R65 headlight replacement option

[Lucky_Lou]

Lou, LEDs just don't have the onions yet. Cetainly not in a 7 inch round lamp replacement.  

They are selling plug in units that just replace the bulb, i was looking at them last time i was at the shop, i will get more info when i call again.
Lou

[wa1udg]

The Marchal lamp I mentioned was called the Marchal Amplilux.  Cibe makes something called the "Biode" whcy may be similar.  Both 7 inch and all metal.  Hella, and the German version of Lucas, (Bosch)- I didn't know there were TWO Princes of Darkness) continue to make the 7 inch H4.  

[Semper Gumby]

Thanks for the Dan Stern site.  Great info.

[wa1udg]

  If you have a bike with a marginal charging system, LED tail light and turn signal replacements work well and will save enough alternator output to be worthwhile.  Good ones, like those from "SuperBright Leds"  (google)  provide plenty of light in bright red or amber.  One can also replace gauge lighting with their leds and get brighter lighting without melting plastic parts.  They also turn ON faster than a filament lamp, which is always good for stop lights.  AS many of us have noticed, LED replacement lamps are taking over the traffic signal market because of their long life and low power consumption, in fact the power consumption of those nice bright LED arrays is so low that the bulb out sensors had to be redesigned to accomodate the lower draw.  THAT is also a downside to using leds in a vehicle with a bulb out circuit, but can be worked around.  

[wa1udg]

One last comment on the lighting thread, the BMW "Rider's Manual" I received with my '82,  (and which I'll copy for anyone needing it) has a headlight aiming page.  It shows the projected pattern of the lamp.  The pattern shown is a MODIFIED E Code.  The E Code (left hand drive) is a  flat across sharp cutoff  with a lift right of center  then another flat line.  (You can google the pattern)  (Flat, a "zig up" and then flat again)  The BIKE pattern  shown in the manual is flat across with a small bump just to the right of center.  It is obviously a motorcycle only pattern  which may be why the Bosch
lamp is so expensive.  I see no problem in using a standard left hand drive E Code if you can fit it, worked fine for my Guzzi friend.  Obviously, the idea behind the  E Code pattern is to avoid blinding approaching drivers  by having a sharp cutoff to the left but providing a "lift" on the right to aid right hand turns.  Factored into the bike pattern, I suspect, is the fact that bikes operate at far higher lean angles.  
By far the best auto lamp system for years was the "BMW" four 5.75 inch lamp arrangement seen on a mumber of cars, foreign and domestic  though the domestics used the wimpy selaed beams.  The BEST version of that  was installed on Peugeot 504s sold here and employed a CLEAR spot for the driver's side high beam and a flood for the passenger side.  Ya had to be real careful with that system on any road with approaching traffic, but THOSE were high beams.  A quick wiring change allow the lows to remain ON when going to high.  You can't do that with an H4 as it can't disipate the heat of two filaments operating at once.  

[Dizerens5]

Yes you would need the wiring change. I once had a Renault 11 with quad headlights - when going from high to low one pair of lights went out and the drop in the amount of light was really considerable, a bit like driving into a badly-lit tunnel. I was a bit scared of mowing down a cyclist or pedestrian.

[Justin B.]

I have used an HID in an R100RT with acceptable results.  Talk about illumination!!!

[wa1udg]

What did you use for HIGH beam?

[steven m]

Monte, knower of all things R65,

The reason sealed beam DOT headlights fell out of favor is their terrible light output.  My E30 has 7" cans, and replacing them with Hella euro's improved nightime visibility a lot, as in, hey I can see.  To use only one of these dim sealed beam units on a bike will result in marginal visibility at best.  Unless of course you can see in the dark.   Have you considered having the reflector polished and/or recoated?  Shouldn't cost much.  Or finding a 9" headlight unit from a 90S?  I'm all for the thrifty approach, but just thinking safety here.  

Steve

[montmil]

On my '81, the glass lens is stuck tightern' a tick to the reflector portion. I've gently tried to separate the two but quit when that little debil on me shoulder asks, "Yo, dummy. You got a spare?"

I've used some distilled water to rinse the interior. Cotton swab on a stick. Got rid of a little fogginess on the lens but not much.

Can I see in the dark? I can barely see during the day! Back in 1968, the Navy corpsman at MEPS checking my eyes, for my soon to be awarded 1-A classification, thought I was lying when I told him I could barely make out the big E. And I don't mean the aircraft carrier.

"Gimme those f***ing glasses," says the squid. Stuck 'em in some voodoo machine to check and passed me on as good to go with the comment, "You are gawd damned blind. Next!"

Anyway... I would like to have a bit more candle power out in front on the R65s without spending my wife's birthday present money. I'll keep looking. Harley's have lots of lights...

Monte    

[Justin B.]

The HID capsule had a solenoid operated sliding "shade" that covered a portion of the capsule when on "low beam" and uncovered it totally in "high beam"  The light output stayed the same but the pattern changed...

[steven m]

I would guess the gasket between the lens and the reflector has welded them together from overheating, like sitting in traffic with the high beam on, by the PO of course.  I bet some solvent would dissolve the gasket, but I would prefer to try it on a spare.  Once apart, have the back of the lens polished and the reflector rhodium coated.  It has to be a lot less than those ridiculous replacement parts prices.

I wonder if the Hella 7" can would just drop in.  Under $50.  That would be the easiest way to go.

Just my two cents.

Steve

[montmil]

... I wonder if the Hella 7" can would just drop in.  Under $50.  That would be the easiest way to go.
Just my two cents. Steve

No spare. That's the concern, so can't justify sacrificing the virgin, so to speak.

Thanks, Steve. May have to continue prowling auto parts stores.

My experiment was pretty much a drop-in deal but what killed it was the thickness of the sealed beam's rim flange. Too fat to allow the trim ring screw to latch onto the headlight bucket. Hella, you say? I'm on it.

Monte

[wa1udg]

The Euro lamps are metal, the rim is thin and the difference is made up with little spot welded "U" shaped locator pieces on the back of lamp. They can be ground off with a dremel.  
  BMW wanted a lamp with a "bike pattern"  which - not being intended for  auto service, came without  with those pieces, perhaps to prevent their use in autos requiring E Code lamps by regulation.  The H4 bulb is the same.  

[wa1udg]

As I mentioned, my buddy's Guzzi had a lamp bucket which acceptd US glass sealed beams.  An E Code just dropped in, no grinding required.  The owned found the standard E Code pattern and output a great improvement.