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Three headlights / light bar? (Read 342 times)
Bear_Rider
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Re: Three headlights / light bar?
Reply #15 - 09/17/08 at 22:41:47
 
If you are concerned about the load, you might try these halogen/xenon lamps.
http://www.1000bulbs.com/Halogen-Xenon-Gas-Mix/


I know a fellow who put a pair of 15? watters on a Honda Rebel. He said they were quite bright. These come in wattage rating from 20 to 50 watts each and have a service rating of 5000 hours (almost two years of eight hour days).
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jtsun
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Re: Three headlights / light bar?
Reply #16 - 09/17/08 at 22:48:15
 
I got two 5" H3 chrome lights from harbor freight item# 47394-5VGA. Each cost about $11, I mounted it using angle stock that's 1-1/4" wide and some u-bolts. I switched my main headlight with 6000k H4 HID bulb and wired up the two side lights to the high beam. I wired up the two side lights together and used a spade connector so that I can plug it into the stock headlight harness. Because I  attached the lights sideways (90 degrees to the fork tubes) the beam projected vertically instead of horizontal. Solved that problem by unscrewing the two clamps that hold the lens in place and rotated it 90 degrees to get the beam correct.

As for the power draw, each light is rated at 55w each. I was also concerned about the wiring and power consumption, but after about a 12hr road trip it seemed to hold up fine with out any problems. Had it on the whole trip minus the time at the rest stop, eating, and the night ride when I used my main HID headlight which was much brighter than the two halogens.

I hope you find something that works for you.

I'll get pictures up in my next post, its my first post and they wont let me post pics yet.
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jtsun
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Re: Three headlights / light bar?
Reply #17 - 09/17/08 at 22:54:43
 
Here is some pictures of the lights






Above is a close up of the angle bar with the u-bolt, I cut a strip off a sheet of rubber gasket material to stop the metal from rubbing.

I was in a rush to get it done for the trip so it still needs some work but its holding up and the light is stable with no shifting.
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mpescatori
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Re: Three headlights / light bar?
Reply #18 - 09/18/08 at 01:21:07
 
Hey, JTSUN, that's a rellay neat setup you have there !  Smiley
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firetruckredbike
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Re: Three headlights / light bar?
Reply #19 - 09/18/08 at 03:00:32
 
And this is why this is such a great site.  Fantastic help, thanks everybody.

Bear Rider - thanks for the halogen suggestion - may be able to do smaller lights with equivalent brightness that way...good idea.

And JTSUN - that is the ticket.  Great job, great look.  Your mechanical ability is way above mine but your detailed explanation and photos will help me out.  Thanks so much.

Three lights make such a bigger impression to oncoming traffic - this is a big safety improvement.

Thanks again and ride safe everyone,
Amy
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EssForty
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Re: Three headlights / light bar?
Reply #20 - 09/18/08 at 03:51:33
 
110 watts is going to draw almost 8-9 amps. That's really pushing it for a new battery and could be a killer on an older battery that has a dead cell.  If you're on a long road trip with open road cruising at 3000 plus rpm's you'll generate enough power to keep the battery charged. But if you were in city traffic with lots of idling at lights you'd run the risk of draining it down.

I have a voltage gauge on my bike and so I can watch it closely. The voltage dips to a neutral point at idle and pops back up to fully charging at highway speed.  Ironically, it is in city traffic with lots of cagers making lefts in front of you that the  extra light would be most helpful, but will also drain power at each stop.

So the bike is engineered well for the planned load, but Suzuki would not have planned for much more than the stock power draw configuration or it would drive up costs for the battery and possibly for heavier gauge wiring.  

One other thing... one of the real benefits of light bars is not the actual candlepower of light output. It is the optical effect of the spread of the lights and how the human eye can better detect speed. A cager sees three lights moving, and has 3 reference points to say "hey, that guys is moving pretty fast I better not make this turn now".  So smaller, lower wattage lights spread out are better than one big cyclops light in the center or a cluster of three big lights.
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firetruckredbike
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Re: Three headlights / light bar?
Reply #21 - 09/18/08 at 06:22:10
 
Thanks, Ess.  That's good information.  So I have a bit to think about now.

I ride 62 miles round trip every day to work, and most of that is country roads, but toward the city there is about half an hour of some stop and go.  That might drive the battery to the limit - but that's exactly when I would need the extra lights/reference points for the cagers. *decisions, decisions*

OK much food for thought, thanks again all.
Ride safe,
Amy
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bill67
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Re: Three headlights / light bar?
Reply #22 - 09/18/08 at 06:57:42
 
  You don't have to leave those lights on all the time.
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jtsun
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Re: Three headlights / light bar?
Reply #23 - 09/18/08 at 22:28:26
 
essforty - you're right, drawing that many amps is something to think about.

I added the extra lights as a safety feature so that I would stand out to other drivers and get noticed, sort of like having daytime running lights. At night I ride with the main headlight, which is much brighter with the HID bulb installed.

I plan on getting lower wattage bulbs to replace the H3 bulbs currently in the lights, I was thinking some 12v 20watt halogen bulbs. It should take care of the amp draw issue, but I end up sacrificing lumen output, about 1/3 output for each light. I'll see how it turns out once I get the bulbs.
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