Gyrobob
Serious Thumper
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Posers ain't motorcyclists
Posts: 2571
Newnan, GA
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comp_pro wrote on 11/20/12 at 06:37:34:Thanks for all the info guys..my main "goal" with this conversion was to shave a little of the load off of the electrical system. I think I may need to think about this a little more. 
-- I considered an HID setup, but, for the reasons I mentioned in the previous comment, became disenchanted.
-- I am fitting, as we speak, a "train light." Cool name, eh? This is a Suzuki GS1150 headlight assembly. A 9" diameter bucket with an 8" lens.
-- That train light has a huge reflector, so it is a lot brighter for a given wattage than our less-than-large stock reflector.
-- I will use a 35 watt H4 bulb. Not as bright as the stock 55 watt bulb, but should still throw more photons than the stock setup, because it will sit in the train light reflector.
-- The 35 watt H4 bulb puts about the same load on the alternator as the HID system, so I should still be getting an advantage watt-wise.
-- 99% of my riding is during daylight, so I am going to install a switch to turn off the headlight during the day.
--- This will save me 35 watts I can use for an electric vest, gloves, gps, etc.
--- I have already purchased some tiny white LEDs to be installed inside the reflector to light up the headlight some during the day. These little suckers are BRIGHT and need only a fraction of a watt each. They will be bright enough to make the headlight visible during the day, but not really bright enough to ride around at night. Based on a mock up test in a darkened workshop, you could ride at night with these things on and the halogen bulb off if you didn't go more than, say, 20 mph. Brighter than a parking light, but not as bright as a normal headlight.
The train light assemblies are hard to come by, and are obsecenely expensive.
-- I bought a beat-up pile of ebay crap for $128. The law of supply and demand is in full force here. I spent a few evenings just doing straightening and bodywork on the bucket and the rim.
-- You could do just about the same thing with a much more commonly available, and, therefore, much cheaper solution. There are several sources out there for 8" buckets with a 7" lens. This would cut the power of the light 10% maybe, but be cheaper and less labor required. Maybe $60-$90.
Here's one:
http://www.flyncycle.com/black-round-headlight-41259.html
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