12 volt fog lamp as headlight

Rnroutlaw · #1 11-26-2008, 05:32 PM

Is it possible to use a 12 volt fog lamp as a headlight or would that just be a waste of time. My buddy bought a set and we tried them out and they are super bright! We want to use them as our headlights for our bikes but we don't want to have to mount a battery. Don't want the extra weight. Anyone have any good results using the magneto to run them? If not any good headlights for under 40 bucks that anyone know of?

Finfan · #2 11-26-2008, 05:43 PM

The white wire puts out a dirty 6 Volts DC so it wouldn't run a 12 volt light. Even if it was a 6 volt light and you tried it, you would probably pull so much power it would kill the spark.

Motormac · #3 11-26-2008, 06:50 PM

Dont use an automotive battery thats way too big and heavy!!Get a small SLA 12 volt battery, mine measures only 3X3X5 inches and will power a 55 watt driving light (not a fog light) for 1-1/2 hours, find a little plastic or metal box for the battery to sit in and mount it underthe back of your seat somewhere.

mabman · #4 11-26-2008, 07:21 PM

It is entirely possible to produce enough parasitic power with any of of these motors to achieve 12v enough to run and entire lighting system if you use the right type of system of generator/alt/battery/proper relays/optimized wiring/switches. The trick is who is going to make that available?

Rnroutlaw · #5 11-26-2008, 08:45 PM

Yep sounds like alot of work just for a headlight. what brand or type of light do you all use? I will be riding home from work at night whenever the weather permits so I am looking for a bright light.

jasonh · #6 11-26-2008, 08:56 PM

I'd grab a small 12v SLA battery. Like 17 bucks at batteries plus, and only weighs just over a pound.

Norman has a headlight that runs off the white wire. Not sure how bright it is compared to a 55w foglight though. Next paycheck I'll be going the foglight/SLA route.

Cookie · #7 11-27-2008, 02:43 AM

About 2 yrs ago I got tired of driving at night using a bike light and having just enough time to say OH NO before I hit a pot hole or pc of metal in the road so I went to Wal mart and bought a set of fog lights. went to a pocket bike shop and bought a 12 vt battery wired everything up and it workes great except the batter keeped running down so I bought a solar pannel trickel charger used zip ties and secured the solar cell to the school boy rack during the day I have the battery charging so I can use it at night, just switch the gator clips.

Cookie

old motorbike · #8 11-27-2008, 12:19 PM

I used a 12v fog lamp from Harbor Freight (about $15 for 2) a $5 led tailight and a $30 scooter from batteries plus (very small, just carry in small bag in basket). It works good, but I'm going to use a xenon slim kit like on my motorcycle, $78 for 2 kits. The bulb will fit in the fog lamp and only use 35 watts rather than 55.
I charge the batt with a battery tender.

wheelbender6 · #9 11-28-2008, 08:22 AM

I found an older 12v driving light while cleaning out my garage. I replaced the bulb with a 6 volt bulb from the auto parts store, so that it runs from the white wire.
So far, so good and the beam is nice and wide. LOL

wezwheels · #10 11-30-2008, 07:25 AM

try this one...use a 12v 5ah gel cell battery. you can find them on ebay. about $15 shipped. use a 12v 1156 socket gm tail light. and dont`t forget to buy a charger. in total, it cost less than the rest of the idea`s mentioned. you can mount the battery in any direction and use led bulbs. my friend got 5-7hours of run time on a single charge,with very min voltage drop...he runs serveral lights on the bike. head,tail and turn signals. all bulbs are led...