Darkness

[Ariel Badger]

I took the Ariel HS to the AOMCC Selly-Oak branch last night for general posing purposes. The lighting system is 12V total loss and I was wondering how long the lights would last on the way home, the headlamp bulb is a 50/40W unit and I erred on the side of discretion and rode off on dip. After about 2 mins I swung into a tight right hander and the light went out, I hit the dip switch and got full beam and survived the corner.
The dip switch was not new so I suspected a bad contact but twiddling it did not bring dip back on but I had full beam so I pressed on through the lanes. In reality the HS exhaust note was rather complimented by the high beam in your face and refusing to dip headlight, a HS is an arrogant machine.
After about three miles I came into the outskirts of Brum and gunned her down Primrose Hill, the lights went out again. Primrose Hill is a council estate on a hill but their aint no primroses, there are however lots of ratboys with chivs and electronic tags and it is one of my least favourite places to break down. Fortunately all was quiet and for once the Kevs were abiding to the curfew orders on their ASBOs and I was not molested. All kinds of switch flicking did nothing so I decided to improvise . I pulled the headlamp to bits and the bulb was clearly blown so I stuffed it in my pocket and pondered if riding though Britain's second city on an underslung pilot light was a good idea, it was not.
I always carry a little HID LED torch powered by a watch battery, you need to hold the rubber button in to get it to work though. I had already pulled a knife from my boot ( Primrose Hill insurance policy) and I used it to cut my boot lace in half, I then fashioned my lace into a loop with a knot and worked it over my little keyring torch. It worked and the knot kept the light on so I bunged it inside the headlamp shell through the bulb hole and fired up the HS again and under the bleary eyed gaze of freshly woken chavs headed towards the city centre casting a very dim blueish shadow in front of me. Three times the knot moved, three times she went out and three times I striped it back down and sorted it out again.
I got home at midnight, cracked a beer open and contemplated on what had happened. The bike runs on a battery with no charging system so power surges were not an issue and the wires had not leaked smoke, very careful examination of the bulb revealed a 4mm long crack in the glass ( my mate at school could not see it even when I pointed it out but it can just be felt by a finger-nail) I believe this was there from manufacture and allowed air into the bulb allowing each filament to go pop as it oxidised .
Not a recommended experience even though it seems funny today. If you do have to use a LED as a main beam be sensible and try not to go over 60mph in built up areas and a very tuneful exhaust helps.
W
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Bikers make great organ donors, get 115 on your licence today.

[stinkwheel]

Depends how many LEDs you use.

You can buy big packs of high intensity, white LEDs off ebay. Wire them up on a big block of alloy as a heatsink and you're laughing.

Unfortunately there is a law in the UK stating your headlamp must use a filament bulb.

Or you could get an acetylene one for it, then you just need to stop and piss in the carbide if it goes out on you.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Ariel Badger]

I had only one LED
As to the law......... It also says I should not have a number plate from another one of my bikes on the HS but needs must at times
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Bikers make great organ donors, get 115 on your licence today.

[mr.z]

Sure people have used those posh halogen battery pushbike lights before with some success?

Lights something I'd never compromise on, but then there's not much in the way of lighting the route I'm normally on, and its usually night time I'm riding..
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[stinkwheel]