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Headlight Upgrade
Any idea on how to make the dommie lights better?I thought of putting in a relay and running juice to a 100/80w bulb to get a better spread of light any suggestions?
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The 100/80 won't change the shape or spread of light, but it will make what you have much brighter.
Other than adding another light, that's about the best you can do. Very good idea to use a relay. Probably only necessary on high beam, but not a bad idea to add one for low as well. ------------------ Grant Johnson Share the Dream! at: www.HorizonsUnlimited.com [This message has been edited by Grant Johnson (edited 24 January 2002).] |
Hi Huan:
I don't know what kind of bulb the headlight in your motorcycle uses. In my Honda (a ST1100), the headlamp uses two H4 bulbs. I removed the OEM bulbs, which were 45/55 watts (less than normal), and replaced them with two Philips Vision Plus bulbs. I was very impressed with the difference that this made - much more light. Because the Vision Plus bulbs are 'normal' wattage - 55/55 - no wiring changes were needed. The Vision Plus bulbs are only available in Europe, although I think there are a number of companies who import and grey market them in North America. These are not the blue tinted 'fake xenon' lights such as companies like PIAA make, they are pure white bulbs that are considerably brighter than normal H4's. Cost is about € 20 for a pair. If you choose to go with an overwatt bulb (for example, an 80/100), have a close look to see what your headlamp assembly is made out of. There are many sad tales of woe on the automobile BB's (VW, BMW, etc.) from owners who put overwatt H4's in their lamp housings, only to have either the reflector, the bulb holder, or the front lens melt, deform or discolour. Before you go out and buy a relay, check the wiring diagram for your bike. You might be surprised to find that your bike has a headlight relay in it already. My ST1100 has two relays (installed at the factory) - one for high beam and one for low. [This message has been edited by PanEuropean (edited 29 January 2002).] |
Thanks for the info Pan-Euro I looked at fitting those vision plus bulbs but I would be happier with serious overwattage bulbs 120/90w or 100/80w with relays for both H/Low beams I have some info from an American company called Dennis-kirk they sell a H4 which is 100/55w unusual but probably very effective 0n an '88 Dominator.
What does the little "tin hat" in the headlight in front of the bulb do? regards Huan County Cork Ireland 1988 NX650 [This message has been edited by Huan (edited 29 January 2002).] |
The 'tin hat' (small cap that is suspended over the front portion of the headlight bulb) has two purposes: First to attenuate stray light that would otherwise annoy oncoming motorists, and second to reflect more of the bulb's output back onto the principal reflector, from where it is then directed to the road surface.
On a related matter: Have a close look at your existing OEM Honda bulb and make sure that it is, in fact, a 55/55. Honda has installed 45/55 bulbs as OEM fitment in some of their bikes. The wattage will be engraved on the metal flange at the base of the bulb. If you find you have a 45/55, you might be pleasantly surprised by the improvement you get by just refitting a premium quality 55/55. Might save you a fair amount of money and other aggravation. |
The bulb in my dommie is not the original i suspect that the original burned out before I got the bike however I put a 60/55 in as they are the most common type of bulb here in Europe but I STILL NEED MORE LIGHT for safety reasons (Bad back roads, Animals etc) so I will have to fit a couple of small relays probably 20A and a higher wattage bulb the only other concern I have is that The US spec dommies (mine) have a "Hardwired" headlight and I would like to run a cutout switch to stop too much current draw at startup.
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Just another thought here - if you have already fitted a full power bulb (60/55) and you are not happy with the light, perhaps you might have better results if you added a supplementary light (e.g. a driving light, spotlight, or floodlight), rather than increasing the wattage of your headlamp bulb.
This is sort of along the line of what Grant was saying earlier - if the headlamp design (reflector design) on your bike is not the greatest, then increasing the wattage will increase the light output, but not necessarily give you better light coverage. I'm not at all familiar with the dommie model, so maybe this suggestion is inappropriate for your bike. But, if a supplementary light could be mounted, you could then tie it in, by relay, to the high beam circuit, and you would probably have much more light from the two lamps than you would from one single high wattage bulb. Good luck with your efforts! |
I can't say I'm too familiar with the dommie electrical side but I wonder whether the generator puts out enough juice to power 100w bulbs. My XR600 ( different gennerator I know) will power one 55w bulb but two just gives me dim lights (more annoying when trying to run an electrically heated jacket - I can have the light or the heat)
I would suggest that you balance up main and dip output though. Some years ago I did a trip round Morrocco on a Gold Wing fitted with two auxillary rally lights on the crashbars and wired to come on with main beam. All three lights together were great but after a few minutes your eyes adjust and when a car comes the other way and you have to dip onto one light it seemed like you'd swithched the whole lot off. |
Hai,
When a 60 (or 55) watt lamp does not give enaugh light on the road, fitting a 100 or a 500 watt lamp wil not help much. 60 watt is more then enaugh to make a nice "flow of light" on the road. I think you should change the head-light all together (is the reflector in good condition?), maybe put in a difered type or, like PanEuropean sugests, add one or two extra light's. (there are amazingly small projector-lights these day's) Increasing the wattage will only make driving in winter more comfortable becouse of the produced heat. Good luck Maarten |
Thanks for all the advice.
