Kawasaki Concours Forum

The C10, aka Kawasaki Concours - The Original => The Bike - C10 => Topic started by: Summit670 on May 31, 2017, 09:45:06 PM

Title: Headlight bulb
Post by: Summit670 on May 31, 2017, 09:45:06 PM
I think I caused my low beam to burn out by plugging in the headlight while bike was running.  My error.  I forgot to hook up headlight after putting my front fairing on. High beam works fine. 

BTW - first time I have ever removed front fairing and it was surprisingly easy.

Is the stock 60/55w still the way to go?  I dont want to make any modifications, looking for plug and play.
Title: Re: Headlight bulb
Post by: beilts on June 12, 2017, 10:14:43 AM
I really like my.

Evitek LED Headlight Bulb- Hi/Lo Beam H4 9003- Plug n Play 40W 6500K Pure White

Look in the for sale section if you want one ($22). I only needed one and they came in a pack of two.

Very white, long reaching. Easy to install. You do not have to remove the front fairing.
Title: Re: Headlight bulb
Post by: Summit670 on June 12, 2017, 05:19:51 PM
Thanks.. I sold the bke last week.  I installed a 60/55 Silverstar bulb.  It appeared to be brighter.  Sad to let her go but it was time since I have owned her since new and that was nearly 30 years ago.
Title: Re: Headlight bulb
Post by: gpineau on May 18, 2020, 08:04:38 PM
As good a place as any to ask this question.

If I meter the headlight pins (with the headlight removed) I see the low beam pin is always 12 volts when the bike is running. What i did not expect is I measure 8 volts on the high beam pin !  When I switch to high beam it jumps from 8 volts to 12 volts. 

This is confusing my new LED lamp. 8 volts is enough to turn on the High beam to near maximum intensity. So when low beam is on, so is the high beam and you see very little difference when switching to High beam.

Anyone know why there is always 8 volts on the high beam pin? Maybe to keep the filament warm?  I may have to make some wiring changes to get this to operate correctly.

But I am happy to say it is super bright. And best part is the original pulls 5 amps but the LED is only pulling 1.25 amps. A reduction of 3.5 amps.
I have LED lamps on order for the signal and running light which should reduce the total load even more.

Title: Re: Headlight bulb
Post by: Boomer on May 19, 2020, 04:06:31 AM
The USA (maybe CDN too?) C10s have a Reserve Lighting Circuit that detects when low beam is blown (or disconnected) and when it does it supplies 8v to the highbeam filament. So, if your low beam burns out, it lights the high beam at reduced power. Under normal operation this should not affect the LED.
The rest of the world has a separate city light bulb in the headlamp instead of this circuit.
Title: Re: Headlight bulb
Post by: gpineau on May 19, 2020, 07:01:13 AM
Hey, thanks for that. I guess the LED is not enough of a load to make the circuit think the low beam is blown. And if that is what is happening then I have the low and Hi beam pins swapped.  Don't have a solution but at least I have the reason it behaves the way it does.

There are 3 LEDs on the low beam circuit and one LED on the high beam circuit. Perhaps if I swap the pins, the 3 LEDS will be enough of a load to satisfy the reserve lighting thingy. It's worth a try.
Title: Re: Headlight bulb
Post by: connie_rider on May 19, 2020, 07:16:04 AM
GP, I'm not sure that is the problem.
I have a relay system added to my C-10.
ie; Power for the lights come from the battery, thru relay's, to the bulbs.
     The original power wires now only switch the relays to send the battery power to the lights.
      In the switch location they only pull mili-amps, and that circuit is working fine.

Ride safe, Ted
Title: Re: Headlight bulb
Post by: Stasch on May 19, 2020, 07:54:41 AM
The USA (maybe CDN too?) C10s have a Reserve Lighting Circuit that detects when low beam is blown (or disconnected) and when it does it supplies 8v to the highbeam filament. So, if your low beam burns out, it lights the high beam at reduced power. Under normal operation this should not affect the LED.
The rest of the world has a separate city light bulb in the headlamp instead of this circuit.

Just to clarify for others reading this later:  The above was true in the US (at least, possibly more) for 86-93 C10's only.
Title: Re: Headlight bulb
Post by: gpineau on May 19, 2020, 09:42:21 AM
My C10 has the reserve lighting module as you described. It is a 1986 model.   I would rather have it the way Ted described bit I got to live with what I got.  I will look at the diagrams and see if there is a way to defeat this feature.
Title: Re: Headlight bulb
Post by: gpineau on May 19, 2020, 09:46:33 AM
BTW. This is the lamp I bought. It is super bright.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QBYFVX6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QBYFVX6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
Title: Re: Headlight bulb
Post by: connie_rider on May 20, 2020, 07:24:52 AM
My C10 has the reserve lighting module as you described. It is a 1986 model.   I would rather have it the way Ted described bit I got to live with what I got.  I will look at the diagrams and see if there is a way to defeat this feature.

GP, what Stash say's is true.
My bike is an 03, so I don't have the Reserve Lighting Circuit.
So, that could explain the difference.

But I think I also did the relay addition on my 86 and it worked fine.
  But, my memory sux.

Others here will know if they have the relays added to their 86-93 for sure.

Ride safe, Ted
Title: Re: Headlight bulb
Post by: Rick Hall on May 20, 2020, 09:18:11 PM
My C10 has the reserve lighting module as you described. It is a 1986 model.   I would rather have it the way Ted described bit I got to live with what I got.  I will look at the diagrams and see if there is a way to defeat this feature.
There is. Reserve lighting device left side, basically under map pocket. Disconnect it. Add wire per the attached file.

Rick
Title: Re: Headlight bulb
Post by: Chrome Megaphone on August 16, 2020, 12:53:21 PM
Sure glad I read this. Good info, was going to drop in an LED and assume it would be a plug and play.
Title: Re: Headlight bulb
Post by: gpineau on August 16, 2020, 05:22:48 PM
Well the stock incandescent bulb behaves better. The only reason I swapped to an LED was because of the load on the alternator due to the added drain of the fuel pump and other EFI parts.