Headlight woes and solutions !!!!!!!
My damn headlight is useless...no pwer or penetration I examined it today, dismantled the glass lens it is clean and shiney I have 12.8 v feed and the bulb is an Osram Xenon/superwhite but It is crap.I really have to do something about it ,
I have done some work on the internetty and looking at BOSCH data lists it seems that DUCATI cheapskates have used a car type lens on the Monster instead of the correct motorcycle one with no centre back reflector...YES its true ..monsters are fitted with a non Motorcycle specific headlamp which is known to have issues with its pattern...how the hell did Ducati get away with that !!!! must have been a cheap lot.
The solution may be to fit a CIBIE reflector ...yes i know HID is a possible solution but thge crap reflector will still be on the bike and its that which is probably losing 50% of the available light so fitting better bulbs or HID with all the attendant extra cost and wiring may be a waste of time.
I am looking into buying a VALEO/CIBIE 7'' H4 with sidelight reflector lens as used on race cars /bikes such as the older MINI which has a much superior reflector pattern to the archaic Bosch design on the Monster.This with a an Osram extreme Xenon bulb should do the trick at a cost of about $50 for the lens .
More as soon as i can get the CIBIE lens unit.
Jerry the Monsterman
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MONSTERMAN
yeah i'd definitely be interested in what you can come up with.
Me too. I've been wishing for more light.. and hoping TA would get those projector sets up going...
Seems that a CIBIE Z Beam lens unit is first step then an HID kit ...thats from some UK riders The CIBIE lens is much superior to Bosch it used on Race cars and Rally ....costs £32 in UK thats about $50. I will get one next week and try the Cibie lens out on my UK M750 ,
HID kits cost about $150 in UK and require some work and thought on where to put ballast but I will investigate that as well.
I have always heard good things about the cibie lights on other aplications. The price has been enough to scare me off though, They seem to run from about $50 -$100 each. Its hard to tell by the pic, but it looks like they use a projector inside the lense to focus the light, is that true?
I'm not a fan of using HID kits in the stock housing, if it does not focus light corectly with a halogen it is only going to be worse with a xenon that needs to be focused. That unfocused light is one of the resons many are pushing to make HID kits illegal. Using a D2R bulb helps the focus some.
Love to hear how that all pans out.
My low beam is great imo but when I want to see a wider field, hi beam, there's a few too many holes.
The H4's in my Saab seem really great, but, there's 2.
since i read this i've been poking around.. i wonder about this option?
http://www.bikebandit.com/candlepower-round-headlight (http://www.bikebandit.com/candlepower-round-headlight)
Quote from: Privateer on October 01, 2009, 10:16:37 AM
since i read this i've been poking around.. i wonder about this option?
http://www.bikebandit.com/candlepower-round-headlight (http://www.bikebandit.com/candlepower-round-headlight)
Looks like just an aftermarket H4 lamp of a smaller diameter.
Lots of good aftermarket Harley options... but the 7" is just a bit too small to fit without mod. But, some ingenuity and time, and that's an option.
I'm interested in how this turns out. I went to a clear glass lens from Desmoworld.de, but more for daytime aesthetics than night-time light output.
Any updates on this - the CIBIE lens?
I went with HID.
I got an HID kit with a slim ballast for about $50 a piece, but I had to buy a pair for about $100 and split it with someone.
Light output is great. Better than my car with (halogen bulb) projectors.
As for the light cut-off...cut-off schmut-off. After adjusting the light angle it ain't so bad. no complaints yet.
I too have an HID and regularly ride on unlit twisty mountain roads in the dark, it's very bright and works great once the aim is set correctly.
Where'd you (either) source them? Do they high and low?
Quote from: yuu on November 07, 2009, 06:02:18 PM
Where'd you (either) source them? Do they high and low?
I got mine from
DDM Tuning (http://www.ddmtuning.com/) per ptam's recommendation. It does do high and low but we haven't sorted out the wiring for the high yet on my bike. Then again I haven't really needed high (other than feeling guilty that I'm not turning down my light when encountering an oncoming car).
I've got the DDM tuning - it was plug and play - a part moves for high beam to illuminate the bottom of the reflector more. I like it a lot, except for the ridiculously long amount of wire provided. I just don't like having a birds nest under my tank.
You guys/gals running the 35 or 55 watt version?
On the DDM site it appears you get two units - that right? If so guess I should find a buddy
Quote from: somegirl on November 07, 2009, 06:07:59 PM
I got mine from DDM Tuning (http://www.ddmtuning.com/) per ptam's recommendation...
+1 on DDMtuning
I'm using the 35w. It's bright enough for me.
I find that I really don't need a highbeam with the HID. And, it's nice to use the switch to turn the headlight off when needed.
Quote from: ato memphis on November 07, 2009, 06:10:47 PM
...I just don't like having a birds nest under my tank.
No rats nest here.
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y126/hundredpercentkill/dmf/DSC00020.jpg)
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y126/hundredpercentkill/dmf/DSC00003.jpg)
I got the single unit, 35w, does high and low, and comes with two leads (but only one ballast, you'd need another ballast & igniter for an additional bulb). That's part of the reason there's too much wire. Then again, not all bikes use the same amount of wire to go from the batter to the OEM headlight connector to the headlight itself.
Quote from: yuu on November 07, 2009, 06:28:56 PM
You guys/gals running the 35 or 55 watt version?
On the DDM site it appears you get two units - that right? If so guess I should find a buddy
Mine is a single unit 35W as well.
http://www.ddmtuning.com/index.php?p=product&id=106&parent=61 (http://www.ddmtuning.com/index.php?p=product&id=106&parent=61)
We tried fitting a hi/low beam DDM bulb in a stock steel headlight bucket, and we couldn't get it to work due to clearance issues. ???
YMMV.
I didn't have that problem, though I am using the German Clear-Glass Headlight from Desmoworld. The bulb is slightly longer, and it should be noted that the back (or bucket) of the oem headlight has changed slightly over the years, though I think they are cross compatible.*
*i read this somewhere i can't place tonight
From a past chat I had on this I sussed out that Monsters originally had a steel bucket and glass lens. At some point it transitioned to plastics for both - with the plastic lens being thinner. That difference in thickness was the difference in clearing or not for the hi/lo set up.
My on real quibble about not having both beams is that my state has a safety inpection for bikes. High beams are a check in that inspection. Basically I don't want to have to swap the stock setup back in once a year to pass. A little lazy I know...