As it appears so many others have previously, I have now discovered that my XB12 Lightning headlights are useful for nothing more than show!

I do like riding at night so I have changed to uprated bulbs and even though they made a significant difference I still want more!! I have searched fruitlessly for an alternative and I am reluctant to go down the HID route for a number of reasons.

So without ranting too much about poor quality standard lights I really just wanted to know if anybody can recommend an upgrade that will allow me to keep the twin light unit/style without a major front end style overhaul which I don't want........

Who knows what?..

Have you fiddled with the wiring setup to get both lamps on at the same time?

The only problem with that at night is that your high beam will be always on.

I got around that by installing a unit inline, behind the fly screen, that does the job for me. For low beam switch position, it dims the high beam lamp and keeps the low beam on full; for high beam position, it lets the high lamp go to full, and the low lamp stays on.

It is a "headlight modulator" unit, legal in the States but not in the UK, I believe. You can, however, use it in the UK simply by taping over the very small light sensor to trick the unit into behaving in "night mode" so the lights don't flash, as they would in day time.

Now, if one were handier at I at electrical engineering, one could make something like this up and wire it in.



http://www.kriss.com/harleyh7mod.php

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2006 XB12Ss..... 1998 S1W..... 1996 S2T
We do not need the help of our friends so much as confidence that they will help us when we need it. –Epicurus

HID is the way forward best thing i ever fitted to the X1

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2001 X1 2009 1125CR 2006 Uly X3 2010 Uly a fully Maz'd S1 and a 1991 RS1200 Westwind.

......if you'd left the standard search lamp fitted, you wouldn't need HID

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Mithered ta death.
92 MB
96 S2T
98 S1W
00 M2
01 X1
03 P3
10 CR

HID was the way forward. LED is not far behind. But yes - HID is worth the investment.

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Sept 2017. Email will find me.

I know a little about wiring and lighting and decided against running the two simultaneously given that one reflector is specifically angled to be a high beam light. I not familiar with the inline unit set up, does having the high beam on but dimmed really make much difference?

I put an SV1000 headlamp with an osram nightbreaker bulb in on my 02 X1 and the light that put out was awesome! Not to say that the standard X1 lamp wasn't ok but I loved the clear lense with complex reflector combo.

Have tried HID on other bikes and never achieved anything more than a massive blur of light that annoys other road users! I know how frustrated I get when bikes with these kits fitted come racing toward me at night making sure I can see exactly bugger all!!!! All that said I know a lot of bikers like em, just not for me though.

Does anybody know of a lamp that could go in the original housing? Preferably one that I can run an H4 bulb in, enabling me to run the 2 side by side whilst still getting main and dip??

My XB is a 2008 model and I don't have any issues at all with the headlight. It works fine for me at night and seems to be very bright and clear.

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Valencia Orange XB12Scg - serviced by Maz 2018
Black P3 Blast - serviced by Maz and fixed by Maz in 2019

You probably ride where there are street lamps Jill. The lights on my Uly (with +100% bulbs) in country lanes are rubbish. The only way to travel at night is by S1...

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08 Specialized Langster

Rode out to a country pub with Deepsix one evening, along dark country lanes, and Deepsix actually commented on how bright my headlight was (no, I didn't have it on main beam!! ) , and asked if I had modified it in any way... maybe I'm just lucky...who knows.

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Valencia Orange XB12Scg - serviced by Maz 2018
Black P3 Blast - serviced by Maz and fixed by Maz in 2019

Oh, WHATever...



He is such a tease...

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08 Specialized Langster

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Valencia Orange XB12Scg - serviced by Maz 2018
Black P3 Blast - serviced by Maz and fixed by Maz in 2019

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IF IT BLEEDS WE CAN KILL IT ,THIS STUFF WILL MAKE YOU A GODDAM SEXUAL TYRANASURUS ,YOUVE BEEN PUSHING TOO MANY PENCILS DILLON .GET TO THE CHOPPER

May the force be with you.....

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Valencia Orange XB12Scg - serviced by Maz 2018
Black P3 Blast - serviced by Maz and fixed by Maz in 2019

I'm thinkin you are one of the lucky ones Jill! As super cool as the idea of riding whilst wearing night vision is I'm not convinced it's the best move. I did however find these after many hours of beer and internet surfing last night........

http://www.simpson-detour.co.uk/Mini_Tw ... rade_.page

I'm gonna get some more info on these as I like the idea of the twin H4's and I'll let you'll know how I get on....

did you do the wiring mod to the headlights so at least the dip stays on when you are using main beam to throw a bit more light at the scenery ?

in combination with super bright bulbs it does help and takes all of 5 minutes.