Uprated Lights

[silverfox]

New owner and chuffed to bits, however the standard 55watt H1 headlight bulbs seem poor, after my VFR. Have read the light comments re PIAA and others, however as 100watt and 130 watt replacements are readily available and cheap, and providing one disregards the current input will be greater than 55watt thus technically illegal, has anyone swapped and what is the score re generated heat also i assume they will draw about 10amps, can the GS cope, standard battery and wiring.

 

[Malky]

New owner and chuffed to bits, however the standard 55watt H1 headlight bulbs seem poor, after my VFR. Have read the light comments re PIAA and others, however as 100watt and 130 watt replacements are readily available and cheap, and providing one disregards the current input will be greater than 55watt thus technically illegal, has anyone swapped and what is the score re generated heat also i assume they will draw about 10amps, can the GS cope, standard battery and wiring.

Yes standard is crap and Nope I think the coping with +100Watt is in doubt.
see this other thread If you look for my ramblings you will see that I have been sad enough to look up the R1100GS and R1150GS wiring diagrams and have drawn a few conclusions.

I would love someone to prove me wrong as I have convinced my self to put the standard bulb back in.

 

[Jimb]

The wiring is 1.0mm so is quite capable of 15 amps no problem, the issue is the switch contacts as there is no relay for the main beam, the dip beam is 0.85mm so will still support 9 amps.

Iv'e got a 100w lamp in my main andf iv'e tried a 55w Phillips vision plus which is light output = to 83w and frankly there is little in it between the vision plus and the 100w, so the answer is use phillips Vision plus bulbs in both and fit a pair of small driving lights, they do make a hell of a difference.

 

[Malky]

The wiring is 1.0mm so is quite capable of 15 amps no problem, the issue is the switch contacts as there is no relay for the main beam, the dip beam is 0.85mm so will still support 9 amps.

Iv'e got a 100w lamp in my main andf iv'e tried a 55w Phillips vision plus which is light output = to 83w and frankly there is little in it between the vision plus and the 100w, so the answer is use phillips Vision plus bulbs in both and fit a pair of small driving lights, they do make a hell of a difference.

Yeah. This is the same conclusion I have come to. I just don't trust the switch and cannot be bothered to wire in a relay especially if the phillips bulb is that capable.

 

[Greg Masters]

Frankly, I can't be arsed to mess with the headlights for all the reasons that are cited above.

I was thinking, however, of swapping my current extra light set-up to 2 pairs of Halfords units on the same bar. One pair wired (with relay) to dip beam and aimed lower, the other to main beam and aimed forward.

Any thoughts?

Can anyone remind me of the rating of the two different alternators. Around 700 and 800 watts seems to ring bells? Also does anyone know that characteristics of these ie what crank speed is needed for max output?

Greg

 

[Jimb]

Alternator

Altermator is 780 W, max voltage at anything over 1400 RPM so even on idle there is no problems, You may want to wire the aux driving lamps just into the ignition so you can run them as daylight running lamps without your headlights on, aim them at the dip beam level 'cos its the spread your'e after to light up the corners.

I have a volt meter fitted and at idle ( 1100 ) revs the alternator is producing 14.1v, with the driving lights on it drops to 13.8v when I pull away it delivers 13.9v and stays at that with the grips on and the lights on.

For the technically challenged Halfods do a pre wired loom for £12, has the illuminated switch, relay and enough cable for a car, if you make a bar then allow for some lateral adjustment for the lamps so you can angle them to just the right place.

 

[Greg Masters]

Jimb

Those voltage numbers are useful, thanks. I guess that there is something like a 2:1 ratio to step up the alternator speed over the crank speed.

However, there are two different alternators. You get the bigger one if you have either ABS or factory heated grips.

Greg

 

[Jimb]

780W Alt

Yes it probably is a bit bigger but I think only 80 W, I have both ABS & Heated Grips.