My FZ6 Mod

[DaFlea]

Hello everyone...

I was looking to get some feed back from fellow owners of FZ6 bikes concerning the single low beam headlight design Yamaha uses.

It seems that there is a lot of chatter about modding the design to allow for better lighting. however I never made this mod however I feel that if I had done so it may have prevented the following

Lucky I managed to survive this but it almost killed me to find out the age old tell the other driver did not see me when he turn into my lane of traffic.

Please provide any feedback because I am interested in what the community has to say concerning this. I have read a lot of information stating running both light would mess up the bikes charging system, void the warranty, etc.

Down to it had something to do with a study stating that one light was safer than two. it clear that the bike was intended to have both lights by how the harness was designed. Also I know there is a difference between the Europe and US version.

So whats everyone's take concerning this..

Thanks

DaFlea

 

[Rob2222]

Hello,

I don't know what happened, but im happy that your able to post! :thumbup:

I assume you got in an accident with another vehicle that didn't saw you? If that is so, it's a general problem that we riders have and I really don't think that 2 lights would had made a difference.
The only think that you as biker can do, is to _always_ calculate with everything. The safest way to ride is to calculate the worst case, and all the errors the others can make.

Best Regards
Robert

 

[Hellgate]

Ouch! I'm glad you are alive.

What you state is the main reason for changing my bike to dual headlights. I feel that a vehicle coming from the right cannot see you as well due the the lack of a right hand side light.

Do you plan to buy another FZ?

 

[Gosling1]

Glad you survived that one!!!!!!:thumbup:

As for the charging system, I've been running with both lights on for over two years and nrver had a problem with my charging system. On the rare weekends I don't ride, I keep the bike hooked up to a battery tender.

 

[DaFlea]

Ouch! I'm glad you are alive.

What you state is the main reason for changing my bike to dual headlights. I feel that a vehicle coming from the right cannot see you as well due the the lack of a right hand side light.

Do you plan to buy another FZ?

Well I promised my kids I wouldnt buy another bike... Not that I dont want another one. It has taken allmost 18 months to get back to normal as I can get.

 

[DaFlea]

Glad you survived that one!!!!!!:thumbup:

As for the charging system, I've been running with both lights on for over two years and nrver had a problem with my charging system. On the rare weekends I don't ride, I keep the bike hooked up to a battery tender.

Yea it has been mixed results from what I have read. You have had great results I see.

What sucks is the bike only had 600 miles on her... before becomming scrap

 

[Hellgate]

Well I promised my kids I wouldnt buy another bike... Not that I dont want another one. It has taken allmost 18 months to get back to normal as I can get.

Oh I completely understand. It took me 19 years to get back on a bike after I had a big crash. Physically I was fine, but mentally I wasn't ready. You will know when the time is right to begin riding again.

Have you been riding for a long time or are you a new rider?

 

[MisterX]

Dude... glad to hear that you're ok. However, double headlight or no, I would guess that the fool who turned into your lane would have done so either way.

 

[DaFlea]

Oh I completely understand. It took me 19 years to get back on a bike after I had a big crash. Physically I was fine, but mentally I wasn't ready. You will know when the time is right to begin riding again.

Have you been riding for a long time or are you a new rider?

I have ridden off and on since I was a kid so in a way luck has been on my side. This was the first major think to happen to me. It was the kind of stuff you see on reality tv shows.

I guess I will stick with my flying becasue there are no fools in the air..lol

 

[DaFlea]

Dude... glad to hear that you're ok. However, double headlight or no, I would guess that the fool who turned into your lane would have done so either way.

Well I have noticed that some cat eye style bikes are brighter than others on low beam where your round headlight tend to be the brightest.

 

[CanadianFZ6]

Well I have noticed that some cat eye style bikes are brighter than others on low beam where your round headlight tend to be the brightest.

... or they may have a different bulb providing more output or a slightly different colour hue...

 

[Chris]

Damn...! Even the frame snapped.. Glad to hear you're relatively ok!

