RX3 Headlight Switch Repair

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Jay In Milpitas

Good bodging, Spud.

Did you do a post mortem to see what had failed on the switch? Contacts, detent, etc?

I wonder if, in a night emergency, one could use a rubber band or zip tie to hold the high beam passing flasher trigger on?

Jay, wondering as I wander.

If you disassemble it, you will discover the high/low headlight switch is cheaply designed. The metal inserts and contact dimples are small, and they wear down. Also, there are no springs or other mechanism to force the worn parts together to keep an electrical connection. After repeated use, the contacts wear away, and they can't be effectively repaired. The rest of the switch is pretty nice, but the high/low beam slider is very poor. Fortunately, the fix is very simple. Zongshen merely needs to install another rocker switch, or convert the current rocker switch into a high/low beam switch.

Yes, during an emergency you could employ either a rubber band or zip tie to keep the high beam trigger activated.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Jay In Milpitas

Good bodging, Spud...

Incidentally, I wouldn't call my repair a bodge.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bodge

The rocker switch works very well, and it is robust. I'm sure I am much safer having made this repair, and far less likely to encounter lighting problems at some inopportune time in the future.

[NoVa Rider]

Still thinking of rewiring my switch gear so the hazard rocker operates the high beam. But here is my question.

In stock form, the headlight switch turns the low beam off when high beam is selected. Both beams do not operate at the same time. (That is, except when the the high beam flasher switch is used; it turns both on at the same time and the headlight throws out more light.)

Is there any reason why we wouldn't wire the headlight to operate both high and low at the same time? Is it a heat issue, or possibly a current draw issue?

And Spud, when you installed your rocker switch, and have conducted your various tests, is your set up wired to turn both beams on at the same time, or just one at a time like the stock set up?

Point is if we can operate both beams at the same time, rewiring to use the hazard rocker switch to operate the high beam should be much easier.

[SpudRider]

I think wiring both high and low beams to operate concurrently would probably cause heat problems with the plastic reflector. I have the headlights of all my bikes wired in the conventional fashion; only one beam is illuminated at any time.

[Riceburner]

NoVa Rider,

I was thinking of doing the combined Hi/Low on a Royal Enfield I had early this year, I was chatting with Jim Davis of Eastern Beaver Company (he makes great relay setups and provides great service and products) http://easternbeaver.com/. Here is his response to me:


"Sorry I don't recommend you do that, much better to add H4 55/60 bulbs and
relays. Forget the modulator too.

Keep in mind if you run both beams you can kill your battery, and/or not have
any extra power for other things you might want to use on the bike. Running the
stock bulb is 70 watts, perhaps the better part of your stator output right
there. The both beams on HI means you might get away with it on the stock bulb
but with a regular H4 55/60 you might both overload the stator or kill the
battery or both.

Other things to consider, with LO on with HI at night you'll have less long
distance vision.

You might be beating a dead horse if the bike has a poor reflector. If it does,
an upgrade to a Euro type H4 would be a great upgrade to go along with the
relays and/or higher watt bulb.

Jim Davis, Owner, Eastern Beaver Company:
http://easternbeaver.com/ - Motorcycle Electrics"


Your electrical system has sufficient bang to operate the set up, that part isn't an issue on the RX3.

I have changed my headlight to a 55/65 H4 and used Jim's relay kit, much brighter in the day light, haven't had a chance to finish putting the bike back together and ride it yet.

I would recommend a relay set op, check it out, reduced current draw and more power to the bulb and less heat, (IMHO).

I did add the head light modulator to the RX3, I've had them on all my bikes back in the US for more years than I can count and I have see the difference in respect to the oncoming traffic and it's real obvious here in the Philippines. On my YBR with the modulator, about 1/3 of the oncoming traffic that wants to pass still does (they drive just plain CRAZY here) but on the RX3 without the modulator but with the headlight on still, maybe 2/3ds come at me. I was thinking the first couple of rides on the RX3, "why are there so many people passing and coming at me?", OH, headlight on but no modulation; big, big difference. Did I say they drive crazy here?

