Adding spotlights to a 125 ... is it worth it?

[huskie69]

Hi All

I've been riding a Skyjet 125 (Chinese jobby) for a month now and I'm not very happy with the output from the full beam headlight. I'm not sure but I think it's rated at 35W (it's not the original as that blew a few months back). It's really pitiful and I can't see more than a few metres in front of me. I need something a bit more substantial and I used to have a pair of spotlights on my car which were perfect.

I was wondering if it an acceptable modification to the bike in terms of electrical load - I'm thinking a 110W pair. Would the battery/alternator take it? I've read that people have used relays, other people have said the loads just too much and others have said wait until they their big bike - this isn't an option for me at the moment and it'll be summer before I can consider getting my big bike.

Has anyone done this before on a 125?

TIA

[huskie69]

As a side note - if the mods (as in mods vs rockers!) could add 20 spotlights to their Lambrettas back in the 60s, surely it'll be a piece of piss to do this 50 years later!

[truslack]

Not worth it unless you ran them total loss with a pair of batteries in panniers - which makes handling on ice "fun"
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Current: Suzuki RG 125 Gamma, Honda H100, Triumph Tiger 800XC, Suzuki SV650 (minitwin)

[N cee thirty]

hmm well i'd say stick with it,as the chinese wires will fry under anymore load

what about a big torch ?
____________________
'00 Aprilia RS50 > '92 Honda CG > '99 Yamaha Fazer > '91 Yamaha RXS > '79 Suzuki X5 > 01' Honda Cg > 07' Honda Cg > 82' Kawasaki Z200 > suzuki gsxr 400 gk73a > honda vfr 400 NC30 Mod 2 Passed 09/06/2011

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[truslack]

I think they do H3 HID "Bulbs" with ballasts at 30/35w - one of those could be useful with some fresh wires and a relay.
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Current: Suzuki RG 125 Gamma, Honda H100, Triumph Tiger 800XC, Suzuki SV650 (minitwin)

[Martay]

I added some LED spot lights to my 125, wired to the highbeam. Helped, but still not fantastic.
____________________
Eat well, poo hard
Drives: Cavalier 2.0 16v
Rides: Slightly ratted Honda City Express

[G]

I'd start with a better standard light - maybe see if you can get the unit from a modern (good) naked bike?
Maybe add in a 55w HID and your bike should still power it ok, but have vastly better useful light output.

[Raffles]

[Rogerborg]

Agreed, I wouldn't fancy your chances of having 110W spare, but you should be able to get a decent bulb in there.

35W stock Chinese glow-worm BA20D

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/__DYtEEjm5wE/SdPeCERUCgI/AAAAAAAAACY/Hi0Y4oAPCyA/s320/dim_lights.jpg

50W 7500K bulb

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/__DYtEEjm5wE/SdPeFoQbyVI/AAAAAAAAACg/jF32MofLYcU/s320/bright_lights.jpg

[hmmmnz]

yeah i'd go the hid route, i ordered a set for a bmw r1200gs for $50 nz including postage to here, from this dude postage took about a week from chinky land, but the product was good,
just find out what lamps you have in the bike, make sure you get hi/low ones if you have a dual filament bulb in your bike
____________________
the humans are dead
I kick arse for the lord
Wiring Diagrams BIDNIP it bitches

[Raffles]

[huskie69]

[dragstaar]

HIDs are the way to go man! I got some recently, and they are absolutely amazing.

You know that pothole that you didn't see in the night and did your rim and spinal discs on? well you'll see it with HIDs. Seriously, night driving is such a pleasure with them

HID conversion kits are ILLEGAL. I did my research. I'll try and find the link on Direct Gov. However, if you want legal HIDs then you'll have to get the whole headlight unit.

Conversion kits are a cheap alternative, but just make sure you get a non-blue colour temp, so 4300K is perfect, and adjust your beam so it doesn't dazzle and you'll be fine

[Rogerborg]

Well, I know it's not H3, but I don't know if it's equivalent to any of the others. I just mentioned BA20D because that's what's in my bike - I have no idea what's in your Skyjet. Best check and see.

No fitting replacement, it was just a bulb replacement. It was sold as a 7500K (that's colour temperature) 'Xenon' bulb, 50W/50W. Looks like this:

https://www.scootmotoshop.com/prod/472798G.jpg

The only curiosity was that the dipped and main beam filaments were inverted. The bulb is 'handed'; it can only go in one way, so the wiring must actually be different. I just swapped the terminals over where they joined the loom, problem solved.

[huskie69]

[dragstaar]

Whatever bulb you get, remember this.

anything up to 4300K get brighter as you go up (4300K being the brightest), anything beyone 4300k will be dimmer but bluer. so really 7000K will be dimmer than 4300K

[Teflon-Mike]

Twenty years ago, My AR125 was nicked and came back a bit worse for wear. As it was cheaper to buy an after-market fairing than replace the smashed original, and the head-lamp had gobe awol, I bought a power-bronze twin-beam fairing for it.
https://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w269/teflons-torque/00_genral/BIKE_024.jpg
Twin 50/55w Cibies. State of the art lighting at the time...... flattened the battery entirely, withing about two miles!
110w 'Spare', you'll be lucky to have 110w TOTAL!
A headlamp wattage upgrade will be the way to go, but you wont really be able to go much more than 10-20w over standard, becouse of the heat, and the load on the generator. I also wouldn't trust the Shainghai noodles connecting the bulb to battery either, and would either re-wire using decent grade wiring, and or relay the new lamp.
There are upgrade conversion kits for the more curiouse bulb fittings, when you find one that will go into your head-lamp shell, I advice you order two spare bulbs, over the conversion bulb and adaptor.
When your mucking about, almost garanteed you'll pop it or drop it, or fry it, so you want a spare for that. Then you want a real spare on shelf or carefully wrapped up and under teh seat for if ever the one in the lamp blows, becouse you know you'll not get either standard or upgrade quickly or easily.
I've been trying to convince standard car head-lamp bulbs into old CB125 headlamps recently, and if you have a little inginuity and dexterity, it CAN be done, giving the advantage of a cheaper and more available bulb.
Last thought, on the CB125, I've also LED's all the other lamps to take load onff the generator for the upgraded head-lamp. Expensive doing thjem all, but saves a remarkeable number of watts!
There was more power being sucked in the dash-lights than the tail-light for instance!
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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?'

[Rogerborg]

[Teflon-Mike]

[huskie69]

@rogerborg

I was gonna hassle this guy: https://bikeinabox.blogspot.com

The garage door looks kinda familiar, as does the jacket! Nice blogging btw

[huskie69]

[hmmmnz]

id still go the hid option, they are just plug and play, so when you get your next bike, take them with you, you don't have to alter your loom at all,
and you get 2 sets so sell the other set to a mate or get a set as spare,
____________________
the humans are dead
I kick arse for the lord
Wiring Diagrams BIDNIP it bitches

[G]

If I was buying bulbs, I'd go for a decent make personally.

Note that the bulbs can easily be just as 'illegal' as HID - as they are not original kit.