 

[GConn]

The crash looks nasty...glad to hear you've recovered fully.

I have done the dual headlight myself in May and never had any issue since. I'll probably install the heated grips too today since it's getting colder.

 

[DaFlea]

... or they may have a different bulb providing more output or a slightly different colour hue...

Very true but the lens design that helps guild the light makes a big difference as well..

 

[DaFlea]

Damn...! Even the frame snapped.. Glad to hear you're relatively ok!

Yea that's what caught my leg from under the knee to the top of my foot and ripped me open...

 

[DaFlea]

The crash looks nasty...glad to hear you've recovered fully.

I have done the dual headlight myself in May and never had any issue since. I'll probably install the heated grips too today since it's getting colder.

Can you tell if oncoming cars can see you better, I know that's a hard one but I'm sure it would have to make some kind of a difference. I know everyone notices when your parked that you only have one headlight.

 

[MarinaFazer]

I personally drive with my bright light on since I don't have the dual headlight mod. Instead of the stock bulbs; however, I put in an ultra white silverstar on the lowbeam and a Nokya ultra yellow for the highbeam. It gets lots of comments and people really see it. I just drive with the brights on...even at night.

yes, i'll get flamed for it, but people really do move out of your way when you come up behind lighting em up. I feel way safer.

*note: I turn off my brights behind the popo LOL

 

[Jedi]

The problem is, if the cager didn't see you with one light on he probably wouldn't see you if you had two on. Or even if you were painted dayglow yellow, lit up like a Christmas tree, with a huge hovering neon sign above your head saying "LOOK AT ME" and letting off fireworks. If he had actually looked in your direction before moving over, he would have seen you no matter how many lights you had on. He just didn't check at all before moving over.

Doing the dual light mod is more about giving you more visibility and I guess it could help you be more visible from a distance, but it won't help if the idiot behind the wheel doesn't even bother to look.

He obviously pulled in front of you so close that there was no way he could not have seen you if he had checked first so in this case I don't feel it would have made any difference.

Hope you make a full and total recovery dude, and I hope you nailed the blind idiot to the wall for compensation.

 

[GCguru]

The problem is, if the cager didn't see you with one light on he probably wouldn't see you if you had two on. Or even if you were painted dayglow yellow, lit up like a Christmas tree, with a huge hovering neon sign above your head saying \"LOOK AT ME\" and letting off fireworks. If he had actually looked in your direction before moving over, he would have seen you no matter how many lights you had on. He just didn't check at all before moving over.

Doing the dual light mod is more about giving you more visibility and I guess it could help you be more visible from a distance, but it won't help if the idiot behind the wheel doesn't even bother to look.

He obviously pulled in front of you so close that there was no way he could not have seen you if he had checked first so in this case I don't feel it would have made any difference.

Hope you make a full and total recovery dude, and I hope you nailed the blind idiot to the wall for compensation.

Wise words, I couldnt agree more. We have to be annoyingly defensive just to 'survive' out there. I am so tired of guys/girls getting hurt out there. Stay awake and aware as possible.
Very glad to hear this guy's kids still have a dad to come home to. It often doesnt turn out that way. After half a million miles on a bike, I keep telling myself that this is the risk I am willing to take, but then I think about all the people in my life that would be affected. We can ride with a razor sharp awareness and still be pummeled by drivers allowed to operate a car with near blindness, it just doesnt make sense....

 

[rider1a]

Hello everyone...

I was looking to get some feed back from fellow owners of FZ6 bikes concerning the single low beam headlight design Yamaha uses.

It seems that there is a lot of chatter about modding the design to allow for better lighting. however I never made this mod however I feel that if I had done so it may have prevented the following


So whats everyone's take concerning this..

Thanks

DaFlea

I so sorry to hear about your wreck. Without knowing the details on the accident, perhaps the other light would not have made a difference.

A better option is to have a headlight modulator installed. It is a legal way of having the front lights flash 2 times per second while you are driving. It will make cars turning in front much less likely to do so.

The modulators turn off near dusk automatically since they have a light sensor.