Author |
Message |
Dfbutler
| Posted on Wednesday, June 22, 2005 - 10:16 am: |
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This may seem strange request on the longest day of the year, but is there an upgrade to a brighter headlight on a 99 S3T? Coming home last night on the freeway, was borderline dangerous due to lack of light. Suggestions? |
Bomber
| Posted on Wednesday, June 22, 2005 - 10:33 am: |
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lot's of chcoices at car joints, and a few heads up scooter joints as well PIAA make good bulbs -- HID is awesome (in the literal sense of the word) if spendy or
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Djkaplan
| Posted on Wednesday, June 22, 2005 - 10:35 am: |
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Lots to choose from out there... http://www.americansportbike.com/shop/cgi-bin/cp-app.cgi?usr=51F7271530&rnd=4913 91&rrc=N&affl=&cip=68.219.213.250&act=&aff=&pg=prod&ref=PROD299&cat=s3electrical &catstr=HOME:s3electrical |
Old_mil
| Posted on Wednesday, June 22, 2005 - 12:24 pm: |
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Motolights! http://www.cyclegadgets.com/Products/Motolight/ I have the slider mounted ones with an autoswitch wired through my high/low beam switch on my S3T. It's a pretty sick setup. |
Natexlh1000
| Posted on Wednesday, June 22, 2005 - 09:44 pm: |
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OH! so long as we're on the subject of lights... I was just out hozing off my poor X1 and noticed that the inside of my headlight was fogged up. I was wondering if the front glass is removable? Or should I take out the bulb in the rear and blast it with a hairdryer? |
Odinbueller
| Posted on Wednesday, June 22, 2005 - 10:08 pm: |
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I went with the H-D Xeon bulb and it made a world of difference. Piaa lights are really bright, almost obnoxiously bright! But either one will brighten things up for ya. |
Henrik
| Posted on Wednesday, June 22, 2005 - 10:11 pm: |
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Bomber; those are very cool little lights; can you give me some more info: - brand - mounting - possibly some pictures of the brackets you used? Thanks Henrik |
Mbsween
| Posted on Wednesday, June 22, 2005 - 11:09 pm: |
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Odin, what is the part # for the HDlamp? Thanks Matt |
Bomber
| Posted on Thursday, June 23, 2005 - 09:46 am: |
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Nate -- your headlamp is actually two pieces -- the glass you see on the front, (and reflector assembly attached to the back) and a bulb -- pop the dear out of the housing, and you'll see how to remove the bulb in about 5 seconds (for me, I'm slow, for you, likely less time) . . . remove the bulb, dry out the inside of the housing with a hair drier or heat gun (or let it sit in the sun for a bit while enjoying a beer), and yer done! H -- they're PIAA lights, don't rmember the model designation, but they're teh teeniest one they have (or had three years ago) Mounting/Brackets are products of the Entropy Lab -- I'll dig through the archives (mine -- dusty) and post a pic or two |
Bomber
| Posted on Thursday, June 23, 2005 - 09:54 am: |
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here goes
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Henrik
| Posted on Thursday, June 23, 2005 - 10:55 am: |
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Thanks Bomber. I had a feeling you'd made those yourself. Cool stuff. Looks like what I had in mind for the S2. Fit lights to the upper forks, right below the fairing. I have also considered mounting the lights to the bottom of the fairing itself, but would need to fabricate a support bracket to prevent tearing the fiberglass. However, lights that move with the forks is a much better idea for night riding on tight mountain roads. Henrik |
Dfbutler
| Posted on Thursday, June 23, 2005 - 11:16 am: |
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Bomber, How did you wire them in? The PIAA website talks about ballast and relays because of start up and current draw. Do you know how much current they draw and did you use the relay? Don |
Bomber
| Posted on Thursday, June 23, 2005 - 11:21 am: |
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H -- actually, the forks don't move all that much, as you know -- leaning has way more affect on the beam orientation -- too that end, the lights are cross-aimed a bit (each point 5 degrees or so inward) so that the higher of the lights (while leaned over) is aimed at the inside of the turn (hopefully illuminating the apex, if the planets align properly) -- the lower light shines up in the trees, freezing the squirrels in their tracks, if that's of any use to you in the slightest ;-} |
Kano832003
| Posted on Thursday, June 23, 2005 - 03:27 pm: |
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Damn those squirrels!!! |
Henrik
| Posted on Thursday, June 23, 2005 - 03:55 pm: |
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Bomber, what started my search for more and better aimed lights was a night time trip down Route 28 just north of Franklin, North Carolina, heading back towards Franklin one evening after a day of riding that ended up being quite a bit longer than expected. http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=35.254871,-83.454895&spn=.275308,.289078&hl=en Anyway - I was pretty freaked out going through those hairpin turns almost by feel. So in my quest to make my S2 the penultimate sport touring rig - more lights it is Peter had mentioned the cross aiming of light, which in addition to the advantage you mentioned, will make a wider spread of light. Henrik |
Ryker77
| Posted on Thursday, June 23, 2005 - 04:03 pm: |
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you can find used PIAA lights on EBAY pretty cheap. I had a set of PIAA small lights on my VW car. Bright -- but the beam pattern was huge. It would light up the tops of trees! So I had to point them down real low so as not to blind other cars. I want a set of driving lights that can stay ON even at night. The stock high beam is OK. I just want more light so OLD drivers don't pull out in front of me --- there is one less 98 s1-w on the road. |
Bomber
| Posted on Thursday, June 23, 2005 - 05:34 pm: |
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H -- understand -- last trip to the gap, I was pushed up front after sunset, not because I'm the fastest nor studliest, but because folks behind me could see! I chose broad beams, rather than pencil beams, to illumintae out more -- fun roads don't let ya see far down em anyways I religiously turn em off when traffic is approaching -- as an OLD rider, I can attest that I can see yer headlamp just fine -- however, as eyes age, they can become more easily overwhelmed by other's brights and so-called "driving lights" (why do the drivers of expensive autos and SUVs insist on hainv their driving lights on no matter where they are? ego, perhaps?) anyways, ya gots a PM |
Odinbueller
| Posted on Thursday, June 23, 2005 - 06:44 pm: |
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Mbsween, P/N 67074-02, retails for $19.95, I'm working with my department heads to offer 10% off for BadWebers. |
Oldog
| Posted on Thursday, June 23, 2005 - 07:35 pm: |
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All I am a bit corn fused? Piaa is a driving light or a light bulb or both where are they available as new parts? Odin: Piaa lights are really bright, almost obnoxiously bright! , That sounds good to me I wan't to see and be seen! I did a ride last year and had to follow a truck across the mountains to Gatlin burg, because I could not see the road, I would like to hear from any one who has done an HID conversion how do they work? good?, do they run hot?, what kind of current do they draw? what about Hi / Low? thanks in advance the half blind ol-dog |
Henrik
| Posted on Thursday, June 23, 2005 - 09:05 pm: |
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PIAA makes both lamps and light bulbs: http://www.piaa.com/ It was my plan to wire the aux lights in to the headlight circuit via a relay. I'm also quite careful to switch to low beam when I come across oncoming traffic. A wider beam would be most useful for my particular purpose. The PIAA sit indicates the spread of each of their lights. Henrik |
Denfromphilly
| Posted on Wednesday, July 13, 2005 - 10:23 am: |
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I found a company that sells a headlight that fit my X1 and was much brighter. It has a better light pattern than stock and was only $18.50 with shipping. It still draws 60 watt and the light pattern is more horizontal. The high beam is very good like a laser. Look at www.rallylights.com and search for part number HL88990S The bulb is made by Hella. Den |
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