Headlight woes and solutions !!!!!!!

[monsterman]

Headlight woes and solutions !!!!!!!
My damn headlight is useless...no power or penetration I examined it today, dismantled the glass lens it is clean and shiney I have 12.8 v feed and the bulb is an Osram Xenon/superwhite but It is crap.I really have to do something about it ,

I have done some work on the internetty and looking at BOSCH data lists it seems that DUCATI cheapskates have used a car type lens on the Monster instead of the correct motorcycle one with no centre back reflector...YES its true ..monsters are fitted with a non Motorcycle specific headlamp which is known to have issues with its pattern...how the hell did Ducati get away with that !!!! must have been a cheap lot.

The solution may be to fit a CIBIE reflector ...yes i know HID is a possible solution but thge crap reflector will still be on the bike and its that which is probably losing 50% of the available light so fitting better bulbs or HID with all the attendant extra cost and wiring may be a waste of time.

I am looking into buying a VALEO/CIBIE 7'' H4 with sidelight reflector lens as used on race cars /bikes such as the older MINI which has a much superior reflector pattern to the archaic Bosch design on the Monster.This with a an Osram extreme Xenon bulb should do the trick at a cost of about 2000baht for the lens .

More as soon as i can get the CIBIE lens unit.

Jerry the Monsterman
__________________
MONSTERMAN

 

[monsterman]

I am after the CIBIE Z beam unit ..but looks like I will have to get in UK ..I dont think there is a supplier in Thailand. and an HID kit would be nice too.

 

[nuwatmat]

Solution.
Do not ever buy a italian,german,american,english or italian brand in thailand,stick to the jippon brands,there is nothing wrong with the other brands but too much struggle to keep in shape in thailand

 

[monsterman]

nuwatmat wrote: Solution.
Do not ever buy a italian,german,american,english or italian brand in thailand,stick to the jippon brands,there is nothing wrong with the other brands but too much struggle to keep in shape in thailand

I do not have any problem looking after HD or Ducati in Thailand in fact HD have the best spares availability of any bikes here ,HD parts are usually in stock in Pattaya or BKK from at least 6 suppliers,, Jap bikes are often really difficult to get parts for if they are over 400cc ..Ducati is no problem for parts ..I do all my own work and can get parts within 7 days from UK or my own stockpile ...The CIBIE unit is an aftermarket improvement for any headlight especially the crappy Stanley lens used on many Japanese bike .. Ducati use Bosch but they use a cheap car part instead of the motorcycle unit.

After running a motorcycle shop here in Pattaya for 5 years which I sold 2 years ago I think I know whats happening out there . If you can afford it the easy option in Thailand for big bikes are Harleys due to ease of parts and servicing in all regions of Thailand . BMW come a poor second Jap bikes next then Ducati,Triumph etc.

 

[Azoulay]

Hi Jerry, Hi Nuwatmat, Hi Friends,

I solved the problem of night driving at the begining, on ALL my bikes by adding a HID bulb with the ballast.

For the Ducat S2R Monster 1000 2006, an H4 simple HID bulb is OK, with a I tooke a 35 Watts slim ballast but for size reasons and it works perfect.

For the BMW 1200 GSA, I tooke 2 H7 simple HID but with big 50 Watts ballasts otherwise the dashboard would claim a default due to CAN bus system.

Even on the Suzuki DRZ400, I adapted a H7 simple HID with a 35 Watts slim ballast and sealed it with rubber sealant.

Now for those who are interested as well, for the Toyota Tiger 3.l 2003, I used double H4 motorised HID (with a small electrical motor and big 50 watts ballast for the streets and roads lighting).

You can buy these HID bulbs very easily in the same area than the helmet shop around Klongtom in Bangkok, generally they are sold by pairs and slim ballasts are difficult to fin in Thailand as the main usage in LOS is for cars where the size is not a problem.

Prices have droped and you can find a good quality HID bulb complete with the bulb, the harness, the ballast and all connection for 1500 to 2000 TBH per unit, installation is a game for dummies, so good for me !

After that, you'll understand what days and nights means....On top these HID bulbs are energy safe and do not "pump" your battery.

I would advise it to all riders.

NB: Jerry, I have 2 special question for you relating HD and around:

-Do you know an easy way to get a legal BUELL in Thailand ?

-Do you know WARR'S shop in London ? At present buying bikes in UK is very interesting for "us" with our Euro, thus I am interested in doing some shopping for France in WARR'S is it a reliable shop from your point of view ?

 

[monsterman]

Best way to buy a legal Buell in Thailand is to buy one that is secondhand but in Goodcondition it will be cheap 400,000 maximum for a 2005-2007 model and will usually have a green book already . There are lot of late model buells available there are 2 in Iron Horse right now.

Warrs are the premier dealership in the UK they were established in 1920s and are the oldest HD dealer outside USA.But because they are in Cental London they may be more expensive than others.

 

[Peter Hooper]

How about these guys.

