i've been looking at different bulbs and a lot are 100/55w or 100/90w. Can my bike handle that? normal is 60/55w. I just want a whiter brighter bulb. i dont care if its too bright. i run high beam all the time anyway...
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How do i know what headlight wattage i can use?
- Thread starter Jawknee21
- Start date
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- Tags
- bulb electrical headlight
Stock bulbs were 40W/50W I believe, 90 or 100 would really be pushing it I think. A HID light might be the answer if your wallet can handle it. Lot's of light and only 35W, but you have to find places for the stuff that goes with it.
HID kits on ebay are inexpensive and work well. I have this one.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Slim...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Slim...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories
I got the H3 in yellow, which only is one setting(low beam), but it is bright as fuck. There is no filament to burn out, so it is pretty reliable. If you het the h4 dual kit, you will have hi and low beams.
1974jh5
Curmudgeon.
FWIW, at 13 volts a 100w bulb draws ~7.7 amps, a 80w ~6.2 amps, a 55w ~4.2 amd a 60w ~ 4.6. http://www.supercircuits.com/resources/tools/Volts-Watts-Amps-Converter All are well within the current capacity of the stock charging system, wiring and switches. http://www.offroaders.com/tech/12-volt-wire-gauge-amps.htm
Here's some info from Pete on stock chaging system output and loads. Draw your own conclusion.
http://www.xs650.com/forum/showpost.php?p=21821&postcount=5
http://www.xs650.com/forum/showpost.php?p=21821&postcount=5
Well if you turn on the headlight and the engine stalls, you went too big.
Anything light that draws much more than stock can find any weak spots in the lighting circuit, as in connectors, switches, grounds. It will also test your charging system.
Make sure everythings up to the load. Swapping everything else to LED's will help.
Leo
Anything light that draws much more than stock can find any weak spots in the lighting circuit, as in connectors, switches, grounds. It will also test your charging system.
Make sure everythings up to the load. Swapping everything else to LED's will help.
Leo
1974jh5
Curmudgeon.
A friend had a Honda CT90 (little step through thing) and he decided the horn wasn't loud enough. So he got a car horn and mounted it, called me and said the bike was doing something weird. The engine ran fine until you hit the horn button, then the engine would die. 12V horn on a 6V bike. 
OakBehringer
XS650 Guru
James, I'd really appreciate it if you could take some measurements of that bulb or, even better, just post up a pic of it next to a ruler. I have an old headlight I'm going to be grafting onto my 650, I'd love to get something like this inside it. Just not sure if it will fit. I only ask b/c you ordered two and probably have the second lying around.
Thanks!
Adam
OakBehringer
XS650 Guru
Thanks! That's smaller than I expected from the eBay pics. I have one more question if you don't mind... the cable that runs to the ballast, it looks like a ribbon cable in the eBay pics, which I wouldn't be able to really splice into to elongate to mount it out of site. Is this the case? Or is it normal wiring that would be easy to hack into?
Thanks,
Adam
Thanks,
Adam
All of the wires are normal wires, I mounted the ballast box under my seat and spliced the wires longer to reach the headlight. the factory connectors are water tight, and actually pretty solid, but they were too bulky for me and I just cut them out and soldered then shrink wrapped the splices.
OakBehringer
XS650 Guru
Awesome, best response ever, that's exactly what I want to do. Thanks for your replies.
- Adam
the dual beam kits are on ebay also, just look around for them
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