Author Topic: 2G "S" headlamp upgrade (Read 82582 times)

Vlad · « **Reply #60 on:** March 29, 2006, 12:34:02 AM »

Excellent writeup Bazza, thank you very much. I only wish I saw it sooner, when my headlight was apart for black dust cleaning. The wiring harness efect is most pronounced so I guess I'll stick with that for now.

Bazza · « **Reply #61 on:** March 31, 2006, 01:34:07 AM »

Hey Vlad:

As was the case on my bike, it is probably the best thing you can do. Try to get us some before and after picts. It will be interesting to see what just the harness will do.

Vlad · « **Reply #62 on:** March 31, 2006, 08:32:08 AM »

Quote from: "Bazza"

Hey Vlad:

As was the case on my bike, it is probably the best thing you can do. Try to get us some before and after picts. It will be interesting to see what just the harness will do.

Thanks again. I'll take 'before' pics right away. The harness will have to wait a while because both me and my credit card are tired after a lot of winter work and just want to ride :). I'll do it together with the Stebel air horn upgrade. Maybe I'll even try the cheap route and fabricate the wiring myself. Will post results.

Bazza · « **Reply #63 on:** March 31, 2006, 11:29:18 PM »

Vlad:

Just to give you an insight on the harness, I origionally planned to build one myself, but the relays alone were 24 bucks each at Napa, and they are considerably more bulky than what was supplied to me. I could not find the type of high strand wire that he used in the suppled harness also. He uses a very high strand count, which they tell me is ideal for this type of application. It would have cost me far more to build one.

Just my 2 cents.

Vlad · « **Reply #64 on:** April 01, 2006, 12:34:10 AM »

Quote from: "Bazza"

Vlad:

Just to give you an insight on the harness, I origionally planned to build one myself, but the relays alone were 24 bucks each at Napa, and they are considerably more bulky than what was supplied to me. I could not find the type of high strand wire that he used in the suppled harness also. He uses a very high strand count, which they tell me is ideal for this type of application. It would have cost me far more to build one.

Just my 2 cents.

Thanks again Bazza, I'll take all these points under serious consuderation. I have a very good source of anything electrical and an expert support to build it, but may still decide to buy instead of build to save time and hassle. If I were to re-build the stock witing harness I may have to get by without relays. It looks like they are there just to facilitate easier switching when installed in parallel with the stock wiring. The original handlebar switch should be adequate enough - it was designed for the same load, after all. It's just a matter of how easy+messy or hard+neat you want it to be IMO.

Bazza · « **Reply #65 on:** April 01, 2006, 04:07:11 AM »

Hey Vlad:

If you are considering re-wiring the stock Suzuki harness, I would say good luck! My 1st thought was to just re-wire the stock harness with thicker wire, but when I saw the work that was involved, I would have sold the bike!

There are several quick connects along the length of the harness (wich propably add to the voltage drop. (each conector will add resistance) This combined with what you would have to disasemble, it would be much more work than it's worth.

With this add on harness, you still use the origional switching (this works the relays). You are just really adding a fresh source from the battery. Once it is all installed, all the origional switches work as before. You just have a new power source to the lights.

I just ran the new harness on top of the existing main harness, and to even the trained eye, you would have a hard time noticing this add on.

Vlad · « **Reply #66 on:** April 03, 2006, 08:12:05 AM »

Quote from: "Bazza"

If you are considering re-wiring the stock Suzuki harness, I would say good luck! My 1st thought was to just re-wire the stock harness with thicker wire, but when I saw the work that was involved, I would have sold the bike!

You convinced me Bazza, I'll go with the 'buy and install' solution :)

Bazza · « **Reply #67 on:** April 17, 2006, 05:51:38 PM »

Just an update here.

A few people have asked if you could convert Hella units to dual High/low beam configuration. (Both headlights on low/high beam).

I thought that if you had purchased 2 of the Hella high beam units, and then mounted dual filimant bulbs in them somehow, this could be made to work. At the back of the Hella units the bulb actually mounts into an add on adapter. I thought that it might be possible that Hella makes this add on adapter for some sort of dual filiment bulb.

I was informed by Susqahanna (a dealer that sells the units) that this is not possible. Their comments were that they do make a Bi-Xenon unit for this purpose, but the only catch is that two of these units would cost you $1076.92 USD. (needless to say, a very pricey Mod)

From the Dealer.

I was wondering if it would be possible to mount a dual filament (High/Low) bulb in the Hella units you sell.

Your part number HL68136

Not with those lamps, butt on the 90MM page we do have an HID Hi/Low beam called the Bi-Xenon.

Regards,

Wil

Have Blue · « **Reply #68 on:** May 09, 2006, 12:59:27 AM »

After reading this thread, I immediately ordered the toshiba bulbs from Fine Motoring. I installed them tonight and went for a ride to check it out. The difference is astounding. My low beam is about 4 or 5 times brighter than it was and the high beam lights up the centerline of the road for about 1/2 mile.
I'm not kidding, I can see a stop sign 1/2 mile ahead. High beam lit up a pedestrian in dark clothes walking alongside a rural road at a distance of about 1/4 mile. Jeezus!!! I'm one happy camper with these bulbs. :-)

Blue

PaulVS · « **Reply #69 on:** May 09, 2006, 10:15:23 AM »

Quote from: "Have Blue"

After reading this thread, I immediately ordered the toshiba bulbs from Fine Motoring. I installed them tonight and went for a ride to check it out. The difference is astounding. My low beam is about 4 or 5 times brighter than it was and the high beam lights up the centerline of the road for about 1/2 mile.
I'm not kidding, I can see a stop sign 1/2 mile ahead. High beam lit up a pedestrian in dark clothes walking alongside a rural road at a distance of about 1/4 mile. Jeezus!!! I'm one happy camper with these bulbs. :-)

Blue

Did you just install them without modifying the blockers?

Have Blue · « **Reply #70 on:** May 09, 2006, 10:21:54 AM »

yeah, just a plug and play. Blockers? Theres nothing blocking the bulbs?
From Paul's post, the "blockers' are inside the projector housings but I didnt see any kind of obstruction. What exactly should I be looking for? Maybe they have already been removed?

Blue

Quote from: "PaulVS"

Did you just install them without modifying the blockers?

Red01 · « **Reply #71 on:** May 09, 2006, 12:03:21 PM »

To remove them, you have to tear the whole headlight assy apart so you can get to the projector lenses, remove them, and take out the blockers.

You'll know if you got blockers in by how the beam casts against a wall. If your beam has a distinctive cut-off, like the one on the right, you have blockers still installed. If there's no cut-off, there's no blockers, like the one on the left:

Have Blue · « **Reply #72 on:** May 09, 2006, 01:42:21 PM »

Ah Haaa. thanks

Blue

cb400bill · « **Reply #73 on:** May 12, 2006, 09:12:49 PM »

So after reading this and other headlamp threads I ordered the HIR lamps this past Monday. They arrived on Thursday and it literally took me 10 minutes to modify and change BOTH the low and high beams from the stock lamps to the HIR lamps. Using my Dremel the tab removal modification was a piece of cake.

Now if it would just stop raining and warm up a bit I would test them out. Its been raining in Kalamazoo since Tuesday night and has been windy and cold on top of it. Looks like it stays this way until next Tuesday.

PaulVS · « **Reply #74 on:** May 13, 2006, 10:13:03 AM »

Is there any difference in the internal structure of the headlight... left vs. right side?