regarding the Dominator(NX650) the rated output of the generator is 180w which should run the headlight no worries, after extensive testing with the car and relays 100w bulbs make a very big difference both to the intensity and "projection" of the light so i will proceed with the mod on the bike. BTW the headlight on the bike is in good nick etc but the light output is pathetic stock i checked on newer models. thanks huan [This message has been edited by Huan (edited 07 February 2002).] |
Are you sure the alternator output is only 180W?? that's truly pathetic if so. The BMW R80G/S - R100GS series are often castigated for their pathetic alternators - and they are rated 280W!
If it really is only 180W you won't be able to run anything else except a taillight and ignition, so don't even think electric vests etc. At a rough guess on consumption, 100w headlight + 5w instrument lights + 20w taillight + 40w ignition = 165w. And don't forget the battery needs a charge too. In other words don't run on high beam all the time. NOT impressive! ------------------ Grant Johnson Share the Dream! at: www.HorizonsUnlimited.com |
Yep Unfortunately the handbook says:AC generator output 0.18kW @5000rpm
I guess that back in 1988 HMC didn't feel that anyone would fit big lights,Handwarmers electric vests,etc etc.Back to the drawing board...... |
Maybe now people will stop abusing BMW for not forseeing same in 1972, when the airhead alternator was designed...
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/biggrin.gif ------------------ Grant Johnson Share the Dream! at: www.HorizonsUnlimited.com |
Anyone know anything about boosting output of Alternators on NX650's?
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If anybody knows it'll be Baja Designs at www.bajadesigns.com.
Good luck, let us know what you find! ------------------ Grant Johnson Share the Dream! at: www.HorizonsUnlimited.com |
Since a while I am considering adding some light to the front of my Transalp. I ride around as an express-courier in heavy day traffic so I wouldn't mind being noticed faster. On top I also noticed at night it ain't always that easy to really see what kind of mess you are riding around on (mud from road works, snow, gravel,...). That's why I would really like some extra light on the front.
(The back is already taken care of with a fog-light. Gives a safer feeling in fog, heavy rain,...) My questions: * The Transalp alternator only has an output of 310 watts. Seems not too much to me. How can I figure out how much I have left over to use for my frontlight? The back foglight is 21 watts extra. * All the possible lights I come around are 50 watts or more. This seems a bit on the high side to me. How can I get around this? Just put in a lighter bulb? Or does anyone knows about a good model that doesn't drink that much? |
50w is about the minimum for a headlight. 45/55 is the lowest I've seen.
