Good to know. I should have the harnesses made up within a 2 weeks and will have a kit for sale in that price range.

 

I replaced my passing lamps with some quartz units from CCI (#15085) and the stock H4 headlight bulb with a 100/80w unit. This made a big difference, but there is one caveat: At first I had trouble with the low-beam circuit overloading the 15A breaker when the passing lamps were working. I fixed it by installing a relay, effectively bypassing the passing-lamp circuit from the lighting circuit breaker. I was adding about 5A to the low-beam circuit by making these changes, but only about 3A to the high-beam, which was no problem. Newer bikes may be able to handle the extra load on the lighting breaker without a mod, but I don't know.

Basically, the switching circuit for the relay runs from the low-beams thru the right nacelle switch (RK) and to the relay under the left side cover. The power is drawn directly from the battery and I installed a 10A fuse between the battery and the relay. That power goes directly to the passing lamps when the relay is activated. This has worked fine since 1998, at least until the switching wire from the low-beam cirucit broke continuity and I had to troubleshoot and replace it, not an easy proposition since I had not drawn out a diagram of my relay rig and I had to figure what I had done eight years ago. The relay is a standard automotive unit you can buy in any auto-parts store for a pittance. If anyone's interested I could draw it up and email it.

 

Yeah. Folks need to be less concerned about watts and more concerned about how well the road (and roadside!) is illuminated in the darkness. Lumens is the measure of light output. Watts is a measure of the bulb's power draw. (watts=volts x amps) Don't exceed the capacity of your wiring harness! Changing a fuse anytime can suck. Changing a fuse at night can REALLY suck!

Dispersal of the visible energy created within the element is the job of the reflector(s) and lens design. Aviation 'spot' lamps are great for aviation because they can be seen for many miles when the the plane is aloft. That type of 'focused spot' pattern isn't ideal as a headlamp for ANYTHING that travels on the ground. The need to see the left and right sides of the roadway as well as directly ahead demands that the majority of visible energy be dispersed forward with light spilling to the left and right.

Aim your passing lights (and other lamps) based on your riding style and the types of roads you use at night. Most importantly, don't overdrive your lighting distance. Adjust your speed based on how far ahead of yourself you can see.

Be safe out there!

 

I resurected this thread by using the search button and after thoroughly reading all of the posts I understand what is being explained but I'm still confronted with my original dilema. Let me explain;
I have a Silverstar H4ST bulb in my headlight and have the stock 27W halogen bulbs in my passing lamps. Naturally there is a difference in color between the headlight and the passing lamps with the headlamp appearing whiter. I am trying to become more visable in daylight and am not concerned about night riding. After reading all the info on this thread I'm not sure if I will be more visable in daylight with the yellowish looking stock passing lamp bulbs or should I go with the whiter Silverstars? I'm kinda thinking the stock bulbs will be more visible to traffic during the daylight hours.
Does anyone know the answer to this question?

 

One HID lamp in the front will do exactly that. That's all I hear from my buddies when I'm riding behind them is how much my headlamp stands out as soon as they look in their rear view. It's so much brighter and visible, even in dayligt. For the cost of 3 silverstars, you can buy an HID lamp for the hi/lo...well, maybe a few bucks more anyways but not much.

 

The headlight replacement bulb is a H4... Now, on to passing lamps. What is the bulb number I need toreplace the passing lamps with Silverstars on a 2005or later Road King?

I don't want any high-end, extra wire/relay required, extreme wattage bulbs... Just the stock replacements... Any ideas?

Thanks
Edmo

 

https://www.hdforums.com/m_1289667/tm.htm

Posted here a few minutes ago!

 

P=IE

Or...Power (watts) is equal to I (current) times E (voltage). You know the voltage is 12 volts (most of our bikes are 12 volt systems). You know the wattage of the bulb (usually on the base). Simple math to figure what the current will be (amperage).

I know this is basic, but I wanted to see if I could get it right after drinkin' Jack all day watching the 500.

Respect to all....

Better to walk in on both of your parents than just one of them!

 

I used a 9003 from Advanced Auto for my headlight. I have not found one for my passing lamps yet. The numbers are not the same as the HD numbers

 

I = P/E

I - Amperage
P - Watts
E - Voltage

So a couple of examples are as follows...

27w lamp draws 2.25 amps
55w lamp draws roughly 4.6 amps

and of course this is per lamp.

Hope this is more understandable now.



Matt