Author Topic: Headlight (Read 9946 times)

rendog · « **on:** December 15, 2011, 01:09:20 PM »

Whilst the bike is waiting for parts to repair the shift problem,
I thought I'd investigate the whir, clunk, brr, brr, click, click, whir noise in the nose cone.
Turns out the headlight aim is adjustment via the knob on the left of the dash
activates a motor, reference 1.2 to 10.4 VDC, to aim the headlight reflectors.
Anyway it goes through a self test on start up, hence the noise.
Trouble is they don't sell them separately and the purchase of an entire headlight unit is required.
$1180 AUD. No thanks.

So if anyone has a broken/smashed headlight unit please let me know.
In the meantime I will just leave it disconnected and focus it manually.

Now while I'm in here guess I should grease those windscreen slides & ..... & .... &

Diesel · « **Reply #1 on:** December 15, 2011, 01:52:12 PM »

And, may I suggest.... this!

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Bi-Xenon-HID-Light-Kit-Slim-Ballast-H4-3-6000K-55W-12V-/220810501140?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item336954dc14#ht_5605wt_1163

Gavo · « **Reply #2 on:** December 15, 2011, 02:05:23 PM »

$1180 AUD.

Now thats a scary thought, me thinks a headlight cover could be usefull.

saaz · « **Reply #3 on:** December 15, 2011, 04:38:13 PM »

Item 4 in this is what you want. $54 US plus postage. Must be available in Australia, but at what price??

http://www.ronayers.com/fiche/TypeID/26/Type/Motorcycle/MakeID/1/Make/Honda/YearID/51/Year/2010/ModelID/8685/Model/ST1300/GroupID/419026/Group/HEADLIGHT

Perhaps use www.findapart.com.au to see if a local wrecker has a busted headlight.

http://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?93071-ST1300-How-to-install-Headlight-Adjusting-Motor
If you can't access the article I can try and get it somehow.

Malcolm6112 · « **Reply #4 on:** December 15, 2011, 08:40:26 PM »

Armed with a part number, you could try a dealer in the USA or England.
Part finder had a 3 places on the East coast with ST1300 parts. It's well worth enquiring.

rendog · « **Reply #5 on:** December 15, 2011, 11:37:17 PM »

Excellent work.
Thanks all

scarp · « **Reply #6 on:** January 03, 2012, 10:58:06 PM »

Quote from: Diesel on December 15, 2011, 01:52:12 PM

And, may I suggest.... this!

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Bi-Xenon-HID-Light-Kit-Slim-Ballast-H4-3-6000K-55W-12V-/220810501140?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item336954dc14#ht_5605wt_1163

Are they any good?
I had been looking at these was not too sure tho they seem to come with shims as well
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/110613534393?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

Malcolm6112 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 03, 2012, 11:28:57 PM »

Quote

Are they any good?

I got mine from these guys.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/230661474334?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_7931wt_1110

From South Australia. Just tied the small amount of cable behind the headlight assy.
Aussie Wty. Just bent the two bottom tangs of the globe backwards. Didn't use any shims.

As Gavo has said, the 6000k aren't too good at dusk, but boy they are brilliant when it's really dark. Gonna get 4500k at some stage.

scarp · « **Reply #8 on:** January 04, 2012, 07:46:14 PM »

Thanks for the info still not sure what to get tho

saaz · « **Reply #9 on:** January 04, 2012, 07:56:52 PM »

Just make sure you get either 4300K or 6000K, and make sure the kit comes wth more than one bulb. The really cheap kits have DC ballasts, rather than AC ballasts, and may not come with the wiring harness. I have run the H4 dual headlight kit from jaycar the last 18 months no problems at all, but they are more than many kits now advertised.

I modified my headlight housing to take normal H4s (had to justify buying a cordless dremel tool!)

Malcolm6112 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 04, 2012, 08:05:57 PM »

Quote

cheap kist have DC ballasts, rather than AC ballasts.

Not following that comment Saaz.
DC direct current, 12 or 24 volt.
AC alternating current, 240v.

I understand the difference between cheap and "cheap".

As you said, make sure that it has two globes and ballasts included in the price and that low beam is not halogen.

scarp · « **Reply #11 on:** January 04, 2012, 08:09:47 PM »

Quote from: Malcolm6112 on January 04, 2012, 08:05:57 PM

Quote
cheap kist have DC ballasts, rather than AC ballasts.

Not following that comment Saaz.
DC direct current, 12 or 24 volt.
AC alternating current, 240v.

I understand the difference between cheap and "cheap".

As you said, make sure that it has two globes and ballasts included in the price and that low beam is not halogen.