You shouldn't have a problem with anything up to about 100 or so watts on high. I run an 80/100 which my BM (280w total) handles adequately, even with an electric vest on. With two vests on, it's overloaded. I also run 4 extra running lights with a total of about 50-60 watts. Try PanEuropeans suggestion of the Philips Vision bulbs. ------------------ Grant Johnson Share the Dream! at: www.HorizonsUnlimited.com |
Huan:
Some additional thoughts for you, in support of your quest for more light: You might want to consider re-plating the reflector on your existing lamp assembly, and carefully examining the clear lens assembly for any contamination on the inside (if it is glass) or any degradation that would cause increased opacity (if it is polycarbonate). I don't know if the headlight assembly on your bike will disassemble into the component parts of reflector and lens. If it does, try cleaning the reflector with dish detergent and a very soft cloth (either lens cleaning tissue or facial tissue wadded up into a ball). Ditto for the inside surface of the front lens. If the lamp assembly does not disassemble, try cleaning it by filling it up with warm water, detergent, and a handful of rice (don't laugh, I am serious, this will provide gentle abrasion) and agitating it. Then rinse it out thoroughly with clear water and let it dry for a day. Finally, rinse it out once again with isopropal alcohol, and let it dry for several days in a well ventilated location before putting it back into service. If your front lens is not made of glass, but of polycarbonate, consider replacing it. At work, we replace polycarbonate lenses on aircraft landing lights every 5 years because of the natural increase in opacity that takes place with exposure to the sun. With aircraft that are used in the desert and subject to sand erosion, we replace lenses every 6 months to a year. The constant abrasion of sand on the outside surface of the lens causes light diffusion, the net result of which is much less light delivered where we want it. You could have the reflector replated fairly easily by either a conventional chrome plater (if it is metal) or a custom bike plating shop (if it is plastic). I think you mentioned your bike is a 1988 model, I would not be surprised if the reflector has degraded quite a bit. It might just be cheaper and easier to purchase a new lamp assembly from Honda. FYI, I just purchased a complete replacement headlamp assembly for a ST1100 last week in Switzerland, the cost of this, with all bulbs, all accessories, wires, etc. was € 210. This was for a complex, dual lamp assembly, I am sure the cost for your bike would be less. I'm stil not convinced that pure wattage alone is the answer to your current shortage of light. Consider that on my ST1100, I have two (premium quality) 55/55 H4 bulbs, and this gives me all the light I need to cruise at 140 km/h in the dead of night in Northern Canada, where moose, deer, etc. are a constant hazard. Lastly, have you had the bike's electrical system checked to ensure that it is putting out the correct voltage? Normally vehicles that have 12 volt batteries have a nominal operating voltage of 14.2 volts with the generator or alternator running. An automotive electrical shop should be able to test both the voltage output, and also the ability of the generator/alternator on your bike to deliver full rated output. If your bike's electrical system is not putting out full rated output (amperage under load, as well as voltage), this could account for why you are unhappy with light output. Under these conditions, uprating your bulb would only put a 'patch' on the problem. |
Fireboomer:
In response to your post above inquiring about electrical reserve capacity on your Transalp, below is a letter I recieved from a very knowledgable friend in response to the same question I asked apropos my ST1100. I think you might find some useful information in it. According to my calculations, a stock ST1100's electrical demand is ~292-293 watts broken down as follows: lighting - 144 watts - 10.7 ampere [Ed. note: A ST1100 has two 45/55 watt headlamp bulbs, which are both on whenever the headlight is on] ignition - 124 watts - 9.2 ampere battery - 13.5 watts - 1.0 ampere wiring losses - 10.8 watts - .8 ampere The theoretical max output of the generator is .54 Kw or about 40 amps at 13.5VDC. So the reserve electrical capacity is about 18.3 ampere. The above breakdown assumes no brake or turn signal lamps operating, no cooling fan operating, and a nearly charged battery. Immediately after engine startup, the battery will obviously require more than 1.0 ampere for recharge for a brief period of time. One should never load the electrical system to max capacity as it will shorten the life of the generator stator and reduce overall reliability. In extremely warm weather (ambient temps above 100 deg F), I would say the max load on the generator should be about 75% of rated, or about 30 ampere continuous. At ambient temps below 50 deg F, where a rider would start to use electric clothing, the generator could be loaded to 90% of capacity as long as system voltage is monitored and not allowed to fall below 13.5VDC measured at the battery. If voltage drops below the regulated value of 13.5, generator life is going to suffer. I'm a mechanical engineeer, with my specialty being internal combustion engine design, so this is only an opinion. But the calculations are fairly simple, and could be verified with the use of an ammeter on each circuit, or if you have a large enough capacity meter, by measuring the draw at the main fuse. The ST's main fuse is a 30 ampere fuse, and it's normal to load a fuse at about 75% of it's capacity (normal load), so I think my figures are very close. It's also obvious that the pre -'96 model ST's with the oil cooled 28 amp generator are not capable of running very much more than about 5 ampere of accessory equipment (the accessory fuse happens to be 5 ampere). Note: I refer the the "alternator" as a generator here. It's actually an excited field, three phase AC generator that uses solid state rectifiers to convert AC current to DC, so I refer to it as a generator. Hope this helps. -- Chris Olson - Barron, WI [This message has been edited by PanEuropean (edited 15 February 2002).] |
According to Bajadesigns the NX650 Dominator
has a 3 phase AC generator that can't be rewound to produce 2x 125W like the XR600 They claim that 180w should be plenty however there is probably not much call for heated vests...etc in Southern California. Thanks for all the info. BTW XR600R owners can have their generators rewired by Baja designs to give the 125wx2 if they feel it is necessary. Huan [This message has been edited by Huan (edited 15 February 2002).] |
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