or something?

thanks
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Rhinowerx
Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 11:57 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Guys,
I just did the 'EricZ headlight mod' - worked like a charm - I did both bikes (CityX and Uly) in less than an hour - no cutting, splicing or soldering required.

I simply removed the to wires in the connector plug, and swapped them around. I used a blunt probe from a medical kit - a set of needle nosed tweezers would work - to un-lug (not sure of the correct term to describe it) the connectors from within the plug.

Hopefully the picture will help illustrate.

the brown/yellow wire has been removed and I'm in the process of removing the yellow wire



Thanks EricZ - brilliant

Cheers
-Jack
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04xb12s
Posted on Wednesday, August 09, 2006 - 12:57 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

With switching those two wires, doesn't that mean that the low beam will come on when the key is turned all the way counter-clockwise, I know this because I installed a 194 bulb in that little socket and it lights up at that ignition key position. It could be a good thing, to help you notice that the key is too far forward when locking the handlebars. Or it could be a bad thing if you do leave the key in the wrong position and walk away past the rear of the bike, leaving your headlight on instead of just your parking light and your battery goes dead a lot sooner. I just ran a jumper wire between two wires at the high beam switch, I think it was the yellow and the blue.
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Rhinowerx
Posted on Wednesday, August 09, 2006 - 01:31 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Yep, If you switch the wires as described above, and you turn the key to the park position, the low beam light will be on.

Not that I'm ever that far from my bike when I'm parked, but I think it would be easy enough to tell, especially during the day, if the low beam light was on.

Cheers
-Jack
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Teufelhunden282
Posted on Wednesday, August 09, 2006 - 04:38 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Thanks Ericz, I just swapped the wires, this is just what I needed due to my commute home from work everynight.

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Gentleman_jon
Posted on Wednesday, August 09, 2006 - 06:07 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Many thanks Rhino,

A picture is worth a thousand words
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Mdm
Posted on Wednesday, August 09, 2006 - 11:57 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Rhino,

Thanks for the pic, i had been struggling with that. I was trying for the wrong end to release the pins. Now, 30 seconds later it works !

MDM
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Gentleman_jon
Posted on Wednesday, August 09, 2006 - 12:01 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

MDM & Rhino

HELP!!


I can't seem to figure out how to get the pins out!

Could anyone explain it at a bit more length?

Thanks
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