Headlight relay kit

[sirch345]

Chris,
Dont worry, that was me having a go at myself.............not getting the hump at good [and tactfull] questions.

Chris.

[Jonesey]

Have you taken any pics of the light improvement?
Got my kit on the way, so am curious to see the difference...
Cheers, Chris.

[seb421]

Hi i have the HID kit fitted, its wombles bright i can tell you that, it realy makes a diffrence for me as i do most my mileage in the dark on the bike (due to work i wouldnt go out in the dark for the fun of it) ive been meaning to take pics for bloody ages just not got round to getting a decent camera. The HID light is by far the best thing i have purchaesed for the bike, i also have these fitted in my side light

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWNX:IT

im also thinking of fitting a 12 Socket so i can charge my Laptop on the go or mobile not sure.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWAX:IT

[AMCQ46]

Ok, just tried to order the 55/110W bulb from outback automotive, and they no longer stock the part. I cant find any other of that rating, so have now ordered an 80/100W from Biker-bitz.co.uk.............well i ordered 2 as I cant stand paying £8.50 postage for a £6.95 component.

2nd one can be sold on for a more reasonable postage if anyone wants it.

[Jonesey]

As I'm awaiting my relay kit from Japan, I may well have that off you, any chance of some pics of the results of fitting the kit?
Chris.

[AMCQ46]

Photos on dip:
with relay


standard no relay:


not too easy to detect a big difference, but if I have both images loaded and toggle between the 2 I can see the relay is brighter.

[AMCQ46]

looking at the bike on dip.

with relay:



Standard no relay:
.

Again, if I toggle between images the I can easly see which one has the relay, but I doubt if it is more than 10% brighter in these test.

But it will allow me to run the 80/100W bulb without any problems.

but now my dip / high beam button is sticking..........I will do a search now but watch out for a new tread!

[AMCQ46]

Nah, I checked the file name in properties...........There is so little difference that if you cant toggle between them really [relay ] quickly, it is hard to see any change.

[AMCQ46]

Tim,
As there is Ice and salt all over the roads here, I am not going to try any real world tests!!
The photos are not far off what it looked like sat on the bike, but perhaps I need to be on a real road to see how far up the road was illuminated

So based on the "looking at the garage door" test, I would say the relay kit is marginal at best.

But I wouldnt want to fit a 100W bulb and run it through the standard wires and switches, so not a waste of money, but also not the "great light hope" that some of the reviews on the Superhawk forum had lead me to belive.

[geodude]

geodude,
this kit is not an HID conversion. it is only a way to feed your standard Halogen bulb with the full 13.5V it was designed for by avoiding voltage drop in the existing wiring harness.

this is what the net tells you about the relay kit:


What is a relay?

A relay is a remote controlled switch. It allows a high current to be safely passed directly from battery to component, while using the switch to trigger the relay. Really :-)

Why the heck does a bike need relays?

Normally on a bike, the current powering your headlight, horns, accessories, and auxiliary lighting goes through a maze of undersized wires, through tiny handlebar switch contacts, and through far to many connections. As a result, when the power reaches your headlight bulb (for example), the voltage has dropped significantly. Voltage is electrical pressure. The electrical energy has lost some pressure. More pressure forces more light from an H4 bulb. It makes a horn much louder, and it makes your heated clothing keep you warm much better.

Voltage drop and light output

Near a bulb's working design Voltage, a drop of only a half of a Volt results in a halogen bulb producing much less light. Many bikes have shown a 1 or even 2 Volt drop at the bulb. And this is on a new or like new bike. After installing my relay kits, you will have a drop of ~.1 Volt after installing a relay kit. That's 1/10th of a Volt in case you miss the decimal. There is always going to be some Voltage drop, and this is about the minimum possible. This low Voltage drop is the proof that the system is a good one. All the wiring, connectors, and components are working as they should.

so if you run the kit with the standard 55/60w bulb you should be fully legal. The lamp is legal, and the reflector is correctly designed for the lamp. All you are doing is feeding it with the designed voltage.

Ah ok. Thanks for this

[sirch345]

Good man AMCQ for getting some pic's up of the standard V the relay.

Without wishing to sound smug, are these pic's with the engine running as if you remember we discussed this about the difference being greater with the alternator working.

Chris.

[AMCQ46]

Good man AMCQ for getting some pic's up of the standard V the relay.

Without wishing to sound smug, are these pic's with the engine running as if you remember we discussed this about the difference being greater with the alternator working.

Chris.

Chris,
yes engine running as per our last discussion.

[Jonesey]

After fitting my kit, I can tell you that there is a MARKED improvement, the photos don't do the kit justice. It's an upgrade well worth the 30 or so quid.
I've tucked the relays behind the clocks, nice to have them out of the way.
Am now running a 90/130 bulb, and a colleague asked me if it was "one of them hid kits?"
Highly recommended. Chris.

[AMCQ46]

Jonesey,
Good news that it is working well for you. I assume that unlike me, you are doing a real world test and riding the bike
And you noticed a big improvement..............did you measure the voltage drop on your standard bulb harness? I would like to compare that to my measurement to see if the garage door test was just a crap way to evaluate light output.

Assume that you dont want the spare bulb 100w now you go a bigger 130w?

[Jonesey]

Sorry Am, I managed to pillage brother in law's workshop for a bulb, and forgot to let you know. Sorry bud . Not sure how to measure voltage drop- I've got a digital multimeter, so if you can explain I'll happily measure it and let you know.
I have been riding everyday to work at 03.30a.m. except the 25/26 Dec, and the difference on the road is superb.
Cheers bud, Chris.