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Headlight Useless


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#1 madmike

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Posted 19 November 2018 - 02:51 pm

Nearly killed myself coming back to Swansea from torquay at night as my headlight about as good as a chocolate kettle.Anybody got an idea how to improve headlight.

#2 Studley Ramrod

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Posted 19 November 2018 - 03:23 pm

Brighter bulbs. :)  Osram nightbreakers work well on my mk1..


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#3 AliG

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Posted 19 November 2018 - 03:36 pm

Brighter bulbs. :)  Osram nightbreakers work well on my mk1..

They are good on the niner too. They do make a difference. You can also fit HIds, but technically, they do not pass the MOT, although my tester didn't bother.


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#4 jiff

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Posted 19 November 2018 - 03:42 pm

Brighter bulbs. :)  Osram nightbreakers work well on my mk1..


+ 1

or, more ambitiously, an Hid set-up (high intensity discharge) is, apparently likely to be even more effective...
but more expensive, I think, and requiring more complex fettling to install

there are also various separate spotlights available, which some favour.......and look groovy, it says here

I’m content with the nightbreakers......Jiff

#5 Nog

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Posted 19 November 2018 - 05:02 pm

The problem most of us have found is it's the beam pattern that's rubbish on these, and even brighter bulbs don't make as much of an impact as they should (although it all helps).

 

I definitely think a pair of 'driving lights' is a needed upgrade on these bikes.

 

I had HID on my niner, and then fitted a pair of 20W LED flood lights on the engine bars, dipped just nicely not to dazzle anyone and they really light the road up.  Combined with main beam on country roads and you have no problem seeing ahead :)



#6 dapleb

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Posted 19 November 2018 - 05:58 pm

Musta ate me carrots as a lad as find headlights fine.

If you fit extra lights I think it's very important to consider other road users and not to blind the hell out of them. An increasing problem I have noticed with boikes, cars and even treaders!
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#7 Andy25

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Posted 19 November 2018 - 06:48 pm

Ride magazine
Have a Headlight Bulb Test in this month's edition
Top 3 are as follows
3 - Osram X Racer - made for Bikes
2 - Osram Night Racer 110 - made for Bikes
1 - Phillips X-Treme Vision + 130
as Nog says Beam pattern plays a massive part and it
Shows in there Tests
Of course they weren't using a TDM for the tests
(Suzuki SV 650x ) so results may differ depending on Bike

#8 ramo

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Posted 19 November 2018 - 09:07 pm

After trying lots of different configurations I now go the way of standard halogen bulbs dip and main,

 

and a switched 30w LED spotlight which is brighter than a bright thing, better than the main by far,

 

on a side note, last month the MOT place I use told me its the last time they will pass my Blackbird with the HID dip beam (pattern is spot on)

 

been ok for 6 years but no longer, he said the LED in the main beam was ok and will pass next year,

 

I've heard stories about this happening for a few years, but now they seem to be doing something,



#9 TKH

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Posted 19 November 2018 - 09:51 pm

After trying lots of different configurations I now go the way of standard halogen bulbs dip and main,

 

and a switched 30w LED spotlight which is brighter than a bright thing, better than the main by far,

 

on a side note, last month the MOT place I use told me its the last time they will pass my Blackbird with the HID dip beam (pattern is spot on)

 

been ok for 6 years but no longer, he said the LED in the main beam was ok and will pass next year,

 

I've heard stories about this happening for a few years, but now they seem to be doing something,

 

I wish these MOT fecking testers would be consistent. I was told absolutely no HID dipped or main beam and that leds look like they're next to be banned. Made me take my HID off if I wanted a pass.

 

I also use night breakers.

 

I saw a report on some of the really bright bulbs lasting as little as tens of hours so defo not suitable for dipped beam.


BTW, madmike, welcome!



#10 Coxylaad

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Posted 19 November 2018 - 10:00 pm

this is interesting. I found the 900 headlight utter pig swill. I can happily ride round with my full beam on and I don't get so much as a 'hey mister you have your full beam on look, no flashing from other cars, nothing. also no visibility for me either. they hardly cast any light on the road compared to modern kit. my dad was following my on his tracer and accidentally left the full beam on, i had to pull over and tell him, it was like being followed by a tig welder. 

 

This was one of the reasons I decided to make a full new fairing, to get rid of the lights. Fairing hasn't worked but I have a plan B. I have pulled apart the existing light and inserted my projector lights. pictures to follow.


Edited by Coxylaad, 20 November 2018 - 07:52 am.


