Adding lights?

Savage · 04-01-2007, 11:25 PM

I thought I had my headlight situation figured out. Bought a set of driving lights and hooked them up with my hi beams but they draw too much power and make them and the hi worthless.

Is there an easy fix so I can run them all at the same time? Thank you!

ambassador · 04-01-2007, 11:53 PM

Savage,
Removing the big 5 on your bike may make you look a little brighter, LOL, kidding bro, these bikes run lighting off the stator, hence light gets brighter at higher rpms and it still isn't bright...I'm working on the same problem, I'll let ya know when I find a fix... Til then please keep posting and working on this...

liverchip · 04-02-2007, 12:06 AM

About the only thing I'm aware of to fix/improve the output of the charging system would be to rewind the stator.

fatboy250 · 04-02-2007, 09:04 AM

Couldn't the lights just be rewired directly to the battery? Hopefully the charging system would be able to recharge the battery enough for the intermittent length of time that the high beams are actually on.

Jason

Savage · 04-02-2007, 09:16 AM

ambass - LOL I would take it and the GY off but then I'd have clearcoat lines. I'll take care of it someday.

fatboy - If I wire them directly to the battery along with a switch on the bars you think they would shine full brightness the times when I want them on?

Savage · 04-02-2007, 09:19 AM

Next up - lo pro winkers and LED brake light. (my tail light already burned out)

fatboy250 · 04-02-2007, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Savage

fatboy - If I wire them directly to the battery along with a switch on the bars you think they would shine full brightness the times when I want them on?

I'm no electrical engineer, but if I understand correctly only what the lights need at full intensity will be the current draw from the battery. So, yes they will shine at their full brightness. An inline fuse may be a good idea just in case, but even without it the lights should be ok.

Jason

liverchip · 04-02-2007, 12:24 PM

Yes running the lights directly off the battery should help. Just watch the charge on the battery. It would suck to be halfway home at night and have the battery go so completely dead that you cannot run the lights.

Ferrit · 04-03-2007, 05:58 AM

yep, these bikes don't have the output to operate a lot of acc at one time. running both lights would put you into a deficit all the time. You should be able to run one and still keep a charge on the battery. Going to LEDs helps but some of the off the shelf replacement bulbs have a resistor in the base and they draw the same as the regular bulb.

The best solution, but pricey, would be a set of HID lights from TrailTech:

http://trailtech.net/single_lights.html

The MR-11 has a built in ballast and is extremely BRIGHT.

Savage · 04-03-2007, 08:44 AM

Ferrit - You think I would be able to run my headlight and the driving lights for about a half hour? Then when I'm not running them the batt would recharge?
Thanks!

sheadouglas · 04-04-2007, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by liverchip

Yes running the lights directly off the battery should help. Just watch the charge on the battery. It would suck to be halfway home at night and have the battery go so completely dead that you cannot run the lights.

That happened to me Monday night coming home from my night class. Yes, it does suck. I was on a small two lane road. I tried just riding the ditches really slow, but that didnt work. (had something to do with me not being able to see). So, when the next car came by, I just sped up right behind it until it turned off. I pulled in to the store where they pulled of and waited for the next car. I followed that car all the way home. It was pretty dangerous, but it was my only way home. and yes it sucked

ob1 · 04-04-2007, 07:46 PM

If you added the driving light to the original high beam circuit wiring, you may be pulling too much current through too small of a wire. this will cause the wire to heat up, possible switch/wiring failure, possible fire, and the driving lights wont work properly.

On my XR400, I changed out the 35watt stock bulb to a 55watt halogen fog light bulb, an H1. I had to do a little backyard engineering, but not so much that I cant go back to the stock bulb. I used part of the base of the stock bulb to modify the halogen to fit the socket. The XR4 has an 80 watt stator, and the tail light only pulls 3 watts, so I am safe. It works pefectly.

The trick for these bikes is to find out what the stator is rated at, and come up with the best bulb that doesnt overload the system, or rewind the stator and possibly get a higher rated regulator to make more juice.

ambassador · 04-04-2007, 10:55 PM

OB1,
Thanks for the info, pretty much the same thing I've come up with, stators are easy to find... I'm going the same route, H1, seems to be the best fix, I'll let ya'll know how it turns out...

Jim · 04-05-2007, 01:32 AM

@Savage, let me know if you make any progress on the led brake/tailight, Ive been contemplating retrofitting mine somehow, though I want to use the same lense... Idealy I could make my own ledboard somehow, I guess it isnt too complicated... hmm, and then fit it inside. Just need to make sure it works for tail light, brake light, and that they are the correct sae or dot colors or whatever... Hmmm....

PolygonFla · 04-05-2007, 08:18 AM

There are several companies making LED light kits for bikes.

Check out the 1157 directfit bulb here.

http://www.customdynamics.com/motorcycle_led_bulbs.htm

It should just pop right in. Or you could try the on with a pigtail.

They also sell prewired boards in verious shapes and sizes.

