Ok, update.
Just got a chance to look at it. Both bulbs had failed [broken filaments].
Cleaned all the connections, and checked voltage at moderate[~2.5K rpm] idle, about 15.1V
Blew another bulb before leaving my friend's place, where we were working on it.
I replaced the alternator over the winter with an SH232-12, as recommended here [http://www.perryr.com/DucatiSTFAQ.html#_Toc102977210] in the hopes that I'd stop frying batteries. Now I'm producing too much voltage, it seems. Trying to get a feel for what to look at next. Planning to measure voltage at the bulbs in the next day or two, but I don't really see a reason for it to be much less, the harness seems sufficiently beefy.
Thanks again for all the help,
~A
`99 ST2
From: Aaron Grossman <agrossma07@yahoo.com>
To: "st2_owners@yahoogroups.com" <st2_owners@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2011 12:42 PM
Subject: Re: [DucatiST] Re: DD Headlight question
Thank you all, these are about the route I was expecting to take. AS soon as it stops raining [I hear next week might be dry again...] I'll be sure to open her up and poke at it some more.
I will also watch out for vampires. Thanks for the warning ;)
~A
From: pg <paul_geller@ducatidesigns.com>
To: st2_owners@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2011 11:28 AM
Subject: [DucatiST] Re: DD Headlight question
Both bulbs go dark? And stay dark? Then its probably not a bulb problem. A few things to check:
You can easily tell a blown bulb, the filament should be visibly broken. They are very rugged, dropping the bike off a truck shouldn't damage the bulbs.
Battery and ground connections. The DD wiring harness grounds straight to the battery, so the engine ground lug should have no impact. But its always a good place to start because a loose ground causes all manner of odd behavior on these bikes. Check that the DD harness is well connected to the battery, orange wire to positive.
Overvoltage can kill a bulb quick, but two at once? As mentioned by my compatriots, you can use a volt meter to measure the charging voltage across the battery. It should be ~13-14V when fast idling.
If the both went out, I'd suspect something common. A bad DD wiring harness is a possibility. The wiring is discrete except for a Y connection just above the orange positive lead. Squeeze/wiggle this area (you'll feel a lump under the sleeving), see if the lights come back on. If so, I can send you a replacement harness.
Also check the original headlight relay up under the left nose. If that (or its fuse) is failing, it will efect both lights. Pres the pass-to-flash button; if the high beam light, then the failure is in the original circuit.
Sorry for your trouble. My legal team reminds me to advise avoiding the night (vampires?) until this is resolved.
pg
DD
--- In st2_owners@yahoogroups.com, Aaron Grossman <agrossma07@...> wrote:
>
> I installed the DD headlight over the winter, and am running into a small problem. I wonder if any of you have seen it or anything like it on your installs.
>
> Mine are eating bulbs. I blew my first low beam bulb, and thought "maybe it was a bad bulb" and just replaced it. Excited that I had a new bulb in, I promptly turned the bike on. Light works, High works. Great!
>
>
> I started the bike up, and gave it a second to warm up, and take it down off the center stand. As the comes off the stand, both bulbs go dark. It's certainly possible that I had 3 bad bulbs. Also, possible that the "drop" off the center stand shook them too much. Perhaps the glass was still cold and the warm filament stuck to it?
>
> It's certainly possible I bodged up something in the install, though it was simple enough that I'd like to believe I didn't.
>
> Really, I'm down for just about any idea folks want to offer.
>
> Thanks,
> ~A
> '99 ST2, "Arrest Me" Red
>
You can easily tell a blown bulb, the filament should be visibly broken. They are very rugged, dropping the bike off a truck shouldn't damage the bulbs.
Battery and ground connections. The DD wiring harness grounds straight to the battery, so the engine ground lug should have no impact. But its always a good place to start because a loose ground causes all manner of odd behavior on these bikes. Check that the DD harness is well connected to the battery, orange wire to positive.
Overvoltage can kill a bulb quick, but two at once? As mentioned by my compatriots, you can use a volt meter to measure the charging voltage across the battery. It should be ~13-14V when fast idling.
If the both went out, I'd suspect something common. A bad DD wiring harness is a possibility. The wiring is discrete except for a Y connection just above the orange positive lead. Squeeze/wiggle this area (you'll feel a lump under the sleeving), see if the lights come back on. If so, I can send you a replacement harness.
Also check the original headlight relay up under the left nose. If that (or its fuse) is failing, it will efect both lights. Pres the pass-to-flash button; if the high beam light, then the failure is in the original circuit.
Sorry for your trouble. My legal team reminds me to advise avoiding the night (vampires?) until this is resolved.
pg
DD
--- In st2_owners@yahoogroups.com, Aaron Grossman <agrossma07@...> wrote:
>
> I installed the DD headlight over the winter, and am running into a small problem. I wonder if any of you have seen it or anything like it on your installs.
>
> Mine are eating bulbs. I blew my first low beam bulb, and thought "maybe it was a bad bulb" and just replaced it. Excited that I had a new bulb in, I promptly turned the bike on. Light works, High works. Great!
>
>
> I started the bike up, and gave it a second to warm up, and take it down off the center stand. As the comes off the stand, both bulbs go dark. It's certainly possible that I had 3 bad bulbs. Also, possible that the "drop" off the center stand shook them too much. Perhaps the glass was still cold and the warm filament stuck to it?
>
> It's certainly possible I bodged up something in the install, though it was simple enough that I'd like to believe I didn't.
>
> Really, I'm down for just about any idea folks want to offer.
>
> Thanks,
> ~A
> '99 ST2, "Arrest Me" Red
>
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