Twin headlight conversion in the UK

dolau

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Over here it is an MOT (Ministry of Trasport test every year after three years old to make sure your bike is safe to be on the road) failure to do the twin headlight conversion.

On a UK Fazer site I asked any testers or mechanics to explain why as I have just done mine and wondered why such an obvious safety measure results in an MOT failure.

For the Brits on here- this was the answer

The reflectors are different e.g. one is designed to act as low beam the other high. When you mod them so as both are on at the same time the high beam reflector is doing what it was designed to and will dazzle on coming traffic i.e. an MOT fail.

You can adjust it down but then its a trade off as every mm you go down you loose the high beam effect, even when levelled it will still dazzle slightly this is because of the reflector pattern, the simple thing is to return them to standard at MOT time. On the H4 bulb only the high beam element is used as standard the mod uses the low beam element but because the reflector is designed only for high beam pattern it will still dazzle and most fail the MOT.

The mod is and will always be a trade off and never really solves the problem of poor light this is even worse on the Mk1's which is why I did all the work on HID's some years back, HID will sort it giving you a good light with the standard one lamp/reflector for high/low beam on both MK1/2's.

On the MK1's the real problem is crap reflector design just one of the areas cut to get the bike within a budget. Strangely enough on the Jap market only 400 version which has the SAME firing and running gear as the 600 both lights are on at the same time, both fitted with H4 and work well but that version has cheaper brakes theres the budget cutting in.

These 400 import lens units are like rocking horse **** in the UK, Yam sorted this on the Mk1 face lift 02 or shark eye fairing models.
 

Sparkybean

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It's easy I installed a simple bullet connector on the wire near the bulb. At MOT time I unplug. Then afterwards reconnect.

I quite like the fact it is slightly raised. I like to think in day time (95% of the time I ride) it is more eye-catching in a drivers rear view mirror. They see me earlier and more often. It's not as raised as full beam which is good though.
 

Sparkybean

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Oh fair enough, good news! I just wanted to be safe than sorry, only took a min to install the extra connector.

What I do know is that when I have had a pillion, the extra weight on the back raises the second light even further. I have even had lorry drivers flashing me because they think I am on full beam, and think how high up they are!!!!
 

arkay

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Mine passed with the mod and I even told the tester about it. The second light isn't on high beam until you switch the high beam on, it's a dual filament bulb, the beam was in the legal limit when the light was tested. It's just another stupid EU rule that applies to twin headlights after 1996 (could be wrong about the year) in the UK, so I was told, twin headlights before that date are exempt.

I was told the above by a motorcycle instructor, I have no reason to doubt him but I haven't verified if it is fact.
 

Motogiro

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Over here it is an MOT (Ministry of Trasport test every year after three years old to make sure your bike is safe to be on the road) failure to do the twin headlight conversion.

On a UK Fazer site I asked any testers or mechanics to explain why as I have just done mine and wondered why such an obvious safety measure results in an MOT failure.

For the Brits on here- this was the answer

The reflectors are different e.g. one is designed to act as low beam the other high. When you mod them so as both are on at the same time the high beam reflector is doing what it was designed to and will dazzle on coming traffic i.e. an MOT fail.

You can adjust it down but then its a trade off as every mm you go down you loose the high beam effect, even when levelled it will still dazzle slightly this is because of the reflector pattern, the simple thing is to return them to standard at MOT time. On the H4 bulb only the high beam element is used as standard the mod uses the low beam element but because the reflector is designed only for high beam pattern it will still dazzle and most fail the MOT.

The mod is and will always be a trade off and never really solves the problem of poor light this is even worse on the Mk1's which is why I did all the work on HID's some years back, HID will sort it giving you a good light with the standard one lamp/reflector for high/low beam on both MK1/2's.

On the MK1's the real problem is crap reflector design just one of the areas cut to get the bike within a budget. Strangely enough on the Jap market only 400 version which has the SAME firing and running gear as the 600 both lights are on at the same time, both fitted with H4 and work well but that version has cheaper brakes theres the budget cutting in.

These 400 import lens units are like rocking horse **** in the UK, Yam sorted this on the Mk1 face lift 02 or shark eye fairing models.

When bike manufacturers design the bikes I would imagine the fixed reflectors would have to be designed to meet requirement in that country which would of course change if you drive on the left or right side of the road. Either way, if you modify the headlamp as in the popular FZ6 headlamp modifications, the low beam filament must be turned off when the high beam is activated or there will be multiple issues with regard to aiming the light and then electrical usage as well as possible lamp and socket overheating and failure. Of course there is a head light mod that is a very simple mod but it eliminates the high beam all together. That's personally not an option as I would imagine.
I'm wondering if the countries that drive on left side of the road have different headlight set-ups.

Sitting on the FZ6 (US. faired OEM version) the right hand eye is not illluminated until the high beam is applied. Is it the same in the UK or AUS.?
 
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Martingkenny

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Hi guys hoping someone can help me out here.
I purchased a year 2000 Fazer 600 a couple of weeks ago only to discover last night that the lights aren't great at all on her.
I've heard there is a twin headlight mod that can be done but I don't seem to be able to find the correct thread anywhere online as the links I've tried no longer exist.
Could someone direct me to the correct link please.
Thanks in advance.
 

TownsendsFJR1300

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Here's the original thread from the original member re the BD43 Mod:

 

Motogiro

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Hi guys hoping someone can help me out here.
I purchased a year 2000 Fazer 600 a couple of weeks ago only to discover last night that the lights aren't great at all on her.
I've heard there is a twin headlight mod that can be done but I don't seem to be able to find the correct thread anywhere online as the links I've tried no longer exist.
Could someone direct me to the correct link please.
Thanks in advance.
Is the Fazer 600 the same headlamp setup as the FZ6?
 

Martingkenny

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Is the Fazer 600 the same headlamp setup as the FZ6?
No the lamps are slightly different.

I got it sorted today thanks to some advice from a fellow rider, traced a green wire from the light switch on the bars to a connector in a wiring box under the left hand side of the fuel tank.
On the other side of the connector the connecting wire that connects to the top pin of the H4 bulbs was missing.

Once I connected that up I had twin lights....happydays.
I have better vision that I originally had but I think I going to go for the xenon kit retrofitlabs.com sell as they're highly rated.
A bit pricey but at least you'll be getting decent quality lights with everything included and are proven to work.

Thanks again.
 
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