100w White H4 Lamp fitting

[stormarmy]

After a bit of info from Tony.mon (and a bit from RiDE mag) I have fitted a 100w white light H4 Xenon bulb and a couple of relays and ceramic bulb holder to take the strain. Here is a quick guide to how I did it. Please note that this is just my method and any changes you make to your machine are at your own risk..

Story so far:

I found that my original light were pants. I wanted to upgrade to HID but there are some inherent problems with those – switching and automatic levelling. So I went for 100w white light xenon’s; classed as not legal for road use but then again neither is 100mph hooliganism but we all do it so... eh what the hek!!!!

Before Op:



Here’s how it went:

What I used:



100w White light xenon bulb
Ceramic bulb holder
2 x switching 12v DC relays
electrical wire
Heat Shrink
Soldering Iron
Cable ties
Volt meter
...a packet of 'patience' and three hands

Parts cost (all from ebay £11.85)

Method

1. Remove fairing.
2. Identify light connections in original headlight connection
a. White = Main beam(use for relay switch)
b. Blue = High beam use for relay switch)
c. Green = Earth



3. Identify a Permanent live – I went for ignition circuit (red thick wire)
a. Split wire and a add double wire (1 for Main beam 1 for High beam power)
4. Wire up each relay’s like this,
a. Using you 'new' power leads to go to the relays (Terminal no 30)
b. Use old lead (White or Blue to be the the electric switch (Terminal 86):
c. Connect Headlight dip or main, whichever you are doing (Terminal 87)
d. Connect Earth (Terminal 85)

5. Heat shrink connections -
6. Use an old mountain bike inner tube and cable ties to seal relay’s

7. Mount relays behind clocks cable tie to clock mount.

8. Feed wires along current wiring loom (cable ties are the way forward)

After OP:



More Light??



oh. I added a white LED sidelight to help the effect..

[bEDIT][/b]

Changed the live feed to a direct fused line from the battery. On advice from Tony.Mon (again) Thanks mate; at least i'll have lights even if i don't have the engine running!!

Total time: About 3 hours ish (but I work quite slowly)

Top Tips:

Disconnect battery before you start cutting cables
Solder spade connectors and spliced wire where possible
Use bullets connectors for ceramic bulb holder (so it can be changed back to normal if required)
Check all connections twice – before connecting battery back up
Many wires – take your time....

Good Luck.. If you fancy a go

[AMCQ46]

Good write up, makes me feel lazy that I went and bought the eastern beaver kit for my 100/80 H4s. well done

[tony.mon]

Nice job, well done.
I see people buying the relay kits and wonder why they're so expensive? Parts aren't much to source.

The only comment I'd make is that I'd have ran a separate fused power lead from the battery terminal to the relay for the permanent live power side.
Reason is that the way you have it, at night if a fuse blows you'll lose the ignition, and also headlights.

Running a separate lead will mean that at least you can see your way between the Artics to the hard shoulder.....

I had this happen once on a Triumph T150V Trident- had to close my eyes, go for it and pray- luckily found a gap.

Thinking about it, you may need to review the fuse rating on the ignition lead due to the extra current draw.....haven't looked at what fuse, or even if there is one for the ignition feed?

[stormarmy]

Tony,

Thanks for the info. I will make the changes this weekend before I head off to the TT; better safe than sorry.....

I should use the addage - a little knowledge is dangerourous when I start my 'projects'

Cheers -

[benny hedges]

nice neat job stormarmy - well done

i took the easy route myself and got the eastern beaver kit cos i cba lol.
in fact i accidentally got 2 - may mod the other one for my 750. (twin lamp)

i will say though, for a quick install kit, the quality of the kit and relays justifies the $ imo.
i went for the 130/95w rally lamps which are so bright they melt the tarmac in front, make night riding a joy.

[sirch345]

Yes I agree a nice neat job stormarmy good clear photo's too, well done.

I would say the same as Tony, that a direct fused feed would be the only thing I'd prefer too, especially after hearing about losing both lights and the ignition if one should cause the fuse to blow from Tony (something I'd not thought about), but apart from that a good job done

Do I detect you used a short length of bicycle inner tube for keeping the relay's and their connections dry

Chris.

PS,

i went for the 130/95w rally lamps which are so bright they melt the tarmac in front, make night riding a joy.

Benny, has your plastic headlight lens melted yet

PPS,

Thinking about it, you may need to review the fuse rating on the ignition lead due to the extra current draw.....haven't looked at what fuse, or even if there is one for the ignition feed?

Iirc Tony the ignition is fused and it's uses a 10amp fuse.

[benny hedges]

i went for the 130/95w rally lamps which are so bright they melt the tarmac in front, make night riding a joy.

Benny, has your plastic headlight lens melted yet


.

i ride on low beam all day and it's fine so far - doesn't seem to get that hot...
high beam isn't really on that much so dunno - time will tell!
got a spare headlamp anyway lol just in case!

[sirch345]

i ride on low beam all day and it's fine so far - doesn't seem to get that hot...
high beam isn't really on that much so dunno - time will tell!
got a spare headlamp anyway lol just in case!

Yeah a good point that Benny, using low beam all day (like myself) being less watts than the high

I like it "got a spare headlamp anyway lol just in case!"

Chris.

[stormarmy]

Chris,

Yep - You do spy the trusted mountain bike inner tube (courtesy of advice from ride mag) All is well with the mod, lasted during trip to the TT (Germany to IOM). Lights mega bright at night and really useful when filtering on the motorway (LOL) They can't say they didn't see me coming..... Changed the feed to a fused direct feed from teh battery - I will get round to fitting an additional fuse box soon to run all of the addons. May be another pictorial blog coming soon

Steve

[sirch345]

Chris,

Yep - You do spy the trusted mountain bike inner tube (courtesy of advice from ride mag) All is well with the mod, lasted during trip to the TT (Germany to IOM). Lights mega bright at night and really useful when filtering on the motorway (LOL) They can't say they didn't see me coming..... Changed the feed to a fused direct feed from teh battery - I will get round to fitting an additional fuse box soon to run all of the addons. May be another pictorial blog coming soon

Steve

Thanks Steve for the info on the inner tube, that's a brilliant idea

Fitting an extra fuse box sounds like a good idea to me, I've actually been thinking about doing the same thing to my bike.

Chris.

[oldbikeman]

Good Mod this as the lights are sad,I had a bag of relays handy from old Sierras (I cannot throw owt away) ,the yellows ones are wired as you described.Some nice thick three core off a cooker and a fat earth lead and the lights are better even on the old bulb.Oh and a 15 amp blade fuse near to the battery .Just to say that my loom has no 'Black Wire' syndrome just that the wires are too thin.In fact I'll knock up a full loom with the mod done as it is a bit therapeutic like knitting and I'll have a reason for hoarding boxes of electrical junk.Going on the loom you might think that a bikes not expected to be around for very long.