Buell headlight wiring, I need help

[Dom]

Ok, I have the dual buells.  I got them to light individually, meaning that
everything works fine, but both headlights won't turn on at the same time.  OK, so do I need different bulbs?  I think I need the kind that have both high and low in each bulb and just need to connect them the same way as the old lights.

Hmm, so that means that I need to find a hi/lo bulb that fits in the buell housing.  

Answered my own question.

Does anyone know a h4 bulb that will fit?  I'm going to Napa right now to get the little fancy pants parking light so I'll look and let you know if I find anything.

Word of advice, if you just connect the blacks together, the whites together and the yellows together(don't worry about the white/orange) your Hi/Lo button will be reversed.  Have to put the yellow to white and white to yellow.

[Dom]

So, I don't think you can wire buells to go on at the same time.  The hi and lo use the same bulb so it must be that the reflector is different forming the same light into different intensities or angles to create a high and low.  So unless you want to drive around with your brights on all the time, it won't work.

[Jared]

The buell lights are set up as one low and the other is a high beam...(about 98% sure). Ask The Antibody -he's got them on his bike.

[GSRider]

Dom ~ Which dual Buells do you have? Or are they all the same?

I have been wanting to do this conversion as well, so any input would be appreciated. Thanks

[Dom]

They are all the same, as least for the past few years they are.. If you call and order them on your credit card, ask for the headlights for an '04 Lightning.  Good deal at the Buell dealership, around $60, and mine came with bulbs included.  

By design, Buell headlights don't both light up at the same time...one is hi, one is low.  I searched for a bulb that would serve as both a high and low but h7s don't work that way.  The hi and low bulb housing is different.

Mounting isn't too difficult, but making the arms is moderately difficult.  Not too bad.  Wiring is a cinch.  

In this thread I wrote up a step by step on making the brackets:
http://www.gstwins.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7435&start=40


As for the wiring, it's simple.

1)  Buy a box of male and female connectors...some kind that will resist corrosion.

2)  Cut the h4 connector off your bike's existing wiring harness(that's the three-prong female connector that plugs into the back of the headlight bulb).  You will see two yellow wires, two blacks, and one white.

3)  Attach the female connectors to these wires.  Both yellow wires squeeze into one female. Do the same with the blacks.  The white gets it's own.

NOTE:  for any wires that come off the harness, use female connectors.  That keeps any live wires unexposed and if they touch it wont matter, if you used males here you would run the risk of blowing fuses.

On your new headlight there are four wires.  A black, a white, a yellow, and a white wire with an orange stripe.  Don't worry about the white/orange.  It powers a parking light that sits between the bulbs.  I thought it would partially illuminate the hi side while the lo bulb was on but I tried and it's not even noticable.  In other words, not worth your time.

4)  Attach male ends to the black, white, and yellow.

5)  Connect wires, but reverse whites and yellows.  Otherwise the Hi/Lo switch will be reversed.

[GSRider]

Thanks for the step by step how to, Dom    

Is it not possible though to use the original mounting brackets? Or is a custom fabrication completely neccesary?  :dunno:

[Dom]

I explored the possibility of screwing directly into the sides of the headlight, but there is no way to attach a nut.  I guess you could crack open the headlight assembly, it's a snap together type of thing, but it is glued together with silicone caulk.  Then you would need to fabricate some spacers. I just don't know if there is even room inside the headlight between the reflective bowl and the outer housing to attach a nut.