I understand most things & done lots of mods but this Hid lighting has me stuffed & scratching my head

saaz · « **Reply #12 on:** January 04, 2012, 08:10:39 PM »

I only came across the difference the other day, when either DC or AC ballasts were offered on a Chinese website. Unfortunately I think I have some DC ballasts in a kit I bought a while back, as there is noticeable flicker in the light output for the H3s I put in the Compac 100 spots. Live and learn. Probably explains why the jaycar kit in H4 has been dead reliable and just works.

http://www.xenonsupply.com/intellightblog/dc_vs_ac_ballast/

scarp · « **Reply #13 on:** January 04, 2012, 08:13:09 PM »

Think I'll just ride thru the day

saaz · « **Reply #14 on:** January 04, 2012, 08:15:47 PM »

What, and miss the best time of the day when the sun is coming up

Malcolm6112 · « **Reply #15 on:** January 04, 2012, 08:21:25 PM »

Now I know. I'll make some enquires in the morning.

scarp · « **Reply #16 on:** January 04, 2012, 08:27:54 PM »

Well I've done a bit of night riding on the ST as the lights are, "standard" but I thought as my eyes are getting old I need all the help I can get. Maybe just some 55/60 Halogens will do

saaz · « **Reply #17 on:** January 04, 2012, 08:28:05 PM »

Let us know. I have a spare decent slimline digital ballast in 55W (one in the car went so cannabilised a kit for a ballast) so may get another one as the flicker in the spots is annoying me, and I don't want a bulb to fail when I might need it.

I ran 60/55W philips vision plus bulbs before the HIDs (well, they were legacy bulbs from a car I had, and I took out the good bulbs and put back in the crap ones when I sold it!). An improvement, but these days you can get a HID kit for the price of them.

But the ST13 may have better standard lenses than the ST11, so better bulbs may do. The ST11 sees more improvement in low bean than high, as it tends to send out a blob of light rather than a well controlled pattern. On high even on HID there is a big spread of light and not much noticeable increase in penetration (it is much better though!) My old suzuki with a 7" Marschal light has a far more controlled beam pattern. I used to run 130/90 bulbs in it for night trips, of which I used to do many 1000km each way runs to Victoria at night before the Hume was duplicated.

saaz · « **Reply #18 on:** January 04, 2012, 10:05:43 PM »

And here are someones comments from www.st-owners.com about the different K ratings. I have found the 4300K in the car to be quite ok. The 6000K in the ST11 work fine in all conditions for me, but I have heard varying opinions. Even during the day you can see the headlight against the reflective road signs.

Re: vvme HID's yet again
i can say from being a life long HID user and installing probably over 200 sets on various cars and bikes that your choice of 4300 is probably going to be the biggest downer.In the daytime the Lower K hids dont show up as well and at night they tend to go more Yellow and not Work well with the White lines Painted on roads Yet for distance it gives a wider pattern.The ones that work best IMHO are the 6000 for Highway night use and 8000 K for mixed uses with more city based riding.The 6000 Is more white/Blue and the 8000 is more of a true blue to my eye.In riding from las vegas to Los angeles and back on I 15 at night out here it can get a bit dark and we do have debris on the road and animals and such.Ive ridden the same bike with both setups and have to say that the 6000s work better in lighting up the road and lines and the 8000 make the bike more visible to oncomming traffic and work better with the signs and buildings on the sides of the road since the pattern of light and intensity seems to work a bit better on the sides.Check out my video if you want to see what 6000k HIDs look like at dusk.
I have never had a issue as far as cleaning contacts or such to make my HIDs work maybe its the balasts VVME is using.The ones i get from my suppliers here on the west coast and DDM tuning have never had a issue as far as start up and i just turn my key hit the starter and they are always on

Malcolm6112 · « **Reply #19 on:** January 08, 2012, 10:23:20 PM »

Quote

Now I know. I'll make some enquires in the morning.

I have a reply from the place I purchased my HID kit from in Adelaide. They only sell AC ballasts with their kits.

Thanks Saaz for making us aware of the difference.

rendog · « **Reply #20 on:** January 09, 2012, 09:46:54 AM »

I enjoy reading interesting technical documents and users opinions on stuff like this :)
It's good to have access to people who know what's going on

IanB · « **Reply #21 on:** January 26, 2012, 07:08:56 PM »

Scarp, if you get the shim kit or just bend some prongs the H4 bulbs go in. Biggest problem is getting the locking clip undone and relocated.
I did mine with all the fairings plastics in place. Took a fair bit of manipulating the get that little %$#@*& spring back in place.
But with the headlight adjustment on the dash the lights are more than adequate at night.
Now I jusy got to align better to get some side coverage in the twisties. (Or maybe a couple of little lights hanging under the mirrors.

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Author Topic: Headlight (Read 9946 times)

rendog

rendog

rendog