Hi
I'm seriously considering getting some Rigid Industries Duallys for my bandit 1200s, to fit on top of my crash bars (in front of the engine) but I think this could work with all the spotlights.
One thing I just thought of as a simpler way of wiring would be to have the same clip that the HID kits have, but as a piggyback. So it goes bike (Male) - spotlights (female with male on the back) - ballast/headlight (female). I believe the ones I have on the bandit 1200s are ceramic 9005 socket type things (well they look like them - Something like this http://store.ijdmtoy.com/9005-9006-High-Beam-Splitter-Wires-p/aa1123.htm (http://store.ijdmtoy.com/9005-9006-High-Beam-Splitter-Wires-p/aa1123.htm))
I would want to wire them into the main beam circuit so they automatically go on with my main beam, and I think this would be a much easier option than splitting wires. Would this be something you would be able to develop/do?
Currently what I'm thinking is just splicing the cables for the dually's together into one cable (the old twist and shove in a crimp method) then doing the same with the main beam wire before the circuit gets to the ballast etc for my HIDs. But having just done this with a roadhawk camera and my sat nav the wiring doesn't look smart as this idea.
As the headlight attachments tend to be bulb dependent, would it be possible to ask the customer as they were ordering what headlight they have so you could send the right attachment.
Also, does it matter which way up the Duallys are mounted as I plan on having them upside down to the picture with them on the fork (cable coming out the bottom)
Hi Mark
Thanks for the idea, it's something I can look into for sure... and would give 'plug and play' wiring. Solder is usually the best connection, but crimps can work well if done properly.
I'll find out about your beam question on the Dually. You might also want to look at our Cree Aux lights, though less powerful they are just right for road use where as the Dually can be too much. (and have a much larger casing)
Regards
Hi Mark
Just checked on the Dually question and it's ok to mount inverted.
Regards
Thanks for checking Fluke.
Having worked on railway electrics for 6 months I wont be doing any soldering with the quality of my soldering ;).
If you can't do it for when I buy the kit (probably about 3 weeks when I get paid) are the cables color co-ordinated so I can do it myself, cutting the switch off and using that clip I found?
I want these to supplement my main beam anyway as my HID spotlight is a very narrow beam so I want these to light up the side of the road, thinking of getting a spot for my offside and flood for my near side for the best balance. Did I send you a pic of my bandit with the HIDs? If not I'll send you a pic with everything installed (going back about 8 months when I had an issue with the aim)
Many thanks
Mark
Hi Mark
Our Cree Aux lights in spot beam pattern would give a great boost to your main beam. You could carefully aim the lights to fill in the areas missed by your 'narrow' HID beam.
The Cree lights come with 'pigtail' wires so just need hooking into the high beam circuit.
I think you did send a photo... I'd love to see the bike once everything fitted, HID and Aux lights will make such a difference on the road.
Regards
Hi Fluke.
Could you send me a picture of the pig tail connections your on about please.
An idea I had last night is align them slightly to the sides (about 5 degrees off centre) and level when the bike is kneeling forward on the centre stand so the beam is deliberately high so when the bike is leant over they effectievly look around the corner like BMWs adaptive headlight. As the RI aux lights will be linked into my main beam I'm not worried about blinding people as I'm not that mean (even with just HIDs)
Do you know what lumen rating the HID kits have (5k)?
I'm really looking forward to this project, I Just feel sorry for my battery, by the end of this project it will be powering HIDs (both bulbs), camera, heated grips and a sat nav.
I may get two sets, One set of cree lights wide angle set up properly (straight and flat with the bike level) into the hanging from the bars (protected by the inclined 'F' design on the bars), then above them on my crash bars my R.I spot main beam ones. Will just need to double check the clearance for when the bike is leaning over with my 'toes down' (because knees down is for amateurs lol). Drill straight through the crash bar and use one nut and bolt through both mounting plates to squeeze them both to the crash bars, and run the wiring together up the side of my frame to the headlight area.
Many thanks
Mark
Hi Mark
The wires supplied with the Cree lights are just two 1m lengths of red and black wire hardwired to the connector that fits the light.
I'll see if I can find out about the output of your HID for you.
I like the idea of having the two different beam light pairs, would give you coverage anywhere you wished. I can send you a link if you wish of some compatible crash bar clamps that some of our customers use with them ? (saves any drilling)
Hi Fluke
Yes I would be interested in those clamps. Would they be strong enough to hold the two sets of lights? The cross bar at the front of the engine where they will be mounted only has space for one clamp so they wont be able to be mounted side by side.
I've decided this is going to go ahead, just waiting until feb 10th when I get paid, might have to split it a month between the two sets of lights.
If you have any spare connectors for the headlights (maybe from a rare faulty item) that I could crimp into the RI lights that would be very useful as well, so then I have one piggy back on the dipped (for the cree) and one of the main for the RI lights.
Are the piggy backs your talking about just straight through ceramic 9005 style clips, where you plug the bike electrics into one side and the HID kit in the other side?
Many Mark
Hi Mark
Though the clamps are meant for a single light but I'm sure they would hold two... though would need a little DIY to fit two on them. (I'll private message you a link to them)
If you buy a set, on the second purchase drop me an email and I can give a discount :)
On the wires we supply the hardwired connector connects to the Cree lights only, the other end of wires are loose / bare and ready for connection to the desired place on bike
Regards
Thanks Fluke.
