[R15] Help improve the headlights and misc. help needed - xBhp.com : The Global Indian Biking Community

agnivo007 · 04-08-2010, 03:15 AM

Well, I'm a newbie here, just got started to learn riding. My R15 is about a month old, 1st. service done and ~900KMs on the odo.

Now my observations and help needed:

1. Headlights: Even though it has dual 35W headlamps, the lighting is very poor even on high beam. The illumination as a whole on highways was simply pathetic... first I thought it might be solved by adjusting the beam (screws at the back of the lamp housing assembly), it improved a bit but not upto the mark a 70W light should illuminate. Also, the low beam isn't that good too...

a. I can go for HIDs... but given the small battery, not a good choice. Also, I intend to keep the bike as close to the stock condition as possible.

I have read that HIDs (with full relay circuit) doesn't hold good with the stock battery. Leave dual, even single HID gets the battery down... is this true?

Also, the dealership owner's son (my school friend) says a mod can be done with 2 batteries in parallel (put it in the box space under the seat, no charger circuit change needed) and HID can be used easily... any comment on this?

b. I can go for a nightbreaker on the left so as to get a brighter 60W beam on low as well as a 55W+35W on high. Is this feasible with the stock battery? Any chance of damage to the left reflector?

c. Each parking light draws 5W, so 10W for both. Is it better to replace them with LEDs? How easy is this? Recommended mod?

d. Angel eyes... Estimated costs including fitting? Considering to be LED based, hope it doesn't draw much power off the battery...

e. If you have done any headlight mod... used it yourself, please share your thoughts and reviews...

f. Can I install a high Amperage battery in the stock battery holder? Or even cut/mod the holder to hold a bigger one?

2. When I took the bike to 1st. service, I checked other R15s there at the SC + showroom and found the gap between the throttle grip and the tank is way less when the handlebar is turned to max, in my case. I've been experiencing difficulties when turning the bike in a low radius (say a U turn to change direction) since day one... the wrist comes in close contact with the tank that it is difficult to apply throttle... I thought it was made like this... but NO! every other R15 has better clearance.

I showed it to the service guys, they did some tweaking on the handlebars but the gap didn't increase much... also they were to go for lunch break and seemed to avoid anymore work. Any help from experts?

Sunny · 04-08-2010, 07:15 AM

Query Approved

HydBiker · 04-08-2010, 07:55 AM

First, adjusting the beam makes a good amount fo difference. Since you say you already did that, let us see further.

Yes, the light spread is good but not intense. That makes it difficult when we have on coming traffic. I am using one Osram Night Breaker (55/60W). Makes a good difference. When I tried using two 55/60 W bulbs the battery drained after 4 hours of night riding. So, for one or two hours kind of riding it is still pretty fine.

HID: A bunch of people are using them in their R15 without any issues. Please search for relevant posts in the ownership thread.

All the Best.

sheelpriye · 04-08-2010, 08:45 AM

if you do not wish to take any risks, invest in a philips 35/35W which comes as OE in FZ/UNi/Stunner and fit it in the right pod,
it illuminates better than halonix

HydBiker · 04-08-2010, 09:05 AM

^^^ +1 to that. It is better than the stock Osram. You can buy those bulbs from Honda spares for Rs 195 each.

But then, the reflectors are not great (blame it on design constraints) and won't fetch you a lot of difference.

agnivo007 · 04-08-2010, 10:08 AM

Thanks for the inputs so far... I have revised my first post and added a few more queries...

ksatish · 04-08-2010, 10:18 AM

My answers are in bold .

Well, I'm a newbie here, just got started to learn riding. My R15 is about a month old, 1st. service done and ~900KMs on the odo.

Now my observations and help needed:

1. Headlights: Even though it has dual 35W headlamps, the lighting is very poor even on high beam. The illumination as a whole on highways was simply pathetic... first I thought it might be solved by adjusting the beam (screws at the back of the lamp housing assembly), it improved a bit but not upto the mark a 70W light should illuminate. Also, the low beam isn't that good too...

a. I can go for HIDs... but given the small battery, not a good choice. Also, I intend to keep the bike as close to the stock condition as possible.

