TOPIC:

I read thru a few of the threads on Halogen replacements for the headlight. Am I understanding correctly that it's a "plug-n-play"? No other wiring mods need to be done?
Or did I miss something?
Thanks

I have a Wagner sealed beam halogen - plug & play with no problems over the past 10 years. Before that I tried several brands like Sylvania, Marchal, etc. They worked fine but burned out after a year or 2. Ed

Sealed beam Halogen headlights are available for most old bikes. They are not much more expensive than a regular headlight. And it is worth every penny, well unless you never ride at night.

rdgrnr wrote:

I read thru a few of the threads on Halogen replacements for the headlight. Am I understanding correctly that it's a "plug-n-play"? No other wiring mods need to be done?
Or did I miss something?
Thanks

There are drop in halogens, I have one on mine which uses the standard 7" round sealed beam. Same connector, same power (40W low beam, 55W high) but the light is much brighter.

Thanks for the help.

Has anyone had any problems with the wiring not being heavy enough for the halogen conversion. I have heard that with the older bikes this may be an issue. What is the amp draw compared to the old headlights?

limitfish, check the specifications for your bike and the new bulb/seal beam. If your original light and your replacement light have the same power rating in Watts (as in 40W low beam, 55W high beam mentioned earlier) then your replacement will draw exactly the same current through your wires. So there will be no difference in the power drawn from you charging system and no additional load put on the head light circuit components.

IMHO, the real question is "are your wires and especially connector contacts and switch contacts as good as they were 20-30 years ago"?

On my bike some were not. I had real switch contact problems such that the Hi and Lo beams would cut out while driving or both would come on at the same time like a strobe light. Other drivers were not amused!

Over time I had to solve this the long and hard way in 4 separate phases:

1) First, I had to disassembled and cleaned the switch contacts (don't lose that ball bearing).

2) Second, I had to check, repair and or replace the connector contacts in the head light circuit (cheap from Z1 Enterprises).

3) Third, I had to install two automotive relays into the head light circuit to keep the high current out of my weak switch gear (cheap from local auto/electronics shop). Let me know if you need the circuit diagram I used.

4) Fourth, I decided to change out the fuse box for a more modern Blade type fuse box. This last one was more of a pre-emptive strike against any future spoiled rides caused by intermittent fuse contacts. I'll never know if it was really necessary or not... and that's OK by me.

Hope this helps.

BTW, have you added your year, model and location to your signature. It's considered very friendly here and will get you the best replies.

Best of success!

Bill,
I checked the wiring diagram, and it listed the headlight as 50/35W. Would it be safe to assume the system can handle the 55/40W, or do I need to do a fuseblock upgrade?
I would be interested in seeing that wiring diagram.
I plan on doing some extra night driving this year, and the deer population is up. Nothing worse than having about .40 seconds to react with a dim headlight.

You are good-to-go with your 55/40 Watt light. It's the 55W that is the maximum. The 40 VS 35 does not matter.

See my photobucket account under bill_wilcox100 for the diagram. I'm not sure how to post it here.

Let's try this:

s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh311/bill_w...lay%20Modifications/

I picked up a Wagner Halogen H6024, but I couldn't find the wattage anywhere. The parts store couldn't tell me what it was either.
If anyone knows for sure, please post as this is going in tomorrow.
Bill, thanks for the schematic. I'm not the best at electrics, so I might need some more advice on this.
Thanks again

Bill thanks for the info, and also for the heads up on my signature. I had it up there once it must have got erased when the site changed. Thanks again.

Googled and found this on the Canadian Tire house brand Halogen H6024:

Link:
shopping.sympatico.msn.ca/results/headli...ts&ptnrid=198&page=3

"Sealed-beam halogen headlamp:
- Round or rectangular for 2 or... More 4-lamp systems.
- 13 Volts.
- 5 Amps.
- 65/35 Watts."



That extra 15 Watts may be a problem for the charging system. Especially if the bike is driven a lot in stop-and-go traffic at night with the Hi beam on, where the RPM's are low and not much charging happens.

On the other hand, if the head light is kept mostly on Lo beam then the 35 Watt filament should draw a more manageable 2.7 Amps (35/13=2.7). This load should be manageable for a typical KZ changing system with a well charged, well maintained battery with a good specific gravity reading.

Hope this is useful. Best of success!