Author Topic: 'orrible 'eadlamp!!!  (Read 2797 times)

Offline TrickyMicky

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'orrible 'eadlamp!!!
« on: September 10, 2020, 11:48:00 AM »
Last week I ventured out in the evening, which meant returning home in the dark on unlit and unknown twisty country lanes. This was my first night-time outing for many years on the bike, and it brought home how bad the standard front candle is. I was therefore wondering if anybody had been clever/daft enough to fit a light unit similar to the attached(hopefully) photo.

Offline Erny

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Re: 'orrible 'eadlamp!!!
« Reply #1 on: September 10, 2020, 12:01:07 PM »
my 2 cents:
If you have stock bike, just install good H4 headlight insert with high quality bulb (for example Philips H4 X-tremeVision Moto).
One I used in my CB550K : https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B000VU7C1Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm very happy with it

Note - did you check voltage on your headlamp terminals? Corroded wiring looms/contacts can cause big voltage drop, resulting into low intensity of light too!
My real experience - on my 550K I measure just above 10V while on battery I had >13V.
« Last Edit: September 10, 2020, 12:03:54 PM by Erny »
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Offline florence

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Re: 'orrible 'eadlamp!!!
« Reply #2 on: September 10, 2020, 12:06:19 PM »
ride more slowly at night, it doesn't matter how good your lights are if deer are going to jump out of the hedge or a badger comes dashing accross the road  :D

Offline bobv7

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Re: 'orrible 'eadlamp!!!
« Reply #3 on: September 10, 2020, 12:21:34 PM »
Back in the day the next item that swiftly followed the original tyres into the cut was the headlamp unit to be replaced by a Cibie one. At least I could see it was a badger I was about to hit!

Offline K2-K6

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Re: 'orrible 'eadlamp!!!
« Reply #4 on: September 10, 2020, 02:18:58 PM »
There's only one way to find out!  ;D

On a more serious note,  I've got the price at about 34 quid which if you consider that an ok risk to find out it could be worth a look. 

Be worth doing a before and after picture of the beam pattern pointed at a white wall so we can all see how it works.

The attatched description on selling site is mostly pure bolleuxe (excuse my French  ;D) so you have to make what you will of the product.

Offline Athame57

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Re: 'orrible 'eadlamp!!!
« Reply #5 on: September 10, 2020, 02:28:26 PM »
Back in the day the next item that swiftly followed the original tyres into the cut was the headlamp unit to be replaced by a Cibie one. At least I could see it was a badger I was about to hit!
Does it matter what animal it is? I brake for animals and it is even on my avatar!  ;D ;D ;D ;D
« Last Edit: September 10, 2020, 02:33:22 PM by Athame57 »
I brake for animals!
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Offline TrickyMicky

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Re: 'orrible 'eadlamp!!!
« Reply #6 on: September 10, 2020, 07:24:52 PM »
ride more slowly at night, it doesn't matter how good your lights are if deer are going to jump out of the hedge or a badger comes dashing accross the road  :D
On an unlit, unknown country lane, with 35 watts and the occasional LED equipped vehicle coming in the other direction, how bleedin' fast do you imagine I was going? Let's keep the responses sensible eh?

Offline TrickyMicky

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Re: 'orrible 'eadlamp!!!
« Reply #7 on: September 10, 2020, 07:31:21 PM »
my 2 cents:
If you have stock bike, just install good H4 headlight insert with high quality bulb (for example Philips H4 X-tremeVision Moto).
One I used in my CB550K : https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B000VU7C1Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm very happy with it

Note - did you check voltage on your headlamp terminals? Corroded wiring looms/contacts can cause big voltage drop, resulting into low intensity of light too!
My real experience - on my 550K I measure just above 10V while on battery I had >13V.
 A valid answer if you have a 7" headlamp, the 400 can only muster a 6 1/2" version coupled with a fairly low electrical output. Many, many years ago, when I was the proud owner of a 750K2 I did indeed install a Hella unit with an H4 bulb. Marvellous! But after I had burnt out the headlight flasher button, the fitting of a relay was the order of the day, hence the decision to look at the LED route.

