" Brakelight switch is down behind the rear brake pedal. "
____ That's just as stock, and the same as all stock n-c models.
" Haven't yet tried night riding, but offhand IO'd say the headlight is useless below 3000 rpm. "
____ It would be nice if all of us who have a narrow-case Mk3 or Motocross model (which use the 40-watt alt), would give their opinion on how high the RPM has to be in order for the headlight to make sufficient light after dark, (which can be judged without actually riding).
____ That the head-light on these models -(the ones with the '40-watt' set-up) are so dim at under 3000-RPM and yet quickly brightens at quite a considerable rate as revs climb toward 4000-RPM and then get only slightly brighter (at a very reduced rate) as the revs climb toward 8000-rpm, has to do with more than just the fact that the alternator makes more power as it spins faster ! ...
Because the load (on the alternator) itself also changes in a reverse manor as the light gets brighter ! _ This is because the wire-filament in the old standard type light-bulb is almost like a short-circuit when it's cold, and likewise, a cooler filament has less resistance than when it's hotter ! _ As a light-filament gets warmed-up from passing electrical-current, it's resistance then increases and there's thus less load on the alternator, (as there's less draw on it's output by the hotter filament) ! _ Which in turn lets the alternator's increasing-power build-up more voltage, (at an even faster rate) than there would otherwise be if the filament's resistance stayed the same as when cold !
So, as the filament warms-up & gets hotter, it's resistance builds-up more & more and thus it gets relatively easier & easier for the alternator to run the light !
And this extra circumstance would of course still be the same situation even if the alternator's output didn't get stronger as it's revs climb !
__ Now while that included effect contributes to the lights being dim at lower RPM (when the alt doesn't make enough power to substantially heat-up the filament fully), with such heated-filament type light-bulbs,, another (new) type of light-source is completely devoid of that extra disadvantage! ...
The newer type 'LED' lights don't need to heat-up in order to then consume less power, (compared to filament-type lights) LEDs instantly consume all the power that they can as soon as proper power is applied to them. _ And on top of that, not only do they not draw & waste extra power before making full light-output, the new LED-type lights don't even consume anywhere near the same amount of power that a fully lit filament-light does... Not even close! _ I understand that a model of LED light-bulb that makes enough light to be useful as a head-light, still draws less power than a filament-type taillight-bulb !
__ So I'm thinking that these new LED-type lights could be very useful for those DUKE-models which use varying AC-power for running their head-light.
Now for any others of us who already realize that not only are LED-lights meant to work with DC and that, (unlike filament-type lights), they also NEED to be connected-up with respect to proper polarity,, ya may wonder how these LED-bulbs could possibly work with 'AC' type power (as used by n-c SCR & Mk3-models)!? ...
Well I'm thinking that ya could use two such bulbs, wired-up either in series (butt to butt), or parallel (in a '69' arrangement), to get full use of the AC type power made by these DUKE-models.
__ Unfortunately, while I'm sure that LED-lights can handle LESS voltage than they're rated for, I don't know how they would cope with much higher voltages than they're meant to work with. _ And since LEDs don't pass much current/amperage at all, the alternator's output-voltage would build very much faster, and thus certainly expose the LEDs to excessive voltage.
So I suppose a voltage-regulator would be needed. _ But guess what!? ... A filament-type bulb, (perhaps wired in series, or parallel) could do that job ! _ So instead of using a LED light in-place of the old std.bulb, ya could just ADD a LED-light to your head-light. _ That would be pretty-much like getting FREE additional lighting !
____ Does anyone else care to try using LED-type lights for their DUKE headlight? _ If so, then check-out the pic I've added (below) of a possible candidate for the job. _ Here follows a link to where I got that pic.....
http://www.sourcingmap.com/white-smd-le ... 42018.html DUKE-Cheers,
-Bob
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