Ok, I tend to ride mostly at night, mostly.
The headlamps that came stock with the bike shine forward with a pathetic pale-yellow light cone, maybe 4 feet in front of me. With the 60V mod and moving at 30mph, that light cone DEFINITELY needs to be projected further ahead and has to be BRIGHTER!
I nearly ran over a couple of 2-by-4's (chunks of wood) laying on the street the other night! Only my cat-like reflexes saved my @$$ and my bike.
Anyone have any ideas which lamps would work in the XB-600? Halogen maybe? Blue light maybe? Too much electrical draw on the battery pack, possibly??
I'm also thinking of cutting out two holes on either side of the front plastic steering panel and installing some bike lights that would point in the direction I'm turning.... great for corners.
ANY ideas??
phoenix
Here is a forum topic about LED lighting, that will get you started.
http://visforvoltage.org/forum/4776-xtreme-700li-led-lighting-project
As for Halogen lighting, I think they would draw too much power from your converter, but that is only my guess. I have thought about adding some LED lighting to my bike, but I haven't had much need to ride in the dark, so I haven't found one of those little round tuits :-}
Tom
The original lamps are 12v 18 watts each, and I have yet to find a direct replacement for them. As for halogen lamps they draw less power for a given output then standard incandescents.
LED would probably be the way to go for brighter lighting, and the link Tom pointed out would be a good starting point.
Happy scooting,
JamesS
I found the forum section that has the schematic link in it;
http://visforvoltage.org/forum/3712-xb600-wiring-diagram-groovy
Tom
I found a link to EBay with the original style lamps for sale as well as some with more wattage
http://cgi.ebay.com/Scooter-Headlight-Bulb-25-25-watt-P15D-25-1_W0QQitemZ260289261861QQcmdZViewItem
Also some info on the other wattages.
Lamp ------- Volts -- Watts -- Lumens ---- HR/Life ----- Base
12V 35/35W 12 ---- 35 ------- 735 ------- 150 ---- P15D-25-1
12V 30/30W 12 ---- 30 ------- 610 ------- 150 ---- P15D-25-1
12V 25/25W 12 ---- 25 ------- 500 ------- 150 ---- P15D-25-1
12V 18/18W 12 ---- 18 ------- 310 ------- 150 ---- P15D-25-1
Now will the DC/DC converter power the extra load of a higher wattage lamp?
Will the added heat melt the plastic lens?
Has anyone tried running both High/Low beams at the same time?
Ok more questions than answers, but thats what a forum is for, right?
Happy scooting,
JamesS