Headlight Question.

BSNinja250 · January 18th, 2010, 04:07 PM

I was wondering is there anyway to run both headlights at once. I know high beam turns the other light on but i want to run both of the headlights all the time and not blind other drivers

I guess the question is can i adjust the high beam light down and if so how?

sombo · January 18th, 2010, 06:17 PM

You would have to do some rewiring and it's more of a bulb brightness then angle issue. High beams are just brighter, not really aimed higher. It's like with cars and the pre-gens which use the same bulb for both low and high beams at the same angle.

It can be done but you would need to rewire them to get them both on and would probably be a good idea to have them both be high/low kinda like on the 99-02 ZX6R/05-08 ZZR600.

But that's just my opinion, take it with a grain of salt and my lack of experience with the new-gens.

Snake · January 18th, 2010, 06:22 PM

You would have to wire both to the same switch an wire in a potentiometer to adjust the brightness. Basicly a dimmer switch.

HKr1 · January 18th, 2010, 06:52 PM

I say blind em

Quote:

Originally Posted by sombo

You would have to do some rewiring and it's more of a bulb brightness then angle issue. High beams are just brighter, not really aimed higher. It's like with cars and the pre-gens which use the same bulb for both low and high beams at the same angle.

Hi & Low are the same bulb, Has to be a lense angle thing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snake

You would have to wire both to the same switch an wire in a potentiometer to adjust the brightness. Basicly a dimmer switch.

Crazy idea, but if your going to put a pot on an H-7 bulb....... better be a Rheostat.

jonthechron · January 18th, 2010, 08:02 PM

Here feel free to take a look at my wiring diagram.

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=35886

Momaru · January 18th, 2010, 09:29 PM

It depends on which model of 250 you're on. The way I understand the new-gen highbeam works it's essentially the same brightness of bulb (hence the interchangability) but the reflector pattern is different so you'll always have a 'high intensity' side and a 'low' side unless you can figure out the proper bulb geometry for the reflection pattern to bring it down. Or just modify the reflector (far easier said than done)

sombo · January 18th, 2010, 10:05 PM

Must just be the new-gens then. I know that with normal headlights it has NOTHING to do with the angle. In headlight bulbs there's actually 2 filaments. One for low beams and then a second that fires up for high beams with a higher intensity light. The high beam filament is the one farther out towards the tip where you see the dark paint. That dark paint I believe is actually a reflective coating to shine even more light back to the reflector of the headlight housing. Otherwise high beams wouldn't work in any of your molded headlight based vehicles using only one bulb for both, like the way the pre-gens do.

So if what you say is true that it's an angle thing with the pre-gens then it's a more unusual thing that I don't know much about.

Momaru · January 19th, 2010, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sombo

Must just be the new-gens then.

So if what you say is true that it's an angle thing with the pre-gens then it's a more unusual thing that I don't know much about.

Yeah, it's a little weird, personally not sure why Kawasaki decided to go through the huff of designing a linked pair of reflectors with different refraction patterns, but that seems to be what they did. The H7 bulbs we new-gen-ners use only have one filament. Here's a pic of one of my old stock bulbs (non-blown). They're identical.

DSC04622.jpg

The pre-gens (and as you said many other vehicles including my cage) use a bi-filament bulb that operates as you indicated; a seperate high and low filament within a single bulb. H4 type for pre-gens if my quick research is correct.

Short answer to the OP: You can't adjust just one of the two headlights on the new-gen without some significant modifications (that I'm reasonably sure no one else on the forum has successfully attempted)

sombo · January 19th, 2010, 11:37 PM

Good to know that for if/when I get a newer bike with the same headlight design.

tapdiggy · January 20th, 2010, 12:36 AM

Just a quick FYI. The pregen's headlight has two different wattages: low beam is 55w; high beam is 60w. This is in addition to the "intersecting parabola" configuration of the reflectors inside the headlight.

Momaru · January 20th, 2010, 09:21 AM

Thanks for the correction/addition. Would've thought the wattages would have been a bit more different but I guess not.

rockNroll · January 20th, 2010, 10:24 AM

Just run high beams. I run high beams unless I'm in slow moving city traffic at night, it's high beams at all other times.