Morgan and Wacker, established in Brisbane in 1917 and selling Harleys right from that very first year, is the second-oldest Harley-Davidson Dealer in the world, the oldest Harley dealer outside the USA, and Australia's oldest motorcycle dealership...for any brand of bike.

http://www.morganandwacker.com.au/main.aspx

My brother and I accepted an invitation to test drive their 2009 range in Mar this year. Great bikes but a little rich for me.
Good dealership too.

Cheers,

Peter

 

[nuwatmat]

monsterman wrote: [quote quote=nuwatmat]Solution.
Do not ever buy a italian,german,american,english or italian brand in thailand,stick to the jippon brands,there is nothing wrong with the other brands but too much struggle to keep in shape in thailand

I do not have any problem looking after HD or Ducati in Thailand in fact HD have the best spares availability of any bikes here ,HD parts are usually in stock in Pattaya or BKK from at least 6 suppliers,, Jap bikes are often really difficult to get parts for if they are over 400cc ..Ducati is no problem for parts ..I do all my own work and can get parts within 7 days from UK or my own stockpile ...The CIBIE unit is an aftermarket improvement for any headlight especially the crappy Stanley lens used on many Japanese bike .. Ducati use Bosch but they use a cheap car part instead of the motorcycle unit.

After running a motorcycle shop here in Pattaya for 5 years which I sold 2 years ago I think I know whats happening out there . If you can afford it the easy option in Thailand for big bikes are Harleys due to ease of parts and servicing in all regions of Thailand . BMW come a poor second Jap bikes next then Ducati,Triumph etc.
It's a reliefe to know that it easier to get a rear sprocket for a bimota than on a er6 in mukdahan,or maybe a ringantenna on a bmw 1200 gs.
gs owners know what i'm talking about,
i allso asume that a drive belt or a rear tyre on a harley is no swaet it sakon nakhon.
xenon bulbes on a bmw gt would not be a problem in surin and engine software upgrade for bmw k engines would be done in 5 minutes in kon khaen,and cam shafts for a ducati you can buy at 7-11 in roiet-
A ktm lc8 is the easyest thing to get proper serviced in any city in thailand.

Harleys are not very sophisticated bikes, allmost any fool can fix them maybe except from the little more advanced v-rod.

right ?
:lol:

 

[Azoulay]

Hi Nawamat, Hi Friends,

For the exactitude of the report, i would like to add that ring antenna issue is no more a problem for BMW 1200 GS/GSA owners since production release from February 2008 as BMW fixed the problem (official BMW sources).

Anyway, orders would have been possible at the official BKK dealer and would have take (if not in stock) 10 days as these parts are air freighted from Germany and/or/or the US platform.

For other parts, and when not too specific such as a battery, a sprocket, a tire or such easy parts even brake pads or belts I would advise for those who have time to drag the BKK Klong Tum Chinese corner where you really find every mechanical parts, but the local language barrier and the environmental mess will oblige you to be patient and curious....

Have a nice day !

 

[sinclair1969]

As I am looking to fix my bike with an HID headlight kit this thread provided good information, thanks.

 

[Azoulay]

Hi Sinclair, Hi Friends,

Very easy to fix an HID bulb with ballast on a bike...

If your bike is a BMW, please prefer the 55/60 watts ballasts (generally the bigger one) better to the slim ones.

Like "Papa dans Maman, un jour de fête"

Good lucke !

 

[Pounce]

I don't know if you can get them in Thailand, but I just fitted one of these to mt DRZ.
It's 50mm (2") square, runs from 9 - 50 volts, draws .75amps at 12 volts & lights up the trails great. I chose the spot/flood mix.
Cost me $139 Aus, bolted it via a bracket to the triple clamp bolts & wired it into the high beam.
If anyone wants a closer pic as to how I mounted it, I'll post one once I wash my bike.

 

[Azoulay]

Hi Pounds,

It look great, specially knowing about the poor genuine lightning of the DRZ, unfortunatly at date I did not saw anything like that around. I use to shop for bikes and cars parts in KlongTon and Banh Mooh BKK area, but never saw that.

Maybe someone has an idea about it ?

As said I equiped all my bikes with a HID Xenon bulb with ballast, it works very good and change life during night.

For the BMW 1200 GSA, I recently change the H11bulbs of the additional fog lights, for 2 "Eagle Eyes" Xenon like H11 bulbs and it works good as well, for the parking light, I found in KlongTon some small bright LED bulbs which fit perfectly.

LED bike lightning is very "à la mode" nowaday, should say it works well and "pumps" less Watts, so better for everything....

 

[SilverhawkUSA]

I have used this light from Trailtech, http://trailtech.net/store/, for a couple years. It is a 35w halogen. They make higher wattage, but it really isn't necessary. This is extremely bright and draws little from you charging system. It also gives you "instant" light unlike HID's which need to warm up. Trailtech, who also sell the Vapor, is a very good company to deal with and they do ship to Thailand.

Note: if you consider the HID from them, drop them an email first. Their lights have an internal ballast that only works with certain stators.