 loker52 L Plate Warrior
Joined: 01 Jan 2014 Karma :  
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 Posted: 18:59 - 06 Apr 2014 Post subject: Twin headlight conversion on cagiva raptor 125! |
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I was wondering how hard it would be to convert my single headlight to a set of twin dominator headlights?
My bikes a cagiva raptor 125.
Here's a link of the lights in question.
https://www.cjaccessories.co.uk/product.php?productid=17459&cat=274&page=1 ____________________ Lloyd Godden |
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 moonzoomer World Chat Champion
Joined: 01 Jul 2012 Karma :   
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 Teflon-Mike tl;dr

Joined: 01 Jun 2010 Karma :    
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 Posted: 21:03 - 06 Apr 2014 Post subject: |
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The Domie Twins are a a rather pase cliche.
Just Dont.
Three things effect how much light you get on the road
Lens size
Lens quality
Bulb power
BUT, its not just chucking light out the lamp that's important, its putting it where its most useful, and having a good spread of light where you need it, and more importantly, when you switch between main and dip, the pool range doesn't shrink so much you feel like you have just leapt into a black hole, or that the brightness changes so much you feel dazled by your own headlamp. Like a lot of things about bikes, its about finding a good balence.
And, most of the Domie Lamps dont do a very good job.
After market lenses tend not to be wonderfully efficient, so you loose light through them, while they dont have the best controlled beam pattern, putting what you do get where most useful.
They are also very small; good old fashioned bike would have a 7" lens, a small bike a 5"... while 4.5% might get fitted to a moped or scooter. Those Domies.... designed to fit in the gap a 7" or 5" shell would, tend to be something like 3" accross the lenses!
Concentrating light through ineficient lens, magnifying ineficiency.
Which is why they are so often slated as 'crap'.
Next; some have a single filliment fog-lamp bulb in each lense; one for dip beam, one for high-beam. So in effect, you only have one head-lamp still, and one that is far inferiour to what you got.
If its the type that use twin filiment H4 bulbs... then you are going to either have to reduce the bulb wattage to half the original single bulbs rating, or get creative with the electrics.
Half the bulb ratings, and you reduce the intensity of light, they are just going to be dim, as well as dire.
Double up? Well first up, you will suck twice the amps, and need twice the power. Extra amps will likely melt switch gear, and you would be advised to wire both bulbs of relays, with a seperate supply, so current through the switches is only what the relays draw.
Then, on little bike, likely to suffer lack of watts from the generator to keep them both lit, and battery charged; especially if the headlamp is wired on permenant dip or you leave on dip as day-time-running-light.
I had twin 5" Ciebie's in an aftermarket fairing on AR125 twenty years ago; Had to relay them to save switches, and found that when the lights were on, battery went flat in about fifteen minutes of normal riding.
I put a 'saver' switch on the left hand lamp, so I could turn it off, around town or on lit streets and only use it on unlit country roads, or when sustained running at speed kept geny banging out enough amps to keep it lit.
Modern inovation of HID bulbs, that bang out about as much light as 150w bulbs, but only suck 35w instead of the 55 or so of 'standard' bulb, could be useful; but still, two 35's is likely pushing switch reliability and geny output on lightweight.
And gives you more 'gubbins' from balast box and cabling to find home for; another issue with a pair of dommies, with small shells, when normally a large single lamp, also houses all the wiring connectors. Can make it hard to make it all tidy.
Lastly? That pair you have linked to, is likely rather over priced. Comes with mini-cators and brackets, but still, lack of proper specs suggests they are not the best.
So... what are you hoping to achieve?
That authentic "I want to be like the other boys that want to be street-fighters' look?
Or better lighting?
If you just want to subscribe to the look? Well, poor tase and a bit of a joke, but your call.
Better light?
Well, there's better ways to get it, and that one likely to be worse than what you got now. ____________________ My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?' |
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