Ocelaris,

Thank you for the thorough response and suggestion. I agree on all points--Honda makes an excellent technical product, high beams and low beams are designed for different functions (therefore the 2 distinct reflectors) and that it's purely an aesthetic "problem". Let me point out that when I had my EX500 way back when, I ALWAYS had the high beam on during the day so I'm not arguing the benefits of the high beam on during the day--to a point. The EX500 was a different design. The high beam on the CBR, though technically perfect, even during the day is DAMN bright and I feel it's bright to the point of the phenomenon of (some) onward traffic actually fixating on the light rather than the idea that that light belongs to a motorcycle driven by a human (I'm sure you've seen a slight drift in your direction on occassion and although we all chalk it up to vanity or the downright cool factor of motorcycles in general, fact is some of those cagers just fixate on the bright light). For anyone that has seen the movie "Finding Nemo", there's a scene I'm immediately reminded of--when Dory and Marlin become fixated on a single, bright dancing light almost until it's too late to react to what that light is attached to.

I don't want to give up the benefits of that targeted high beam reflector but back to aesthetics, I don't want to wink or whatever anyone wants to call it either. I like your idea of the DRL on the high beam during the day and normal operation at night--it's exactly what I'm after (reduced INTENSITY of the high beam reflector bulb with little modification at a reasonable price). For that, again, I thank you for pointing me in the DRL direction. I fully realize even tweaking the heck out of wattage, one will inherently look brighter (or less bright) due to the reflector designs but I'd rather have that than one on and the other off. Yes, I'm fully aware that since I'm the rider/operator I can't even see the lights anyway but crazy as it sounds, I know I'm riding around with just one light on and I know what it looks like and it bothers me. That brings me full circle to my original post. I can now go check out the DRL option and probably go with that.

Thanks again.

Erik

 

let me know if you need help wiring. The cheaper one is probably just fine, but at 20$ and 40$, 1/3rd the price!!!! they're basically just dummy resistors, to dissipate the heat, so when mounting, keep them open to air. You should be able to use a bypass switch on it... probably any 5amp switch should work. I imagine it just being wired in line with the positive wire of the high beam, and if you want a switch, you would use a DPDT and one set would work as a bypass, and the other running through the DRL module.

I know I'm a bit of a zealot, but I try to remember that my opinion is not the only, nor even correct one... and remain useful hopefully, cause what's good knowing something if it's useless to anyone?

My wife has an EX500, and we are working on a better lighting solution at the moment, trying to put an HID Bi-Xenon Projector behind that... Now that would be the most ideal solution for our headlights... dual Bi-Xenon... and of course both headlights are on. I just wanted to point out, that what alot of people do, to make it look good sometimes hurts their lighting. But what you are proposing, doesn't hurt anything, and may in fact be better than my suggestion of running them all the time.

 

I run with both Hi and Low beams on ALL the time. My vision is more important than whether or not I **** a few people off. And, for the most part, nobody seems to mind. If they are mad at me for running my Hi beams, well, then at least they see me. I should add that I do turn my Hi beams off if I get stuck behind somebody at a stop light.

As for it looking like S!@t with only the Low beam on... I couldn't care less. Its a logical design and not a design flaw.

 

Not to argue but if you really don't care about aesthetics and do care about high visibility, why would you add a "Hotbodies Undertail" (aesthetics?) and "Flush-Mount Signals" (that are far less visible than the original turn signals from directly in front of or directly behind the bike)? You don't have to answer--and again, not starting an argument, merely stating that we have differing opinions of what is acceptable (aesthetically) to us. And for the record, I never said the high beam reflector was a design flaw, quite the contrary actually if you read my post again. I simply don't like the looks of only one light on--again, my personal, aesthetic opinion. I do like the "Reflective Rim Tape" idea.

