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Post by dhull on May 5, 2013 17:50:24 GMT -6
[replyingto=wheezy]wheezy[/replyingto]I posted this on the new forum but there doesn't seem to be anyone there so I'll try it here.
The new battery is in and I've switched the LED headlights with 50/50 Xenons and the LED driving lights with Sylvania Silverstars. I checked the voltage at the terminals and it leveled off on about 16.5 at idle. I'm switching the Stop/Tail Lights to Sylvania Silverstars also because the LEDs are beautiful, but there is an almost imperceptible difference in brightness when I hit the brakes and I'd rather not be rear-ended.
Does this sound like the Regulator/Rectifier has gone bad? Is there a way to check it?
Part 2:
Okay, I replaced the LED stop and tail lights with Silverstars. At idle, the volts measured 12.6 across the battery terminals. I held the throttle at about 2500-3000 RPM and the voltage measured a little over 15. Is this safe or am I overcharging the new battery?
If I need to order a new R/R I'd like to do it ASAP. Yesterday and today have been 80 degrees and it's killing me to leave my bike in the garage.
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Post by dhull on Apr 10, 2013 7:10:02 GMT -6
The saga continues...
I replaced my burned-out one-week-old Xenon bulbs (which I loved, but can't afford to keep replacing) with LEDs. At the same time I replaced the driving lights, front and rear turn signals and brake lights with LEDs also.
The headlights aren't nearly as bright as even the stock bulbs, but I ride on well lit streets, so my main goal is to be visible to oncoming traffic and these do the job.
Of course that couldn't be the end of the story.
The new LED headlights have one brightness setting. Bright/dim switch doesn't change anything. Same thing with the brake lights. When I hit the brakes, they might get a tiny bit brighter, but not noticeable.
Here's the big problem, though. The other day after riding about 25 minutes, I started getting a strong sulfur smell. It was so strong that it got overwhelming when I would stop and sit at a traffic light. I rode again yesterday and got the same smell after about 25 minutes of riding.
I stopped at the bank and when i came out, the bike didn't have enough battery power to crank at all. I opened the seat, unscrewed the battery cover and it was all wet on the underside from the battery acid, which had been spitting out the little vent holes. I touched the battery and it was HOT. There was steam coming out of the vent holes. I jump-started the bike a couple of ours later and it continued to idle after I disconnected the jumper cables, but just sputtered when I turned the throttle.
I loaded up the bike, hauled it home and hooked up the battery charger to see if it would take any juice. Checked it this morning and no dice. Battery is shot.
Here are the questions:
Is there something else I need to do regarding the LED headlights and brake lights to make them work properly?
Any ideas why the battery would overheat and what can i do to prevent it? Could it be related to the same thing that caused the Xenon bulbs to blow?
Is there a better battery than the standard type that I've bought at Wal-Mart in the past?
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Post by dhull on Mar 8, 2013 13:03:44 GMT -6
I may have spoken to soon.... Since putting the new headlights in, I've only been able to ride a handful of times because of bad weather. Yesterday morning, about halfway into my ride to work (12 miles), my low-beams went out completely. I flipped the switch to High-Beams and kept going.
This morning, I was two miles into the commute and the high-beams died too. I looked at them when I got to work and the left bulb looks like an old fashioned flash-cube that has been used. the glass inside is smoke black. The right bulb doesn't look like anything is wrong, but neither one works, so I'm back to the drawing board.
Is there an easy LED conversion for headlights?
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Post by dhull on Feb 8, 2013 10:16:30 GMT -6
Due to the cost, I'll be doing this a piece at a time. I got the headlights in yesterday and installed them last night. Unbelievable difference!
The drive in to work this morning was awesome. Aside from blasting the road with an incredibly bright light, there was plenty of ambient side light that made the road signs glow like I've never seen before.
I'm surprised that I didn't get bright-light flashed by oncoming cars. Cant wait to get the other lights now!
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Post by dhull on Feb 4, 2013 11:50:41 GMT -6
Excellent! Thank you so much!
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Post by dhull on Feb 4, 2013 10:24:41 GMT -6
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Post by dhull on Feb 4, 2013 7:36:06 GMT -6
On the way in to work this morning, I found that my bright headlights on my 2008 Cyprus 250 54B are both out, so it's time to replace them. I regularly ride early in the morning when it is dark, so brightness is crucial for maximum visibility.
I figure that while I have the cowl off I will go ahead and replace all the lights there.
I'm not confident in my capabilities to do all the changes needed to convert to LEDs. Does anyone have a recommendation for the brightest possible headlight that I can buy without requiring a change to the electrical system (Xenon or Sylvania Silverstar, etc.)?
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Post by dhull on Nov 29, 2012 12:52:31 GMT -6
I have a 2008 Cyprus (Linhai motor) with about 9,500 miles on it that has started to develop quirk with its headlights. The headlights' brightness will greatly vary in intensity for no apparent reason.
They sometimes come on brightly when the bike is started and then go dim, or they sometimes start out dim and brighten up. The speed of the engine does NOT affect the brightness of the lights (i.e., they don't get brighter when the engine revs up).
This happens when the battery is fully charged and when it is not.
The brightness of the headlights is mirrored by the brightness of the blue indicator light on the dash. If the headlights are dim, the indicator light is dim. If the headlights are bright, the indicator light is bright.
None of the other dashboard lights change in brightness at all.
They get so dim that it becomes unsafe to drive at night because other vehicles can't see me coming.
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Post by dhull on Sept 27, 2012 8:40:19 GMT -6
I took off the dash and all the wires look like you have described them. They all look like they are tight in their connectors.
Is there a way to check that the brake switches are good, so I can eliminate the wires being the problem.
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Post by dhull on Sept 15, 2012 8:28:36 GMT -6
I took off the handlebar covers and dropped the front plastics down to get to those wires. I found a green/yellow wire that had gotten disconnected. I think I found where it was supposed to go, so I pushed it into the connector, turned on the key and got dash lights but no starter and no brake lights still. Here are a couple of wire photos, along with the engine tag and a shot of the bike disassembled for identification purposes.  The wires behind the nose as I found it (with the green/yellow disconnected).  A close up of the wires with the disconnected wire and the place where I think it goes circled.   My 250 in its disassembled state (with my Jonway 150 behind it) |
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Post by dhull on Sept 13, 2012 5:45:35 GMT -6
I'll take the headlight cowling off this afternoon. When I was checking the thumb starter switch, it is quite possible that I loosened the brake lights connection there.
I'd love to get away from using the remote to start up Big Red but for almost a year that's been my only option since I couldn't get a response from the starter using the thumb switch.
I'll take a few photos without the plastics if that will help you identify it. It's a 2008 that I bought used from a guy about 5000 miles/18 months ago.
Are there any guides on removing/reinstalling the patchwork of plastics on these bikes?
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Post by dhull on Sept 11, 2012 19:57:00 GMT -6
I'm the same guy you're talking to over on scooterdoc, so to keep you from answering everything twice, I'll just keep our discussion going over there.
ScooterProfessor was recommended to me by another user, so I figured I'd double my chances with another line in the water.
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Post by dhull on Sept 11, 2012 18:05:48 GMT -6
I've unplugged and plugged the harness into the solenoid several times. The fuse looked good but I replaced it also just in case.
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Post by dhull on Sept 11, 2012 16:59:31 GMT -6
That is correct. No lights from either brake lever and no starter.
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Post by dhull on Sept 11, 2012 11:15:35 GMT -6
With key on, the following items DO work:
Fuel gauge
Instrument lights
Clock
Horn
Front marker lights (NOT headlight)
Front and rear turn signals (NOT brake lights)
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