Having looked at the bar mounts I've emailed them to ask if they can send me the length of the clamps along the bar. I don't fancy spending £100 on 4 pairs just to get the same half 4 times to clamp them together but if I can put them side by side with the RI lights being towards the outside I will (then using a nut to clamp the two halves together).
I've spoken the HID supplier who have said both the HB3 and HB4 use the same clip. So what I will try and do is get hold of two splitter cables, and 2 unconnected ceramic 9005 connectors so I can wire them both the same. Then just crimp and heat seal them in. That way it should look neat and tidy if I ever come to sell the bandit, as I would be removing them to put on the next bike (ex police RT1200 which will be getting the HID treatment too - but possibly complicated by a flasher unit as it will be equipped with Blues and twos for blood biking).
I'm so excited about this project now, I just want to get paid and into it. And all this because I managed to wire a camera to my bike without a disaster lol
That's the thing with bikes, one thing leads to another :D
Keep me posted how it all goes and if you get 'stuck' at any point give me a yell.
Regards
Hi Fluke.
Spoken to a few sellers on flebay, and it looks like the only ceramic 9005 connectors I can get are not suitable for use in a circuit fitted with HIDs, so I'm guessing it will be a crimp job unless you know people who can supply the splitter and spare female cermaic 9005 'softwired' , the splitte being one female into 2 males.
Many thanks
Mark
Hi Mark
I've had a hunt around and cannot find any suppliers... though I'm sure someone out there is making one.
I'll continue looking today for you
Regards
Hi Fluke
Thanks for looking
I've just ordered a combo RI as looking at the proximity of the engine to the crash bars there won't be enough space for too much wiring.
Would a normal crimp be strong enough to support a HID circuit or will it just burn out?
Many thanks for all your help
Mark
Hi Mark
Thanks for the order, just got this processed for you.
The good thing about most HIDs is they actually consume less than stock (35W)
I can't comment on a particular wiring method though, a good crimp connection could be good up to many many amps depending on how good the connection is.
If splicing into another wire the best method would be strip back the insulation of supply wire without cutting it, wrap new wire around it and solder, and finish with self amalgamating tape.
The lights come with a loom with switch, so in theory you could power from the battery via a innline fuse in effect creating your own separate circuit for them.
Hi Fluke
I'll have a look at the wiring when I get it.
I don't currently have the solidering kit but got used to doing decent crimps with the amount of indicators I went through by sending my cbr 125 down the road (which had the bullets v1 back in 2009).
What I will do tomorrow is take my switch gear on my handlebar apart and see how I would go about wiring the switch cable onto the main beam switch so I can have the lights wired directly to the battery, leaving the main beam circuit untouched and yet still only having the aux lights active with main beam
I've also just ordered a set of those bar clamps you suggested
Many thanks Dan, I'll post pictures when its all installed
Mark
Thanks Mark
One thing I must mention is the bar clamps I was talking about were for fitment to our Cree lights, but I don't see why they won't fit the Rigid lights.
I've just sent you a mail regarding stock situation on the Rigid lights, just drop me a mail back on how you want to proceed.
Have a good weekend
Hi Dan
By the looks of it they work on the thread that goes through the mounting plate of the lights to close the clamp. The odds of them being different as its the same use I would have thought would be slim, but failing that my dad works at an engineering firm so he'll be able to modify them etc if needed.
I didn't get chance to open up the switch gear today as I was doing an oil change which took longer than expected (had to remove the crash bars to get the filter out) but should have a look tomorrow
Many thanks
Mark
UPDATE
I've just ordered a 5 pin relay and soldering iron so I can do it properly. Better learn now on the main beam circuit (not crucial to riding to a garage if I mess it up)
I don't know if the lighting circuits operate on a wattage or ampage rating?
What I was thinking is have the power for both sets of aux lights off say the side light circuit, but using the 5 pin relay on the main beam circuit so when the main beam and relay is on so are the RI spotlights, then when the relay is off the cree lights come on, so I always have the 'magic triangle' - incidentally I always wondered why trains are required to have 3 lights on the front on the main line (being a train geek lol). This way I am also in line with the law as the running lights will be on when the side light is except when the spot light is on with the main beam 9when the lack of DLR won't be an issue
Also, do you know where I can get hold of fork clamp mounts for the cree lights, I doubt I will have space on the crash bars for both
Many Thanks
Mark
Hi Mark
Thanks for the update. Sounds good thinking....
Both sets of lights from the sidelight feed might be too much I think, I think the fact you are now using a relay you could have the lights on their own dedicated feed from the battery (via a inline fuse). This would in effect give your own separate circuit and leave most your existing wiring untouched except for the single wire feeding your relay coil for high beam.
I'm afraid I cannot recommend any fork clamps, though there are plenty out there. You might find there is room on the crash bars so maybe hang fire.
Regards
Hi dan
I have to find a switched live though as if I have it on its own circuit with just the relay then the cree lights will be on even with the ignition off, draining the battery. Using the 5 pin relay only one set of lights will be on at a time not both, so it will only produce the demand on the circuit of one set of lights (in my mind anyway). Would this be right. Looking at the circuit diagram for the bandit last night the side light also powers my rear light too, and from what I can work out is protected by a 15 a signal fuse. (I'll get my dad to double check it though) according to the Haynes manual)
Many thanks
Mark
Sounds good Mark