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Offline Biggles1957

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AT LAST!!
« on: 01 May 2021 at 12:06 »
At long last I have just this morning taken delivery of my 1957 Dragonfly.  Not yet done anything with it apart from to get it tucked up n ice and snug in the shed I built specially for it!  Dead chuffed!  It's a lovely bike and I'm looking forwards to going for a trundle.  The chap said the lights were pretty useless and although I haven't actually investigated yet it looks like it has a halogen bulb in the headlight - peering through the glass it looks like an H4!  I don't know if these are available in 6 volt versions?  The little pilot light barely glows (although the engine wasn't running when he showed me) so I think this will be my first furkle session - not that I intend riding in the dark but...
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Offline EW-Ron

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Re: AT LAST!!
« Reply #1 on: 02 May 2021 at 03:32 »
Someone does supply halogen bulbs in 6v varieties.
You'd want to check that it is 6v - if you have a 6v battery.

And that its not a 12v version with a 6v battery !
Now that could be a bit dim.

You'd also want to check the wattage.
No point having the full 60w variety if your electrics can only generate say 40w.
On a long night ride, the glow might become less and less !
Your ammeter (?) would tell you ...

Also worth checking the tail light globes. 12v is all too prevalent these days,
not ideal if its still a 6v system ...
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Offline DJS

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Re: AT LAST!!
« Reply #2 on: 02 May 2021 at 07:48 »
Quote from: Biggles1957 on 01 May 2021 at 12:06
At long last I have just this morning taken delivery of my 1957 Dragonfly.  Not yet done anything with it apart from to get it tucked up n ice and snug in the shed I built specially for it!  Dead chuffed!  It's a lovely bike and I'm looking forwards to going for a trundle.  The chap said the lights were pretty useless and although I haven't actually investigated yet it looks like it has a halogen bulb in the headlight - peering through the glass it looks like an H4!  I don't know if these are available in 6 volt versions?  The little pilot light barely glows (although the engine wasn't running when he showed me) so I think this will be my first furkle session - not that I intend riding in the dark but...

Congratulations on your new arrival Biggles!

I hope that you have many happy and trouble-free miles of riding.

All the best,

David
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Offline patrickwhitty

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Re: AT LAST!!
« Reply #3 on: 02 May 2021 at 08:20 »
Congratulations. I would advise taking it out of its shed and taking it for a run. I run my Dragonfly on 6v. I have a 6v 35/35w halogen headlamp bulb (Classic Bike Shop) and a 6v20w halogen pilot light (Paul Goff). They are not going to blind anyone and I wouldn't intentionally set off on a night time ride but they are fine to get home if it gets dark while I'm out. At Dragonfly speeds the light is OK, the main problem is oncoming headlights which, when your eyes are adjusted to the 6v glimmer, are rather blinding. The pilot light is actually quite good and I have used it when the headlamp bulb wasn't working. It needs a new bulb holder assembly.
I have an LED BA9 bulb for the speedometer which gives a good light.
The tail/ stop is also LED but I have never been really happy with it. The stop is bright, the tail is bright but with the tail light on the brake light doesn't really show up. But the brake light always live. If it remains on when I leave the bike, which has happened a few times, the LED doesn't drain the battery. And the answer to that is a battery isolation switch, and that is the next thing to attend to.
Patrick
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Offline Vitesse

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Re: AT LAST!!
« Reply #4 on: 02 May 2021 at 14:47 »
My Mk4 is similar.  I don't ride it in the dark (I have other bikes for practical riding!) and always carry some bicycle LED lights in my tank bag just in case!
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Offline Black Sheep

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Re: AT LAST!!
« Reply #5 on: 02 May 2021 at 14:50 »
Something wrong with your tail light wiring I think. My bikes all have LED stop/tails and they work as they should but are considerably brighter than the old incandescent bulbs. One thing I like at night is seeing in my mirror road signs glowing red from my LED tail light. They are that good. Paul Goff now stocks some much improved LED headlight bulbs though I haven't tried one yet. The First generation were awful - lit up everything except the bit of road you were trying to see. 
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