Alternative headlamp units

Please share your secrets! What mods have you made to your TRX?

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Planx
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Alternative headlamp units

Post by Planx » Tue May 18, 2021 9:32 am

Hi all,
I'm struggling to find a Yamaha TRX headlamp that dips to the left to satisfy the New Zealand compliance rules, and wonder if anyone has come up with a mod to use a completely different unit. I'm told that Yamaha cannot supply the headlight any more, and that there are none in New Zealand. So if anyone has any clever ideas for using something
else I'd be very interested to hear about them.

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dicky
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Re: Alternative headlamp units

Post by dicky » Tue May 18, 2021 1:07 pm

The early 90's FZR600 and 1000 used the exact same headlight as the TRX, but any of the trapezoid shaped lights should fit. The twin bulb grey market FRZ400's from Japan fit, just need to wire up both bulbs together.
What light does yours have to make it non compliant?
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Planx
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Re: Alternative headlamp units

Post by Planx » Tue May 18, 2021 8:32 pm

Hi Dicky,

Thanks for your reply. The problem is that the headlight appears to dip to the right, and the dipped pattern has a slope up on the right-hand side. Presumably, this is consistent with the unit being designed for right-hand drive countries. I have to say, the effect doesn't seem very significant in terms of ability to dazzle oncoming drivers (has anyone ever been dazzled by a TRX headlight ? ), and it's been passing the UK MOT for years. But, beam definitely does shift right when dipped, and so the tester cannot sign it off as compliant for NZ.

I didn't know about the FZR600 and 1000 lights, and maybe that will help in trawling the breakers. I have contacted Yamamha here and they say there aren't any new TRX units available. Presumably, they would know about the compatibility and would have offered one even if it's listed for the FZR600 and 1000. On the other hand, maybe not. I will ask them.

The twin-bulb FRZ400 grey market options sounds interesting. Any idea where/how I might start tracking this down?

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Re: Alternative headlamp units

Post by dicky » Wed May 19, 2021 12:56 am

Someone in the UK was asking about this recently as well.
Maybe check the part number of your headlight assembly.
The UK/AUS/JP part number should be 3HE-84320-60
The Europe part number is 3HE-84320-40
If it is the correct number then it dips left as that is the configuration of the lens.
The only way it could dip other than that is if the bulb is in the wrong position, or it's the wrong bulb.

The twin bulb headlight was fitted to FZR400's and these were brought in to Aus and NZ as greyt market imports from Japan, so they had the LH dip headlight.
There were lots of them available ate the time, and lots were crashed, so you might be able to find a headlight at a wreckers.
It bolts straight in but you might need to connect up the wires from each bulb to the single connector on the TRX loom. A 5 minute job with a crimper and some terminals.
The twin bulb unit uses strange bulbs, if you get one make sure it has the correct bulbs and not some bodged H4 units, they won't work correctly.
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Planx
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Re: Alternative headlamp units

Post by Planx » Wed May 19, 2021 4:49 am

Thanks again for the extra information.

I will definitely check the part numbers and also the bulb positioning. The headlight is the type with a sort of lens for one beam, if that makes any difference.

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Re: Alternative headlamp units

Post by Trx envy » Thu May 20, 2021 1:18 am

Isn't it the bulb which dictates left or right kick up?
Maybe you have a French bulb lol

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dicky
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Re: Alternative headlamp units

Post by dicky » Thu May 20, 2021 7:04 am

Isn't it the bulb which dictates left or right kick up?
No, it's the lens.
A H4 globe is a H4 globe. There are no LH or RH versions.
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Re: Alternative headlamp units

Post by Tarwetijger » Thu May 20, 2021 10:48 am

Planx wrote: I didn't know about the FZR600 and 1000 lights, and maybe that will help in trawling the breakers. I have contacted Yamamha here and they say there aren't any new TRX units available. Presumably, they would know about the compatibility and would have offered one even if it's listed for the FZR600 and 1000. On the other hand, maybe not. I will ask them.