[SpudRider]

I don't think a relay is needed with the RX3 headlight. The bike's wiring is very good.

[SpudRider]

I started a thread on the pros and cons of headlight modulators. If you are interested, please join the discussion. Here is a link to the thread.

http://www.chinariders.net/showthrea...513#post192513

[Riceburner]

SpudRider,

It's not that the RX3 has anything wrong with the wiring, I agree it's it good but the relay add's a different factor altogether. It runs direct from the battery, not the stock harness and if I remember right the current draw is less than 1/10th of an amp to the bulb but allows for a much brighter lum out put (I'll have to look up the info I have read in the past).

I also put a relay on the horn, same reason.

[ElectricCircus]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

I don't think a relay is needed with the RX3 headlight. The bike's wiring is very good.

Maybe the suitability of a relay could be a matter of contact capacity (handlebar switches) more than the cabling, in particular if you have raised the current passing through the switch after replacing the factory headlamp by a higher powered one.

[Inroads]

Kinda a poor mans modulator but I always multiple blip my passing switch when approaching dicey situations (such as cars turning left in front of you)of course you have to be on low beam for it to work but with the 55/60 and multiple quick blips it gets their attention.I wish all bikes had the "European passing switch".

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Riceburner

SpudRider,

It's not that the RX3 has anything wrong with the wiring, I agree it's it good but the relay add's a different factor altogether. It runs direct from the battery, not the stock harness and if I remember right the current draw is less than 1/10th of an amp to the bulb but allows for a much brighter lum out put (I'll have to look up the info I have read in the past).

I also put a relay on the horn, same reason.

Originally Posted by ElectricCircus

Maybe the suitability of a relay could be a matter of contact capacity (handlebar switches) more than the cabling, in particular if you have raised the current passing through the switch after replacing the factory headlamp by a higher powered one.

I think ElectricCircus is correct.

I forgot you were running both high and low beams at the same time. In that instance, the extra current could be too high for the wiring harness, and/or the switch. The extra current could pop fuses, damage wires, or burn electrical contacts. That is why you were told to run a larger, dedicated wire directly from the battery to the headlight.

The relay is then connected to the headlight switch, or another switch, so it can control the headlight. The relay wiring does use only a small amount of power, since it is only switching the relay on, or off.

As I said, I don't recommend running both high and low beams at the same time with the RX3 headlight, especially with a hotter H4 bulb. The stock bulb is a 35W HS1 bulb. The standard H4 bulb is a 55W/60 bulb. The hotter bulb might melt/damage the plastic reflector if you go from 35W to a 115W.

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

I don't think a relay is needed with the RX3 headlight. The bike's wiring is very good.

The benefit to a relay in a headlight circuit (car or bike) is that the headlight switch will only have the relay as a load, allowing the switch to last a long time. As well, you can run much larger gauge wire from the battery to the relay, meaning that the headlight will have minimal voltage drop due to larger conductors. It's tough to quantify the difference, but a standard incandescent bulb should be brighter with an appropriately wired relay.

Just my $0.02

[SpudRider]

Yes, that is exactly the point I was making in the post #26. I forget he was illuminating both high and low headlight beams at the same time.

I'm almost certain that illuminating both headlight beams at the same time will melt/distort the plastic reflector of the RX3 headlight.

[ElectricCircus]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

I'm almost certain that illuminating both headlight beams at the same time will melt/distort the plastic reflector of the RX3 headlight.

¿Even with the opening you made to the reflector's back cover?

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by ElectricCircus

¿Even with the opening you made to the reflector's back cover?

Yes, even with the large opening I cut in the back of the headlight housing, I think running 115 watts would probably distort/melt the plastic headlight reflector. You might be able to illuminate both headlight beams for the stock HS1 bulb, since the combined wattage is only 70 watts. However, switching to an H4 bulb greatly improves the performance of the stock headlight.