A forum for owners of Yamaha TTR250 trail and enduro bikes!

94Garry · Veteran Member

Dim headlight

JOHNYBOY · Super Guru

relays will not brighten your headlight they are only used for switching currant

94Garry · Veteran Member

A headlamp relay will brighten the lamp, google it, provides a better current draw.

devon_rich · Senior Member

I guess the thinking is, if there is a high resistance through the switch etc which can lead to voltage drop then using a relay with the existing bulb supply to provide the power to the coil side of the relay and positive to one side and bulb to the other side of the switch is a less restrictive path. The same can be said for upgraded (higher wattage) bulbs where the existing cable is too small and would provide both voltage drop and over heating.
Any 12v headlight relay should do the job if the switching curent is sufficient

mossproof · Super Guru

You are correct Devon Rich! It's an old classic bike trick to improve the voltage at the bulb. I have used 2 relays - 30A Hella 4-terminal ones, which allow me to switch the headlight off altogether: Bring power up in a nice thick 2 core cable from the battery to somewhere behind the headlight (with an in-line waterproof fuse holder tucked in next to the rear shock reservoir) and attach red to both relays - terminal 30. This provides good power source and good earth. Terminal 87 from both relays goes one to bulb dipped and one to main beam terminals. Use the existing wire that went to the bulb as the switching current that turns the relay on/off - terminal 85. Terminal 86 goes to earth (black). Don't forget the 3rd terminal on the bulb has to go through the nice new thick black wire to negative on the battery or the effect won't be maximised. If you intercept the power going to the switch and put in a Totally TTRs on/off switch, you then have light off/dip beam/main beam options. If you want the tail light to switch off too, you need to cut into the loom way back near the carb. There's a thread somewhere here about it.
If you don't want to switch the lights off altogether, you can get away with just 1 relay - a 5 terminal type. Power it direct as before. Can't remember the terminal numbers, but basically, use the "normally closed" position to power the dipped beam. The old dipped beam wire can be safely terminated/isolated as it is redundant. The old main beam wire is then used to switch the relay, sending power to the main beam side of the bulb.
Sorry that's a bit garbled - no idea how to draw a circuit diagram/schematic on computer, but if you read it slowly it makes sense.

www.ttr250.activeboard.com/t52562744/baja-designs-headlamp-unit/

Is this the post you were looking for? Here's the headlight on/off switch thread, from Modifications stickys section:

www.ttr250.activeboard.com/t53061334/fitting-an-onoff-switch-for-lighting-components/

Good luck,
Simon.

-- Edited by mossproof on Saturday 20th of August 2016 10:56:18 PM

ttboof · Super Guru

Im an auto elec by trade

your problem is its a 35 watt bulb which has its limitations, a relay will help with higher current draw but doubt it would help in your case

im a fan of led lights i run an 18w h4 in mine which is great but havent looked for one to fit your light in my case i have great light out put even though its down from the original 55w

when going down the led or hid track the light pattern for oncomming traffic isntbthe best

other option is add an led light bar on high beam

mossproof · Super Guru

Les I think the OP has a Raid headlight now, or may have fitted the Bluey lamp modified to fit an H4 type bulb, as he mentioned in a post a little while back.
I would love a decent led replacement bulb, but my Baja Designs lamp works pretty well, and the beam cutoff is an issue for me as I hate being blinded by oncoming folk with mains on or badly adjusted dips. Do unto others...
Cheers,
Simon.

94Garry · Veteran Member

I have a raid headlight fitted to my OE, 55/60w headlight in it, ive ordered relays and will let you know the outcome when i have them fitted.

94Garry · Veteran Member

mossproof wrote:
Les I think the OP has a Raid headlight now, or may have fitted the Bluey lamp modified to fit an H4 type bulb, as he mentioned in a post a little while back.
I would love a decent led replacement bulb, but my Baja Designs lamp works pretty well, and the beam cutoff is an issue for me as I hate being blinded by oncoming folk with mains on or badly adjusted dips. Do unto others...
Cheers,
Simon.

I also have a glass headlamp from a bluey mounted in the original OE lamp surround, my end plan is to modify it to take a H4 bulb, i may ditch the raid headlight and bracket in favour of the original look one with a headlight guard, the raid lamp is a massive target for when me and the mates are on forestry roads.

pricey · Senior Member

If you're going to go to the effort of modding it to put an H4 globe into, go all the way and put one of these in: http://www.cyclopsadventuresports.com/3800-Lumen-H4-LED-Headlight-bulb-_p_83.html I have read some really good reviews on this globe. It's only about 4 or 5 times brighter than std biggrin And the 3800 globe has a distinct cut off. The 3600 globe they sell for dirt bikes doesn't. If you have to, it wouldn't be hard to take it out to get your MOT and then put it back in.

I have ordered one and its on it's way to Oz. I'll report back and let you know if its any good.

mossproof · Super Guru

Can you take some before and after pictures with the bike pointing at a wall so we can see the cut-offs please?

pricey · Senior Member

Will do. Should be here next week.