January 18th, 2010, 04:07 PM	#1
BSNinja250 ninjette.org member Name: Ethan Location: Kansas City Join Date: Sep 2009 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250 Posts: 10	Headlight Question. I was wondering is there anyway to run both headlights at once. I know high beam turns the other light on but i want to run both of the headlights all the time and not blind other drivers I guess the question is can i adjust the high beam light down and if so how?

January 18th, 2010, 09:29 PM	#6
Momaru ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Paul Location: Roanoke, VA Join Date: Jun 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Candy Plasma Blue 250R Posts: A lot.	It depends on which model of 250 you're on. The way I understand the new-gen highbeam works it's essentially the same brightness of bulb (hence the interchangability) but the reflector pattern is different so you'll always have a 'high intensity' side and a 'low' side unless you can figure out the proper bulb geometry for the reflection pattern to bring it down. Or just modify the reflector (far easier said than done) __________________________________________________ Proud member of the Blue Army

January 20th, 2010, 12:36 AM	#10
tapdiggy Humble Observer Name: Truong Location: Augusta, Maine Join Date: Mar 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Yamaha XT250 Posts: 612	Just a quick FYI. The pregen's headlight has two different wattages: low beam is 55w; high beam is 60w. This is in addition to the "intersecting parabola" configuration of the reflectors inside the headlight. __________________________________________________ Everything I post is "IN MY HONEST OPINION". Why is "Parking Lot Enduro" not a thing?

January 20th, 2010, 09:21 AM	#11
Momaru ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Paul Location: Roanoke, VA Join Date: Jun 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Candy Plasma Blue 250R Posts: A lot.	Thanks for the correction/addition. Would've thought the wattages would have been a bit more different but I guess not. __________________________________________________ Proud member of the Blue Army

January 20th, 2010, 10:24 AM	#12
rockNroll . Name: rock Location: greenville, south carolina Join Date: Jun 2009 Motorcycle(s): black Posts: A lot.	Just run high beams. I run high beams unless I'm in slow moving city traffic at night, it's high beams at all other times. __________________________________________________ Always get a second opinion because most of these people are makin' this stuff up

January 18th, 2010, 06:17 PM	#2
sombo Newb..... on a steeek! :D Name: Mike Location: Windermere, FL Join Date: Feb 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2012 Harley Davidson XL883L Sportster Superlow Posts: A lot.	You would have to do some rewiring and it's more of a bulb brightness then angle issue. High beams are just brighter, not really aimed higher. It's like with cars and the pre-gens which use the same bulb for both low and high beams at the same angle. It can be done but you would need to rewire them to get them both on and would probably be a good idea to have them both be high/low kinda like on the 99-02 ZX6R/05-08 ZZR600. But that's just my opinion, take it with a grain of salt and my lack of experience with the new-gens.

January 18th, 2010, 06:22 PM	#3
Snake ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Rick Location: Alexandria, Louisiana Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): 05 Blue Ninja 250 Posts: Too much. MOTY - 2017, MOTM - Jan '19, Oct '16, May '14	You would have to wire both to the same switch an wire in a potentiometer to adjust the brightness. Basicly a dimmer switch.

January 18th, 2010, 08:02 PM	#5
jonthechron ninjette.org sage Name: Jon Location: Usa Join Date: Jan 2010 Motorcycle(s): magHitVE Posts: 649	Here feel free to take a look at my wiring diagram. http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=35886

January 18th, 2010, 10:05 PM	#7
sombo Newb..... on a steeek! :D Name: Mike Location: Windermere, FL Join Date: Feb 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2012 Harley Davidson XL883L Sportster Superlow Posts: A lot.	Must just be the new-gens then. I know that with normal headlights it has NOTHING to do with the angle. In headlight bulbs there's actually 2 filaments. One for low beams and then a second that fires up for high beams with a higher intensity light. The high beam filament is the one farther out towards the tip where you see the dark paint. That dark paint I believe is actually a reflective coating to shine even more light back to the reflector of the headlight housing. Otherwise high beams wouldn't work in any of your molded headlight based vehicles using only one bulb for both, like the way the pre-gens do. So if what you say is true that it's an angle thing with the pre-gens then it's a more unusual thing that I don't know much about.

January 19th, 2010, 11:37 PM	#9
sombo Newb..... on a steeek! :D Name: Mike Location: Windermere, FL Join Date: Feb 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2012 Harley Davidson XL883L Sportster Superlow Posts: A lot.	Good to know that for if/when I get a newer bike with the same headlight design.

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