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Bike headlights on a car
Slimy38 - 13/1/13 at 09:56 PM

Can you use a pair of bike headlights on a car? The ones I'm thinking about are the ones where there are two on the bike, like these;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261152727269

Obviously they would get split and mounted in the right place on the car.

I have no idea whether they'd actually look any good, just wondered if they'd pass IVA/MOT. I assume they'd be e marked, but is there a distinction between the e marks for cars and bikes?

maccmike - 13/1/13 at 10:17 PM

I think only one light typically has main beam, that could be a sticking point.
Reckon it'd look good though.

loggyboy - 13/1/13 at 11:03 PM

Google image search seems to reveal 1 is head/ dipped, the other is main.

loggyboy - 13/1/13 at 11:05 PM

Also, you dont need E mark for headlights at MOT/IVA, just the correct beam pattern.

coyoteboy - 14/1/13 at 03:03 AM

I suppose if you could find a UK and an EU model of exactly the same items, then if you could separate all the light units you could make a 4 headlight setup with two main/dips and two full beams.

Expensive!

loggyboy - 14/1/13 at 08:03 AM

I don't think bikes have sided versions as they are effectively central and you don't get LHD & RHD bikes!

Slimy38 - 14/1/13 at 09:28 AM

quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
Also, you dont need E mark for headlights at MOT/IVA, just the correct beam pattern.


Mmm, I think this is the sticky point. I'm not too worried about this particular item being 1 main and 1 dipped, that Ebay item was only an example and I do know of bikes where both lights do both jobs, or can be changed to do so. For example one of the Yamaha's just needs a change to the wiring and a swapped bulb to make it a dual light system.

But I can imagine the beam pattern being a bit challenging.

JC - 14/1/13 at 09:35 AM

Don't they need the arrow printed on them to show that they dip to the left? ISTR bike headlights dip straight down and some (all?) IVA testers want to see the arrow, not just the lamp twisted in its housing - this was the problem with some of the small headlights on the market?

loggyboy - 14/1/13 at 10:10 AM

quote:
Originally posted by JC
Don't they need the arrow printed on them to show that they dip to the left? ISTR bike headlights dip straight down and some (all?) IVA testers want to see the arrow, not just the lamp twisted in its housing - this was the problem with some of the small headlights on the market?


I cant see any RS in the IVA manual denoting arrows, only that the beam pattern must match the diagrams.
The only thing that could be argue against any arrows is:
3.
They must be fitted in the correct orientation as would be on an approved vehicle.
But thats more to do with the direction they point in rather tham the angle they sit at.

snowy2 - 14/1/13 at 12:28 PM

I use two pair of dominator headlights (bike) they have two dip sides and main beams as standard. however if your car is a new build your restricted to two dips and 4 mains only my car is old enough it can have as many as i want. the dominators dip “flat“ and therefore are ok for uk and continental use. they are almost worse than useless on dip even with 4 100w dips! On main beam its like daylight. I think the IVA REQUIRES a uk dip pattern.

loggyboy - 14/1/13 at 12:50 PM

quote:
Originally posted by snowy2
I use two pair of dominator headlights (bike) they have two dip sides and main beams as standard. however if your car is a new build your restricted to two dips and 4 mains only my car is old enough it can have as many as i want. the dominators dip “flat“ and therefore are ok for uk and continental use. they are almost worse than useless on dip even with 4 100w dips! On main beam its like daylight. I think the IVA REQUIRES a uk dip pattern.


IVA requires a UK 'dip', or british american 'flat' type. However dominators have been known to fail as the flat beam pattern is not always distinct enough for some testers.

Slimy38 - 14/1/13 at 01:50 PM

quote:
Originally posted by snowy2
I use two pair of dominator headlights (bike) they have two dip sides and main beams as standard. however if your car is a new build your restricted to two dips and 4 mains only my car is old enough it can have as many as i want. the dominators dip “flat“ and therefore are ok for uk and continental use. they are almost worse than useless on dip even with 4 100w dips! On main beam its like daylight. I think the IVA REQUIRES a uk dip pattern.


Yeah I seem to remember some bike headlights are a little weak to say the least! My own Thundercat uses a small birthday candle as a headlight...

Silly question (just thinking out loud really), if you did have four housing for dip and main, could you simply not wire up the third and fourth dip? IE not have any wires, nor have bulb in place. Perhaps even fibreglass the hole to demonstrate that they won't be used?

loggyboy - 14/1/13 at 02:01 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
Yeah I seem to remember some bike headlights are a little weak to say the least! My own Thundercat uses a small birthday candle as a headlight...

Silly question (just thinking out loud really), if you did have four housing for dip and main, could you simply not wire up the third and fourth dip? IE not have any wires, nor have bulb in place. Perhaps even fibreglass the hole to demonstrate that they won't be used?


One of the key words used for IVA is 'As presented' so as long as the correct number of lights lit up when dipped/mains were switched, you wouldnt need to do anything more than that. Its not the IVA testers responcibilty to preconclude what could be done to the car post IVA.

snowy2 - 14/1/13 at 05:47 PM

Yeah if i am honest the dip pattern looks more like both uk/continental patterns together than it does if your describing it as "flat".

snowy2 - 14/1/13 at 05:53 PM

quote:
Originally posted by snowy2
I use two pair of dominator headlights (bike) they have two dip sides and main beams as standard. however if your car is a new build your restricted to two dips and 4 mains only my car is old enough it can have as many as i want. the dominators dip “flat“ and therefore are ok for uk and continental use. they are almost worse than useless on dip even with 4 100w dips! On main beam its like daylight. I think the IVA REQUIRES a uk dip pattern.


Hmmm now if i think about it that is not a very clear description of what i have up front.....its 4 sides 4 dips and 4 mains in total they also have 100w halogen bulbs in them (dip and main...)