#11 ramo

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Posted 20 November 2018 - 07:16 am

Agree about the Tracer headlight,they are mega mine was the best headlight  of any thing I'd owned



#12 Favs

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Posted 20 November 2018 - 07:47 am

After trying lots of different configurations I now go the way of standard halogen bulbs dip and main,

 

and a switched 30w LED spotlight which is brighter than a bright thing, better than the main by far,

 

on a side note, last month the MOT place I use told me its the last time they will pass my Blackbird with the HID dip beam (pattern is spot on)

 

been ok for 6 years but no longer, he said the LED in the main beam was ok and will pass next year,

 

I've heard stories about this happening for a few years, but now they seem to be doing something,

 

Snap - ditched the HID Dip & LED Main for stock lamps. As my 9er is dip on variety, high output halogens are not worth installing considering their short lifespan

LED DRLs on handguards (Fixitsan controller :good: )

2x LED Aux lights one for Dip - carefully angled to light the kerb and ahead & one for main which floods the road ahead with light.

 

I find Aux & STD combo is very good - should present no MOT problems either.


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#13 Nog

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Posted 20 November 2018 - 09:07 am

I find Aux & STD combo is very good - should present no MOT problems either.

 

No I've never found Aux lights to be an issue at MOT either.  I think for a bike they are pretty much overlooked as not included in the test.  If you have specific fog lights, then I think the rule is the switch should be illuminated when on, but other than that I've never heard anything for bikes.



#14 fixitsan

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Posted 20 November 2018 - 09:33 am

HIDs are a fail, according to the MOT tester's manual. but not every HID install is easy to see and the testers can in some cases claim they had no idea that HIDs were fitted, if the beam pattern looks normal

 

The biggest issue with hids, is that a dirty front lens generates massive amounts of glare, so the design of a hid enclosure and lens is not the same as a usual lamp 

for that reason


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#15 drewpy

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Posted 20 November 2018 - 01:58 pm

nightbreaker on my dipped and standard on main.

don't bother with main as dipped is brilliant can even see the pattern on the road.

 

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#16 Coxylaad

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Posted 21 November 2018 - 03:22 pm

maybe I am just going blind. 

 

that said I did note that the reflector part of my headlight was quite dull when I took it apart. Could send it away and get it chromed I suppose.



#17 TKH

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Posted 22 November 2018 - 05:48 pm

There was a review of bulbs in a mag I saw recently (not sure if it was Bike). They used H4s so will be different for the H7 in a 9'er. I'll try and get an online copy if I can and post. They slated LED although they only had one sample so it could have been the maker. Halfords came out quite good at about £7 a bulb, that said most of the bulbs they tested did well just a couple did a bit better. Price from about £6 up to about £35 a piece.

 

OK found the article in Ride but can't get the images into a gallery (pdfs) converting them make for impossible reading. I'm happy to email to anyone who wants to see them. They're in portrait. 

 

Alternatively Readly magazine site has 2 month subscription for £1.99. If you only want the 2 months don't forget to cancel at the end. I'm not selling this, just a headsup for anyone who wants to see the original article.


Edited by TKH, 22 November 2018 - 07:39 pm.


#18 steves100uk

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Posted 05 February 2019 - 11:17 am

Hi fella.
Did you get your headlight done with the projectors. You got the pics.


this is interesting. I found the 900 headlight utter pig swill. I can happily ride round with my full beam on and I don't get so much as a 'hey mister you have your full beam on look, no flashing from other cars, nothing. also no visibility for me either. they hardly cast any light on the road compared to modern kit. my dad was following my on his tracer and accidentally left the full beam on, i had to pull over and tell him, it was like being followed by a tig welder. 
 
This was one of the reasons I decided to make a full new fairing, to get rid of the lights. Fairing hasn't worked but I have a plan B. I have pulled apart the existing light and inserted my projector lights. pictures to follow.



#19 Coxylaad

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Posted 07 February 2019 - 09:45 pm

its not finished yet. although i have the projectors in I kind of think I should have kept the original headlight glass now. I will be sorting it in the next couple of weeks. the bike is currently completely apart in my garage. 



#20 TKH

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Posted 07 February 2019 - 10:26 pm

Was out for part of a ride yesterday. Found out my dip bulb had gone so ran on high beam. Not one flash from anyone, even at night. I think other had the same experience. Got 3 aux lights on now with a further 2 waiting t be refitted. When I switched one of the aux lights on (60w) I could actually see what was in front of me. There's a novelty for a TDM.




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