I want to use both lights on my CBR 125

[Dr.Watermelon]

I have a 2008 CBR 125 and it's got only 2 headlight bulbs.

one for low beam and the other one for high beam.

so when I ride my bike,

only one light comes on and makes people think that I've got a blown bulb.

I heard there is a way to turn both lights at the same time by doing some wire work.


Does anyone know how to do it?


By the way,

would there be any side effects even if I do the job correct?

Any comments would be very appreciated


Thanks guys

[frekeyguy]

splice the wires togeather?

im not too famililar with the 125's but there might be a way, to have the low beam on when the high beam switch is selected.

[[evo]]

with seperate bulbs the reflectors are usually optimized for different patterns. not a good idea to be playing with it IMHO

[TorontoBoy]

The fix is simple, but first can the CBR125's electrical output handle both bulbs lit at the same time? If you light both bulbs and the electrical output is not up to it, it will discharge the battery more than the bike's ability to recharge. Eventually you'll lose lower and the bike will stop. If you don't need more lighting I'd leave it alone. Form follows function.

Fix: Get a relay, trigger from the low beam, power straight from the battery. You might want to put in a switch to turn the high beam off manually, in case your bike starts acting up.

This page says the electrical output is 290 watts, but another site puts it at 230 watts. I'd verify this.

[steve220s]

Do you ride your bike when it's dark out? If so, you might not want to do this mod. The reason being, cars will see 2 oncoming headlights aproaching, and they will think you are a car that is pretty far away, given the close proximity of the headlights. This could lead to pretty bad things . However, if you are always riding when the sun is out, cagers will see that you're actually a bike and the mistaken identity thing does not apply.

You might just want to ride with the highbeam on during the day. That's what I do!

[Brian P]

For HIGH beam, it is possible (and advisable!) to jumper the switch for low beam so that on high beam (and only on high beam), the low beam and high beam bulbs are on together. http://www.cbr125r.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=569

This will give much better light distribution at night and it is the way this headlight housing was originally designed to operate. The only "caveat" is that if the engine is at idle, the alternator won't have enough power to charge the battery ... but at idle, you don't need to be using high beam!

For low beam, it is not possible while maintaining proper light distribution. The reflectors aim the light differently - that is the distinction between low beam and high beam.

But if you've done that wiring change, you can just switch it to high beam and use it like that in the daytime.

By the way, I have two bikes with one bulb on for low beam and I've had scarcely anyone comment on it ... I think it's an overblown issue in the mind of the newbies.

[southpaw_1979]

By making these mods you no longer comply with the federal lighting requirements. (CMVSS10 The reason for using one headlight is by design. Not because manufacturer want their bike to be asymetrical.

[Brian P]

Low beam bulb remains low beam only - remains in compliance with CMVSS 108.

The modification allows low beam to remain on together with high beam when high beam is selected. CMVSS 108 does not prohibit this, and the headlight housing that the CBR125 uses is the same part number as a CBR1000 uses, and on a CBR1000 (and on my ZX10R and on practically every other bike with completely separate low beam and high beam bulbs and on a good many cars including my Jetta), low beam remains on when high beam is selected.

Making the high beam bulb remain on together with low beam would of course violate CMVSS 108.

Speaking from experience, jumpering the low beam switch (so that both bulbs remain on when high beam is selected and ONLY when high beam is selected) gives far better light distribution.