I have read that HIDs (with full relay circuit) doesn't hold good with the stock battery. Leave dual, even single HID gets the battery down... is this true?

Also, the dealership owner's son (my school friend) says a mod can be done with 2 batteries in parallel (put it in the box space under the seat, no charger circuit change needed) and HID can be used easily... any comment on this?

No need of adding batteries .Most hilarious thing i have ever heard "2 batteries in parallel " .Grab a good HID and fix it . It works .

b. I can go for a nightbreaker on the left so as to get a brighter 60W beam on low as well as a 55W+35W on high. Is this feasible with the stock battery? Any chance of damage to the left reflector?

The night breakers eats the battery in lower RPMs not a good idea.. Tried and tested by a few friends.

c. Each parking light draws 5W, so 10W for both. Is it better to replace them with LEDs? How easy is this? Recommended mod?

Leds will help. And it will look cool..

d. Angel eyes... Estimated costs including fitting? Considering to be LED based, hope it doesn't draw much power off the battery...

I wouldn't recommend fancy lighting . To install angel eyes you need to rip open the headlight .

e. If you have done any headlight mod... used it yourself, please share your thoughts and reviews...

I have a HID on the high beam 4300k H4 . Use it only on highways .

f. Can I install a high Amperage battery in the stock battery holder? Or even cut/mod the holder to hold a bigger one?

Not a good idea. Higher amp batteries are bigger where are you going to fix it ? how will you take care of the charging circuit the R15 electricals are complex dont go to R&D with it . Parts are really expensive . ie the ECU costs 8-9k .

2. When I took the bike to 1st. service, I checked other R15s there at the SC + showroom and found the gap between the throttle grip and the tank is way less when the handlebar is turned to max in my case. I've been experiencing difficulties when turning the bike in a low radius (say a U turn to change direction) since day one... the wrist comes in close contact with the tank that it is difficult to apply throttle... I thought it was made like this... but NO! every other R15 has better clearance.

I showed it to the service guys, they did some tweaking on the handlebars but the gap didn't increase much... also their were to go for lunch break and seemed to avoid anymore work. Any help from experts?

Need to check the bike then can comment.

jd666 · 04-08-2010, 02:49 PM

iirc HIDs have a lesser overall current draw than regular bulbs.. its the initial current needed by the chokes that increase the current.

Dont go for angel eyes, unless you know how the person is opening up the front plastic of the headlight... I have seen some really screwed up examples with bends and pieces of plastic jutting out inside the lamp ( im proper way of opening the light ).

AND NO, dont even think about the double battery, bigger battery nip and tuck here and there... Its a new bike.. why do u wanna void your warranty and stuff... Your friend might get his share of experience and experimentation on your bike... if you wanna make it a guinea pig..

Puneet1 · 04-08-2010, 03:19 PM

you can go for a Lo beam Hid with 4300k rating . it will improve lighting by huge margin .
also go for a ballast that consumes less than 6 amperes at startup and convert pilot lamps to Leds.

animeher · 04-08-2010, 03:32 PM

Sorry for trying to steal the original thread, but has anyone from Mumbai/Pune successfully turned his bike full DC and HID? I am interested in converting my GS to DC HID, and within 3000rs. Any pointers?

