Tales from the Emporium

[NordieBoy]

The Adventure is still running the original tail light after two years, 22,000km. The OEM ones are probably heavy duty types, so try OEM or Hella HDs or something. No I don't know where you can get them locally, either.

I blew 3 Repco blinkers in quick succession on the Nordie and then no more for 2 years.

[warewolf]

You made me spend the whole evening reading advrider about HID conversions.

Did you read all the -ves? Like the price? or the way you can't get a low/high combination bulb? Or that they often aren't certified for street use, since they aren't instant-on? Or that in use they are so bright that oncoming traffic regularly flash their lights in protest? Or that they need full voltage to fire up - conditions where your headlight would be dim/yellowing won't ignite the arc - and often require upgraded wiring to avoid voltage losses? You need to mount two extra cigarette-sized metal boxes, one a step-up transformer from 12V to 23,000V, and the other the igniter to trigger the arc.

One reason the HIDs are so popular on bikes is their low power consumption, which leaves your tiddly alternator output with more juice to power your heated vest, gloves, sox, boxers and in-car DVD theatre system, err, um, NAVIGATION equipment.

I reckon they'd be good for an auxiliary light but not high/low. However their price doesn't represent value. A 50W halogen-xenon (OHC) dichroic would be a better spend, and pump out something like 80W halogen equivalent, for 1/10th or 1/20th the price... and without any extra hardware. Despite that, I've got one ready to go on the Triumph to upgrade the worn-out 50W halogen dichroic spotty. It's a 35W, so around 125-180W halogen equivalent. (Sing out if you want to come have a look, Nordieboy). Got it "cheap" off advrider.

The dichroic has been great, it is not a spot despite the 10deg focus, it lights up evenly across all your peripheral vision. They are readily available in many wattages and beam-widths.

Or if you are worried about alternator output, change your halogen bulbs for a halogen-xenon mix for less watts for the same light output.

I upgraded the Adventure from halogen blubs (H1 type, one for high, one for low) to halogen-xenon mix bulbs. Narva sells these bulbs as "Plus 50"s and they pump out a helluva lot more light than the halogens at the same power. A useful and cost-effective upgrade, although others report that they are worthless??

The "All Weather" bulbs lived up to their name, I found them to be much better for driving on wet, foggy nights.

Food for thought.

[Transalper]

I was thinking as an extra light, only turn it on when u in the rough.
How is this dichroic thing with excess vibration. I had some nice flash xenon bulbs in my CBR1000 that was good on road in the inline 4, but was warned no good in thumpers. I suspect they were different to what you speak of.

[NordieBoy]

Did you read all the -ves? Like the price? or the way you can't get a low/high combination bulb?

My 1st link was to a high/low one for $119 + postage Canadian.

Or that they need full voltage to fire up - conditions where your headlight would be dim/yellowing won't ignite the arc - and often require upgraded wiring to avoid voltage losses? You need to mount two extra cigarette-sized metal boxes, one a step-up transformer from 12V to 23,000V, and the other the igniter to trigger the arc.

Plug and play.
Uses existing wiring.

A 50W halogen-xenon (OHC) dichroic would be a better spend, and pump out something like 80W halogen equivalent, for 1/10th or 1/20th the price... and without any extra hardware. Despite that, I've got one ready to go on the Triumph to upgrade the worn-out 50W halogen dichroic spotty. It's a 35W, so around 125-180W halogen equivalent. (Sing out if you want to come have a look, Nordieboy). Got it "cheap" off advrider.

Hmmm...

Food for thought.

Mmmmmmm, fooood.

[Transalper]

So i guess it would be better for the bike to use the instead of kit.
mmm, I got Js credit card at the moment... no i must not, i must wait for the test pilot to try it first.
Like to try the superbrace too.

[cooneyr]

You boys and your toys. I'd be bloody happy to get my stock bike back and get riding! Interesting reading none the less.

Cheers R

[NordieBoy]

Like to try the superbrace too.

Saw that, nice bit of work.
The harder you ride your bike the more you'd notice the effects.

"Your credit card will not be charged until your order is shipped."
Hmmm, so the exchange rate will have changed by then, probably for the worse.

[warewolf]

My 1st link was to a high/low one for $119 + postage Canadian.

I knew you'd come back with that! It's HID in "Low Beam Only". From what I've read, the halogen high beam is seriously compromised, although the low beam is pretty good. But you still have the issue that low beam is limited (by law) to something like 75m in front of your vehicle, so the HID part is no good at speed... when you want it most.

