So we've all heard/seen the 650 xchallenge...let's see your XCOUNTRY!

Please talk to us about LED auxiliaries. (I'm sure there's something in the archive, but humor me, please.)

This morning I rode with a friend who's replaced the lame aux lights on his GSA with nifty LEDs. He followed me all morning since I had the route, and I found his LEDs to be much brighter and much bluer than his main H7 lamp.

Assuming I could wrestle mounting them to my X-Country, would the electrical system handle them okay? I understand LEDs have a low current draw, but my dad was the EE in the family and he's passed, so I have to trust the collective's wisdom. ;-)

I am working on a single HID system, and hoping that with one balast I will have no electrical problems. It is not wired up yet, so I will see. I have two of these on my 1200 GS and they are super bright. One will be plenty.

How's the clearance between that Hella lamp and the front wheel fender under full compression? Or have you modified the fender?

Damn I knew I missed something when I was thinking it through. Here is a better shot to get reference. The way I designed the bracket I can move the light more forward and up, and maybe give me more room. I will check it out tomorrow and see how close it is.

The thread inspired me to get a Xco. I found a 2007 with 7k for 4800. Came with scorpion exhaust, tail tidy, and k&n filter. Just had to drive 700 miles to get it.



Unfortunately, I found after I had gotten it home, it also came with the cold stalling problem. I did a canisterectomy, cleaned the idle actuator, and did the idle reset. It helped, but the problem is still there. I might try a g650gs tune next.

I want to do the TAT this summer, so more farkles are coming. I've seen a couple ride reports from Xchallenges, any TAT reports on a Xcountry out there?

Yes, that simple way would be the easier. Just turn the sumbich on after the little motor is running good.

Yeah, thanks for the heads up. 9.4 inches of travel and 8 inches of clearance between the light and the fender. Would not be a problem most of the time, but all it takes is once to piss me off. I mounted it up on the handlebar now. Trying to squeeze the balast between the plastic and airbox cover. It is a little tight but I think it will work.

OK, new setup on the HID. Mounted off the mirror bracket, and the balast is under the plastic where a tank would normally go. Runs great, no dash problems, bright as hell.

I'm glad that HID is working for you. I notice that you have the "older" big ballast that does not have the external ignitor. My experience is with the thin ballast and external ignitor. Maybe that has something to do with the problem.

Putting a switch and relocating mine this weekend...not cool running without a dash!

I run HID, thin ballasts, internal igniters, mounted on the left and right "wings" of britannia composites lynx fairing, ~3" from instrument cluster, no problems whatsoever after five months. I do use an override switch to avoid starting HID's during bike starting (and stalling and restarting.)

Yukon, if you have thin ballasts, then you should have ignitor(s) on the wire going to the bulb.

Yeah, if you got digital ballasts with internal ignitors, that's something new. You got a brand name or a link? Or a pic?

Ian at Britannia Composites sent me these ballasts with the Lynx fairing. They do have built-in ignitors.
http://www.futurevisionhid.com/products/parts-accessories/ballasts/35w-hid-ballasts.html

Well y poor little bike had a rough year last year so i've begun the process of getting some of the dirt off. The upper airbox panels were very rough and I didn't like the colours so I did a back alley cleanup with acrylic rattle-cans. Now she looks tidier and different... She's got her mojo back.... almost.







She's ready now for a minor rewiring including a new ignition system (attempted theft killed the old barrel) and a switch to kill the lights (legal requirement around SE Asia) and an oil change (8000 miles overland and the oil still looks like new, I love this bike so much).
The parts were shot over in acrylic primer then the sides had three coats of gloss acrylic yellow and the upper panel had two of matt black and 2 more of matt laquer. I'm toying with the idea of flatting out the side panels but they do look so nice as they are. They're curing in the sun now, they're probably fine but leaving them until the morning before they get handled at all

That looks properly nice, you've done a good job there.

Thanks, Hat. It's a good start. I have some flat laquer and I'm thinking of blowing the yellow panels over with it. They look good but they just don't look very rugged. She needs a little splash of yellow in some other places too but I'm not over-working her. We have a big next week, we're riding from Bangkok to Phnom Penh so she's only going to get dirty again.

Aha !!! That is something new, indeed ! Read the ad. "Integrated power controllers reduce electrical magnetic interference...."

Those darn ignitors were the problem I bet!

I'm think I'm gonna order a one of these and try it.

Thanks.

These forum sites are great.

Well, that is something new, though they are a compromise at 19.5mm thick compared to 13mm for the mass market digital ballasts like what you find on eBay and 23mm for the traditional non-digital ballast.

I'm kinda amazed that there's enough room for it on top of the air intake.