04-08-2010, 03:15 AM	#1 (permalink)
agnivo007 Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 48	[R15] Help improve the headlights and misc. help needed Well, I'm a newbie here, just got started to learn riding. My R15 is about a month old, 1st. service done and ~900KMs on the odo. Now my observations and help needed: 1. Headlights: Even though it has dual 35W headlamps, the lighting is very poor even on high beam. The illumination as a whole on highways was simply pathetic... first I thought it might be solved by adjusting the beam (screws at the back of the lamp housing assembly), it improved a bit but not upto the mark a 70W light should illuminate. Also, the low beam isn't that good too... a. I can go for HIDs... but given the small battery, not a good choice. Also, I intend to keep the bike as close to the stock condition as possible. I have read that HIDs (with full relay circuit) doesn't hold good with the stock battery. Leave dual, even single HID gets the battery down... is this true? Also, the dealership owner's son (my school friend) says a mod can be done with 2 batteries in parallel (put it in the box space under the seat, no charger circuit change needed) and HID can be used easily... any comment on this? b. I can go for a nightbreaker on the left so as to get a brighter 60W beam on low as well as a 55W+35W on high. Is this feasible with the stock battery? Any chance of damage to the left reflector? c. Each parking light draws 5W, so 10W for both. Is it better to replace them with LEDs? How easy is this? Recommended mod? d. Angel eyes... Estimated costs including fitting? Considering to be LED based, hope it doesn't draw much power off the battery... e. If you have done any headlight mod... used it yourself, please share your thoughts and reviews... f. Can I install a high Amperage battery in the stock battery holder? Or even cut/mod the holder to hold a bigger one? 2. When I took the bike to 1st. service, I checked other R15s there at the SC + showroom and found the gap between the throttle grip and the tank is way less when the handlebar is turned to max, in my case. I've been experiencing difficulties when turning the bike in a low radius (say a U turn to change direction) since day one... the wrist comes in close contact with the tank that it is difficult to apply throttle... I thought it was made like this... but NO! every other R15 has better clearance. I showed it to the service guys, they did some tweaking on the handlebars but the gap didn't increase much... also they were to go for lunch break and seemed to avoid anymore work. Any help from experts? __________________ Caravan Biking - A Kolkata Biking Club *Yes! Yamaha... The Official R15 noob!* Last edited by agnivo007; 04-08-2010 at 10:20 AM. Reason: typos, more questions added

04-08-2010, 07:15 AM	#2 (permalink)
Sunny SlowMotionInfinity Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Delhi Posts: 7,292	Query Approved __________________ Join xBhp On

04-08-2010, 07:55 AM	#3 (permalink)
HydBiker Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 3,205	First, adjusting the beam makes a good amount fo difference. Since you say you already did that, let us see further. Yes, the light spread is good but not intense. That makes it difficult when we have on coming traffic. I am using one Osram Night Breaker (55/60W). Makes a good difference. When I tried using two 55/60 W bulbs the battery drained after 4 hours of night riding. So, for one or two hours kind of riding it is still pretty fine. HID: A bunch of people are using them in their R15 without any issues. Please search for relevant posts in the ownership thread. All the Best. __________________ Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Alumni? PM me for an Invitation to *myJNV - the navodayan connect!*

04-08-2010, 08:45 AM	#4 (permalink)
sheelpriye L8 Braker Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 1,945	if you do not wish to take any risks, invest in a philips 35/35W which comes as OE in FZ/UNi/Stunner and fit it in the right pod, it illuminates better than halonix __________________ Sweat wipes off, road rash doesn't. Wear your gear!!! #58 Forever

04-08-2010, 09:05 AM	#5 (permalink)
HydBiker Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 3,205	^^^ +1 to that. It is better than the stock Osram. You can buy those bulbs from Honda spares for Rs 195 each. But then, the reflectors are not great (blame it on design constraints) and won't fetch you a lot of difference. __________________ Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Alumni? PM me for an Invitation to *myJNV - the navodayan connect!*

04-08-2010, 10:08 AM	#6 (permalink)
agnivo007 Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 48	Thanks for the inputs so far... I have revised my first post and added a few more queries... __________________ Caravan Biking - A Kolkata Biking Club *Yes! Yamaha... The Official R15 noob!*