The other systems use the one light source and have some kind of adjustable reflector-thing to create hi/lo. Apparently these are even worse; drop in replacements are nothing like the OEM ones in high-end cars.

Plug and play.
Uses existing wiring.

Yebbut that's sales talk. My point was that your existing wiring may not be good enough, and you will want/need to upgrade it. Plus, you still have to mount those two extra boxes.

[Transalper]

Saw that, nice bit of work.
The harder you ride your bike the more you'd notice the effects.

"Your credit card will not be charged until your order is shipped."
Hmmm, so the exchange rate will have changed by then, probably for the worse.

I recall this from earlier in this thread i think, how i first heard of them. People were humming and arring then.
Today is the last day the group buy discount is available so i figure saving $38US if you buy now is good even if the exchange rate gets worse. I probably don't ride hard enough to feel it but i got curious so ordered one while the opportunity was there. I think the DR is the first bike i might and indeed am going to spend money on trying to get better handling out of, but i don't plan on messing with the engine

[NordieBoy]

But you still have the issue that low beam is limited (by law) to something like 75m in front of your vehicle, so the HID part is no good at speed... when you want it most.

Just has to drop 3mm per 3m for an asymmetrical dipped light.

The other systems use the one light source and have some kind of adjustable reflector-thing to create hi/lo. Apparently these are even worse; drop in replacements are nothing like the OEM ones in high-end cars.

Or move the bulb via a servo.

Yebbut that's sales talk. My point was that your existing wiring may not be good enough, and you will want/need to upgrade it. Plus, you still have to mount those two extra boxes.

But HID pulling 5A versus Halogen pulling 10A?


Anyway, I'm starting out small.
Got a +50 60/55W today

[NordieBoy]

I recall this from earlier in this thread i think, how i first heard of them. People were humming and arring then.
Today is the last day the group buy discount is available so i figure saving $38US if you buy now is good even if the exchange rate gets worse.

I finally decided to bite the bullet and get one as well.
I missed out

I think the DR is the first bike i might and indeed am going to spend money on trying to get better handling out of, but i don't plan on messing with the engine

Do some cheap/free messing though.
Remove the snorkle, 1mm spacer under the needle and grind the header weld.

[NordieBoy]

Tested the new headlight out via Rosebank Hill, Jacobs Ladder and the Dovedale Hill (nice gravel loop) it turned night into day



Or that could have been riding at 4pm that did that.

[warewolf]

But HID pulling 5A versus Halogen pulling 10A?

That's the "in use" figure, not the startup current. You need to ignite the arc, once it is started it is sustained with much less current.

10A @ 12V = 120W nominal lamp... that's pretty strong. Maybe OK for a spottie on a big-alternator Beemer. HID equivalent would only be 2-3A.

The shape and spread of the light is also important, and also the relationship between high and low. I ran 80/100W instead of the standard 55/60W in the Triumph and that was good. But the 55/100W was terrible, because low beam was dim & yellow compared with high, so every time you dipped your lights you were doubly-blind. I tried a 90/130W but it melted then shorted the wiring at the back of the headlight, and wasn't as good as the 80/100W. (This was after riding a TDM850 that had the std dim yellow 35/35W pair replaced with 55/60Ws - the latter being absolutely brilliant, if you pardon the pun.)

After a discussion about the way the eye works, with a chap who was involved with night-vision stuff with fighter pilots and other armed forces personnel, I ended up upgrading the wiring (already built into the bike but unused!!), going back to the 55/60W bulb, and adding the dichroic spotty. The visibility with the std wattage bulb being driven at full voltage through good wiring is superb. Easy on the eye and plenty of vision. Not bright, but very effective. The shape of the beam is well designed and allows the eyes to work very well with the std power bulb. The dichroic complements that with penetration and a nice even spread... oooh err! ... but it is not a harsh light.

[NordieBoy]

It seems that the main complaint people have with the DR650 lighting is that the reflector is not very well designed versus the ADV's very well designed reflectors.

[warewolf]

Yeah, it's a bit easier to get a good shape with a round reflector!

Have you thought about any of those enduro headlight assemblies, like the Acerbis DHH? The weight savings on your steering is huge, too. Looks like they run dichroics, again you could upgrade from halogen to halogen-xenon for more light - or go up to 50-60W.

Oops! The DHH CE is the road-legal job.

The Diamond is better, from reviews I've read, but it is not DOT-compliant.