I started the thread to gather more information and now I have the DRL option which I never thought of. I'm actually even thinking of enlisting the help of a friend with electronics knowledge to design/build a simple circuit that could even eliminate more wiring (unless anyone here can come up with it). The DRL I believe has additional wiring that isn't necessary for what I'm trying to do. My idea is a simple circuit with 4 leads and some kind of resistor device with an inline DPDT switch as Ocelaris mentioned. Pull the leads from the high beam, plug them in to 2 leads from one side of the device, have the other 2 leads from the device plug in to the high beam and the device drops the intensity (wattage?) of the high beam. Switch off the device and you have full intensity. Sounds simple enough but I wouldn't know where to start/what resistors to use. The "economy DRL lights" module may be exactly this (minus the switch) but there's no schematic so until I can get in touch with that manufacturer I can't be certain. For 20 bucks, it may just be worth getting it anyway which I'm probably going to do.

 

I was only refering to the headlight, not refering to all aesthetic aspects of the bike.


As for your switch and resistor idea:

55W at 12V = 4.6 amps
Required resistor value for 6V (half power) at the headlight is 1.3 ohms

That means your switch needs to be capable of handling 4.6 amps (ADC) and your resistor needs to be able to handle 55W. That is a big resistor (called a load resistor). You can purchase them from newark.com, digikey.com or mouser.com. I'm not sure if 1.3 ohms is a standard value, so you might have to go to 1.0 or 1.5 ohms. That would put 7.4VDC or 5.1VDC at the headlight.

I don't think you would need a DPDT switch. You could use a SPST switch. Break the connection between the positive terminal to the headlight and insert the load resistor. Wire the switch in parallel to the resistor. When the switch is open, the load resistor would be in circuit, reducing the voltage to the headlight. When the switch is closed, then you would be bypassing the load resistor and putting 12V on the headlight.

That load resistor will create some heat, so mount it somewhere that isn't touching plastic.

Buy some heat shrink to cover all exposed termials/metal. 4.6 amps will arch and spark.

Use bigger gauge wire to connect the resistor and the switch. I would guess something around 18AWG. At that kind of current, it doesn't take much resistance in the wire to have IR loss, reducing the voltage. A tenth of an ohm at 4.6 amps would drop 0.5V.

If you need a schematic to help visualize, let me know, when I go into work, I can create one and pdf it to you.

 

ok. this really wasnt bothering me until i read all the comments, now i realize that i want two lights. i have a 05 1krr. i believe the 07 1krr has both light running when on low beam. hmmmmm!!! i wonder if the wife will buy my safety as a good reason for an upgrade. or since honda has got it right on the 07 will they prduce a kit that allows for the conversion on the older models. i can see now she will say what about all the mods i have completed. starting over is a pain. lets keep our fingers crossed honda will think about us or the profit they can make by developing a kit.

 

Thanks for the info and yes, a schematic would be EXCELLENT! I understood all the parts in question and even have a local electonics mecca that would have everything (SkyCraft) but since I have very limited experience with circuits, the schematic would solidify things for me. Thanks for offering draw this up for me. I'll PM you with contact info.

Erik

 

actually I was talking to a hond rep and they said it was a safety issue. 2 headlights looked like a car far away causing cagers to think that it was a car and they had plenty of time to turn in front of them. well whats what he said.

 

the only thing that bugs me about the single light low beam is when people tell me at stop lights or gas stations that i have a head light out but if it bothers you this much that is atually a really good idea

 

Honestly the BI-xenon HID idea is the best out there. This way you can aim the reflector down, get the normal light output while driving and then flip the high beams and gain the benefit of the full high beam. (Which the dual H7 HIDs alone would probably be sufficient enough anyway (unless your trying to land airplanes) I dont think it would be to hard wiring wise. The wiring from what im seeing is youd take the 12VDC from the low beam and jump it over to the other headlamp. (make your own harness of course which isnt hard) and then cross the high beam wire and jump it to the opposite side so that the open switch hits both headlights. (gotta check on how bi-xenons wire up...but thats sounds like the easiest and most basic way to get the effect you want.

I agree though, last night i took the bike out for a bit and got the "your headlight is out" comment.