I replaced me taillight on the Zongshen 200 with one I found on e-bay advertized as "A custom Choper LED brake light"

In my experimentation I found that it is usless to replace the Winkers. The Chinese use cheap rectifiers that wont flash unless under full load. So if you put on LED turn signals you need to add a resister and the power load remains the same. (no power savings)

04-01-2007, 11:25 PM	#1
Savage Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 732	Adding lights? I thought I had my headlight situation figured out. Bought a set of driving lights and hooked them up with my hi beams but they draw too much power and make them and the hi worthless. Is there an easy fix so I can run them all at the same time? Thank you!
	0

04-01-2007, 11:53 PM	#2
ambassador Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Bradenton, Florida Posts: 1,200	Savage, Removing the big 5 on your bike may make you look a little brighter, LOL, kidding bro, these bikes run lighting off the stator, hence light gets brighter at higher rpms and it still isn't bright...I'm working on the same problem, I'll let ya know when I find a fix... Til then please keep posting and working on this... __________________ 06 Lifan 200 GY-5
	0

04-02-2007, 12:06 AM	#3
liverchip Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mystery Spot Posts: 1,223	About the only thing I'm aware of to fix/improve the output of the charging system would be to rewind the stator. __________________ 2009 XR650L Big Red Pig Tusk bar risers 2007 X-Moto(Jetmoto) GY250 --mods--- 15/40 sprockets UNI Pod Filter 2007 Shineray TMS 200XYi--Betsy Betsy Mods:______________________ Acerbis DHH headlight FMF Powercore pipe Uni Pod Filter
	0

04-02-2007, 09:04 AM	#4
fatboy250 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: COLUMBIA, SC Posts: 973	Couldn't the lights just be rewired directly to the battery? Hopefully the charging system would be able to recharge the battery enough for the intermittent length of time that the high beams are actually on. Jason __________________ 2008 Jonway MC-70-150 2007 Roketa DB-07B (RSM-200E) 2006 Roketa DB-07A (RSX-200E) 1995 Kawasaki Concours (ZG1000)
	0

04-02-2007, 12:24 PM	#8
liverchip Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mystery Spot Posts: 1,223	Yes running the lights directly off the battery should help. Just watch the charge on the battery. It would suck to be halfway home at night and have the battery go so completely dead that you cannot run the lights. __________________ 2009 XR650L Big Red Pig Tusk bar risers 2007 X-Moto(Jetmoto) GY250 --mods--- 15/40 sprockets UNI Pod Filter 2007 Shineray TMS 200XYi--Betsy Betsy Mods:______________________ Acerbis DHH headlight FMF Powercore pipe Uni Pod Filter
	0

04-02-2007, 09:16 AM	#5
Savage Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 732	ambass - LOL I would take it and the GY off but then I'd have clearcoat lines. I'll take care of it someday. fatboy - If I wire them directly to the battery along with a switch on the bars you think they would shine full brightness the times when I want them on?
	0

04-02-2007, 09:19 AM	#6
Savage Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 732	Next up - lo pro winkers and LED brake light. (my tail light already burned out)
	0

04-03-2007, 05:58 AM	#9
Ferrit Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Lawrenceburg, KY Posts: 178	yep, these bikes don't have the output to operate a lot of acc at one time. running both lights would put you into a deficit all the time. You should be able to run one and still keep a charge on the battery. Going to LEDs helps but some of the off the shelf replacement bulbs have a resistor in the base and they draw the same as the regular bulb. The best solution, but pricey, would be a set of HID lights from TrailTech: http://trailtech.net/single_lights.html The MR-11 has a built in ballast and is extremely BRIGHT.
	0

04-03-2007, 08:44 AM	#10
Savage Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 732	Ferrit - You think I would be able to run my headlight and the driving lights for about a half hour? Then when I'm not running them the batt would recharge? Thanks!
	0

04-04-2007, 07:46 PM	#12
ob1 Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 499	If you added the driving light to the original high beam circuit wiring, you may be pulling too much current through too small of a wire. this will cause the wire to heat up, possible switch/wiring failure, possible fire, and the driving lights wont work properly. On my XR400, I changed out the 35watt stock bulb to a 55watt halogen fog light bulb, an H1. I had to do a little backyard engineering, but not so much that I cant go back to the stock bulb. I used part of the base of the stock bulb to modify the halogen to fit the socket. The XR4 has an 80 watt stator, and the tail light only pulls 3 watts, so I am safe. It works pefectly. The trick for these bikes is to find out what the stator is rated at, and come up with the best bulb that doesnt overload the system, or rewind the stator and possibly get a higher rated regulator to make more juice.
	0

04-04-2007, 10:55 PM	#13
ambassador Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Bradenton, Florida Posts: 1,200	OB1, Thanks for the info, pretty much the same thing I've come up with, stators are easy to find... I'm going the same route, H1, seems to be the best fix, I'll let ya'll know how it turns out... __________________ 06 Lifan 200 GY-5
	0

04-05-2007, 01:32 AM	#14
Jim Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Abbotsford, BC, Canada Posts: 4,880	@Savage, let me know if you make any progress on the led brake/tailight, Ive been contemplating retrofitting mine somehow, though I want to use the same lense... Idealy I could make my own ledboard somehow, I guess it isnt too complicated... hmm, and then fit it inside. Just need to make sure it works for tail light, brake light, and that they are the correct sae or dot colors or whatever... Hmmm....
	0

04-05-2007, 08:18 AM	#15
PolygonFla Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Florida USA Posts: 196	There are several companies making LED light kits for bikes. Check out the 1157 directfit bulb here. http://www.customdynamics.com/motorcycle_led_bulbs.htm It should just pop right in. Or you could try the on with a pigtail. They also sell prewired boards in verious shapes and sizes. I replaced me taillight on the Zongshen 200 with one I found on e-bay advertized as "A custom Choper LED brake light" In my experimentation I found that it is usless to replace the Winkers. The Chinese use cheap rectifiers that wont flash unless under full load. So if you put on LED turn signals you need to add a resister and the power load remains the same. (no power savings)
	0