FE650e Headlight Questions

Well, as most of you may already know, the headlight is only connected to the 35 watt low beam filament. I'm also sure most have heard of what the KTM guys have been doing....which is to simply switch the connector lead from the 35 watt low beam leg to the 55 watt high beam leg, for almost double the light output. The easily forseeable problem with this mod is that the simple lighting coil powering the electrical/battery charging system may easily overheat, shortening it's life substantially.

Does anybody have any long term feedback on this high wattage route?

How about an aftermarket HID unit? Sure they may be a little costly, but they only use 35 watts to produce roughly 5 times the light output that the 55 watt HIGH BEAM filament will produce! And it would still probably be MUCH CHEAPER than a new lighting coil.....8O 8O 8O

An HID unit would certainly allow us to have our cake and eat it too! A LOT more light output with a whiter, easier to see with beam.....and all using only the original 35 watts....without taxing the original design of the charging/electrical system either. Anybody know of an available kit??? :?: :?: :?:

So does anybody know what the true wattage that is going to the battery from the charging coil (NOT the lighting coil....it's pure AC on an 05 FE650e)???

If there is enough wattage to power one 35 watt HID, it should not be a problem to wire that HID directly to the battery by a simple switch (another duplicate of the stock switch). There is certainly enough power in the batt to ignite one HID unit....just as long as there is anything substantially past 35 watts to put even a small charge back into the batt.

Then, you could use the existing AC lighting coil (which now powers the stock 35/55 watt halogen headlight) to power an auxillary H1 bulb in the lower left corner of the stock headlight using another switch mounted on the left side opposite the stock headlight switch.

....AND, I just located a KTM all GLASS duplicate of the Berg's plastic headlight that comes with the proper H1 bulb in that lower left corner. An HID can't melt this unit!

So, possibly use the batt to power one HID (depending on leftover charging current)....and use the lighting coil to run the H1 as an auxillary light source (maybe not both at the same time though). I ordered another stock switch that I will mount on the left side....it'll look totally factory.

mikst.
The auxillry H1 bulb would only be used in the event of the HID failing....not in conjunction with the HID at the same time (you would indeed never see it).

As to the Nucon HID site, their ballast units are certainly smaller than anything here in the USA for a full 35 watts. Do you know of any company selling them in the USA at this time?

husabutt,
That's a real nice HID setup, but I doubt our Bergs will have enough wattage to power both bulbs. I guess they might offer stator rewinding for the Berg. Or....maybe they might just have some "bolt on" charging system improvements.