04-08-2010, 10:18 AM	#7 (permalink)
ksatish Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Bangalore Posts: 226	My answers are in bold . Well, I'm a newbie here, just got started to learn riding. My R15 is about a month old, 1st. service done and ~900KMs on the odo. Now my observations and help needed: 1. Headlights: Even though it has dual 35W headlamps, the lighting is very poor even on high beam. The illumination as a whole on highways was simply pathetic... first I thought it might be solved by adjusting the beam (screws at the back of the lamp housing assembly), it improved a bit but not upto the mark a 70W light should illuminate. Also, the low beam isn't that good too... a. I can go for HIDs... but given the small battery, not a good choice. Also, I intend to keep the bike as close to the stock condition as possible. I have read that HIDs (with full relay circuit) doesn't hold good with the stock battery. Leave dual, even single HID gets the battery down... is this true? Also, the dealership owner's son (my school friend) says a mod can be done with 2 batteries in parallel (put it in the box space under the seat, no charger circuit change needed) and HID can be used easily... any comment on this? No need of adding batteries .Most hilarious thing i have ever heard "2 batteries in parallel " .Grab a good HID and fix it . It works . b. I can go for a nightbreaker on the left so as to get a brighter 60W beam on low as well as a 55W+35W on high. Is this feasible with the stock battery? Any chance of damage to the left reflector? The night breakers eats the battery in lower RPMs not a good idea.. Tried and tested by a few friends. c. Each parking light draws 5W, so 10W for both. Is it better to replace them with LEDs? How easy is this? Recommended mod? Leds will help. And it will look cool.. d. Angel eyes... Estimated costs including fitting? Considering to be LED based, hope it doesn't draw much power off the battery... I wouldn't recommend fancy lighting . To install angel eyes you need to rip open the headlight . e. If you have done any headlight mod... used it yourself, please share your thoughts and reviews... I have a HID on the high beam 4300k H4 . Use it only on highways . f. Can I install a high Amperage battery in the stock battery holder? Or even cut/mod the holder to hold a bigger one? Not a good idea. Higher amp batteries are bigger where are you going to fix it ? how will you take care of the charging circuit the R15 electricals are complex dont go to R&D with it . Parts are really expensive . ie the ECU costs 8-9k . 2. When I took the bike to 1st. service, I checked other R15s there at the SC + showroom and found the gap between the throttle grip and the tank is way less when the handlebar is turned to max in my case. I've been experiencing difficulties when turning the bike in a low radius (say a U turn to change direction) since day one... the wrist comes in close contact with the tank that it is difficult to apply throttle... I thought it was made like this... but NO! every other R15 has better clearance. I showed it to the service guys, they did some tweaking on the handlebars but the gap didn't increase much... also their were to go for lunch break and seemed to avoid anymore work. Any help from experts? Need to check the bike then can comment.

04-08-2010, 02:49 PM	#8 (permalink)
jd666 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Gurgaon/Faridabad Posts: 3,390	iirc HIDs have a lesser overall current draw than regular bulbs.. its the initial current needed by the chokes that increase the current. Dont go for angel eyes, unless you know how the person is opening up the front plastic of the headlight... I have seen some really screwed up examples with bends and pieces of plastic jutting out inside the lamp ( im proper way of opening the light ). AND NO, dont even think about the double battery, bigger battery nip and tuck here and there... Its a new bike.. why do u wanna void your warranty and stuff... Your friend might get his share of experience and experimentation on your bike... if you wanna make it a guinea pig.. __________________ My offerings to the gods of speed - - KTM Duke 200 - Yamaha RXZ 5 speed

04-08-2010, 03:19 PM	#9 (permalink)
Puneet1 Aut viam inveniam aut faciam Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 1,710	you can go for a Lo beam Hid with 4300k rating . it will improve lighting by huge margin . also go for a ballast that consumes less than 6 amperes at startup and convert pilot lamps to Leds. __________________ Bi-xenon Projector Hid up for sale ! click

04-08-2010, 03:32 PM	#10 (permalink)
animeher Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Thane/Pune Posts: 1,175	Sorry for trying to steal the original thread, but has anyone from Mumbai/Pune successfully turned his bike full DC and HID? I am interested in converting my GS to DC HID, and within 3000rs. Any pointers?

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
help me to improve my electricals	drvmtm	Help Me!	164	09-13-2011 01:29 PM
Relays & DC headlights	pavanchirmade	Help Me!	141	02-17-2011 04:15 PM
[Help]: R15 headlights	sandyfandy	Help Me!	2	12-12-2009 05:02 PM
photochromic film for headlights	spit_fire	Help Me!	7	11-11-2009 09:29 AM
Need to improve my fz!!!	Galaxtus	Help Me!	33	09-05-2009 09:08 AM

Register Now for FREE!
Are you registered on xBhp yet? If not, do so now and start participating to be able to share photos and experiences with other members. It will also enable to you have a chance to be a part of xBhp contests and roadtrips in the future! Username: Password: Confirm Password: E-Mail: Confirm E-Mail: Birthday: Image Verification I agree to forum rules