Offline mike the bike

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Re: 'orrible 'eadlamp!!!
« Reply #8 on: September 10, 2020, 07:45:21 PM »
I fitted a superdream headlamp.   It's more or less a straight swap and it doesn't look any different.   The brighter light means no more guessing where the road is.
Where's that 10mm socket got to?

Offline Bryanj

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Re: 'orrible 'eadlamp!!!
« Reply #9 on: September 10, 2020, 09:13:49 PM »
Being a 400 makes it more difficult as the reflector is a smaller size, cibie used to do a special unit for it but havent seen one for a long time

Offline K2-K6

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Re: 'orrible 'eadlamp!!!
« Reply #10 on: September 10, 2020, 09:37:12 PM »
Being a 400 makes it more difficult as the reflector is a smaller size, cibie used to do a special unit for it but havent seen one for a long time

Cibié unit, I believe, was a "Bi Oscar" unit that you may be able to get as a reproduction design from rally car suppliers. 

Essentially it was made to circumvent weird lighting regulations in international rallying competition that limited the number of lights that could  be flitted. It comprised of a long range spot beam used as "main" and combined it with a tight cut and flat "fog" pattern that was pretty effective in use as "dipped" pattern when used on bikes.

Oscars are the small lamps,  Super Oscar are the larger ones that would classically be seen on a rally Escort in period.

Offline K2-K6

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Re: 'orrible 'eadlamp!!!
« Reply #11 on: September 10, 2020, 09:59:51 PM »
https://www.ebay.co.uk/c/1773230353

This link appears to be a modern production of the cibié used (now owned by Valeo) but would need verification as the concave lens can't be seen in the photo.

The 400 kit came with adapter ring as I recall but could be cut out of a stainless sheet to replicate I guess.

Would give that period mod look to the 400 though  :)

Offline dave400

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Re: 'orrible 'eadlamp!!!
« Reply #12 on: September 11, 2020, 01:19:55 AM »
https://www.ebay.co.uk/c/1773230353

This link appears to be a modern production of the cibié used (now owned by Valeo) but would need verification as the concave lens can't be seen in the photo.

The 400 kit came with adapter ring as I recall but could be cut out of a stainless sheet to replicate I guess.

Would give that period mod look to the 400 though  :)


I’ve made this mod to my 400 using the original headlight shell but you need more than just the ring to make up the size difference........cheers

Offline Skoti

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Re: 'orrible 'eadlamp!!!
« Reply #13 on: September 11, 2020, 08:05:12 AM »
The post from Erny near the beginning of this thread offers good advice.

I never drive at night but found myself plunged into darkness during a trip to Italy when riding through unlit mountain tunnels with the original crap Honda headlight.

You can rectify this by doing what Erny done plus fitting a couple of relay units for dip and main beam, then you will have an acceptable headlight beam and also keep the original appearance if you fit the R012 type halogen bulb to the original head light.

Not sure if the CB400 Four uses P45t type headlamp bulb though?

For my F1 the halogen bulb R012 was a direct replacement for the original tungsten P45t bulb with no adaptor plate required.


 

good luck

Skoti 
« Last Edit: September 11, 2020, 02:01:04 PM by Skoti »
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Offline McCabe-Thiele (Ted)

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Re: 'orrible 'eadlamp!!!
« Reply #14 on: September 11, 2020, 02:59:04 PM »
Cibie went for the concave headlamp glass back in the 1960's I went for the alternative Carello Pajods they had a parabolic reflectors with a good dip cut off like Cibie. So they would fit in a standard British Lucas headlamp bowl the lenz was a sort of of bulge eyed convex lens.
It looked as if the lens was a good inch deeper so they really stuck out - they were incredibly expensive cost me £40 for the pair - at trade prices this was when a sealed beam unit could be bought for about £1.50s.  Sadly no longer made.
« Last Edit: September 11, 2020, 03:16:56 PM by Macabethiele »
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