The twin-bulb FRZ400 grey market options sounds interesting. Any idea where/how I might start tracking this down?
If I where you I wouldn't buy a new headlight from the Yamaha dealer. Way too expensive!
Just get a nice projector headlight from a FZR600/1000 from a breaker.

Twin-bulb FZR400 is nice too but those are getting rare.
Last edited by Tarwetijger on Fri May 21, 2021 2:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Planx
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Re: Alternative headlamp units

Post by Planx » Thu May 20, 2021 9:36 pm

Yamaha can no longer supply the TRX headlight either here in NZ or in Japan, and there are none at any of the dealers in NZ (apparently), so a new one is not really an option. I have, however, located a TRX unit in a breakers in Australia for a reasonable price, and I'm just trying to confirm that its for left-hand roads.

As for the FZR600/1000 projector headlight, is this a better unit than the standard TRX one, and is it a direct fit for the TRX?

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Re: Alternative headlamp units

Post by dicky » Fri May 21, 2021 12:09 am

I'm just trying to confirm that its for left-hand roads
It will be. It is extremely unlikely that someone imported a bike from Europe to Oz, so the light will be from an AUS or JP model.
As for the FZR600/1000 projector headlight, is this a better unit than the standard TRX one, and is it a direct fit for the TRX?
Yes. Better than the standard TRX light, and a direct bolt in replacement.

Check out this thread... http://www.trx850.com/phpBB_forum/viewt ... 08#p117208
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Re: Alternative headlamp units

Post by Trx envy » Fri May 21, 2021 2:16 am

dicky wrote:
Isn't it the bulb which dictates left or right kick up?
No, it's the lens.
A H4 globe is a H4 globe. There are no LH or RH versions.
Oh ok. The kick up to the side annoys me in general and seems more pronounced on some H4 bulbs than others .
I recall reading somewhere it was the bulb, and that ppl in Europe would trim the tabs on their bulbs to get away without buying new ones when crossing borders. They do come with thier own reflector thingo and the kick up is only apparent on low beam.
It is possible this came to me in an opium dream though.

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Re: Alternative headlamp units

Post by dicky » Fri May 21, 2021 4:14 am

The lens is built so that lights from the low beam filament is directed to one side or the other, depending on the market for the light. You can see this from the front of the lens, there are thicker 'ribs' of glass that do this.
On high beam the filament is in a slightly different position and so the light travels through a different part of the lens.
This is why the globes have locating tabs to ensure that the filaments are in the correct position.
I have seen some bodged H4 globes put into a red ring FZR400 twin bulb light. On low beam it seemed ok, but on high beam there was no light coming out onto the road as the filament was in the wrong place.
LED globes have the same problem, they emit lots of light, but it has to be in the right place to work with the reflector and lens.
I'll have some of what your smoking.
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Re: Alternative headlamp units

Post by Trx envy » Fri May 21, 2021 12:14 pm

I'm going to have to disagree with you Dicky, the TRX (or my Aussy delivered one at least) has a symmetrical headlight lens. And no kick up, just an oblong of light that goes where its aimed at. Phillips led in that one tho
All three vehicles i have take h4, and two that ive gotten rid of recently and I've fuk't around with LEDs in all of them. Like you say, it's all about filament position hence why leds are so hit and miss.
I think the left or right kick up has something to do with the angle the bulb is mounted into the bucket.

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Re: Alternative headlamp units

Post by Tarwetijger » Fri May 21, 2021 2:43 pm

dicky wrote: This is why the globes have locating tabs to ensure that the filaments are in the correct position.
I have seen some bodged H4 globes put into a red ring FZR400 twin bulb light. On low beam it seemed ok, but on high beam there was no light coming out onto the road as the filament was in the wrong place.
The red ring 400 twin light is an odd one anyway, the original bulbs do low and high beam but I don't get how it works. With H4 bulbs this is quite obvious.
LED globes have the same problem, they emit lots of light, but it has to be in the right place to work with the reflector and lens.
With projector lights this is less of a problem.

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