Redbrick Posted July 28, 2005 Share Posted July 28, 2005 I'm interested in comments from anybody who has these installed on 1150's....I had a Pathblazer installed today and find it absolutely ineffective; barely perceptible modulation..Mech talked on phone to Kisan about installation and the lack of modulation and was told that's the way is is on the 1150's; have to "look close" to see it :dopeslap :....WHAT?..It's supposed to draw attention!!...New model coming with better modulation (Kisan says) by using the other bulb too but I'm reticent about it ..I have both units on the K 75 and they work great.....Question (and assuming it's installed correctly) why is Kisan selling this thing?..Tailblazer ordered but not so sure I'll put it on... Any experience with these things on later RT's.? Thanks for the input...... Phil..........Redbrick Link to comment
Couchrocket Posted July 28, 2005 Share Posted July 28, 2005 Something sounds odd to me. You do have it wired to the high-beam, right? I have the Pathblazer on my 04 RT, and it lights up just fine. Make sure you're way out in front of the bike when you evaluate how it looks. The reflector on high-beam is at an odd angle if you're looking "down on it" from just in front of the bike. Mine is effective "enough" that I irritate the heck out of some people, and have the occasional dufus pull over to let me go by. I know there's lots of debate on such things, and modulators in general, but as one who has been run over by a left turner, I'll take irritating folk (ergo "being seen") EVERY SINGLE TIME, thank-you-very-much. So, go stand 50 feet in front of your bike and turn it on.... if it is still looking "wimpy," I'm guessing that something is amiss. Link to comment
BobFV1 Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 Redbrick, no offense, but your mechanic is completely full of what the Scottish call "shite"! I did my own Kisan headlight modulator installation and when I tested it out, I had the same weak "modulation" experience you describe - I could barely even tell it was modulating. I called Kisan myself and spoke to their engineer, Andy, and he told me that the proper modulation is from about 100 percent brightness to 50 percent brightness 2 or 3 times a second (not sure about the periodicity - it was something like that). He walked me through the installation and when I told him that I had attached the ground wire to the bolt where the tachometer is bolted to the frame, he opined that I had an incomplete ground because the frames on BMW's are heavily and well painted - the paint prevents the ground wire from actually getting a good ground to the metal frame. He suggested that I solder the Kisan ground wire directly in to the brown ground wire in the wiring harness, which I did, and my problem was instantly solved. So - I would tell your mechanic to 1) stop lying to you about talking to Kisan and 2) stop being lazy and trying to use the grounding lug on a bolt and create a proper ground by soldering in to the bike's ground wire. Let us know how it goes! Link to comment
Ken H. Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 What Bob said. Poor modulation is almost always caused by the wrong ground. Use the brown wire going to the headlights as the ground for the Kisan. On our R1150RT I modulated the fog lights for a wider effect, but regardless the modulation with the Kisan products working correctly are quite dramatic. The tailBlazer is also effective. Recheck your installation. Link to comment
DangerMoney Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 A quick test for poor ground: Take some wire and run it from the Kisan ground lead straight to the battery. Link to comment
BobFV1 Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 A quick test for poor ground: Take some wire and run it from the Kisan ground lead straight to the battery. This probably goes without saying - but to the NEGATIVE side of the battery - or else you will have a very fried Kisan unit... Link to comment
Mike O Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 ...He walked me through the installation and when I told him that I had attached the ground wire to the bolt where the tachometer is bolted to the frame, he opined that I had an incomplete ground because the frames on BMW's are heavily and well painted - the paint prevents the ground wire from actually getting a good ground to the metal frame... As everone else has already said, but I'll chime in anyway. BMW's frames are VERY well painted. Same thing happened to me. Took me a while to trouble shoot, but eventually I found it. A good ohm meter helps. Find yourself a suitable unpainted (or as I did) score the area you're trying to get a ground connection. Regards, Mike O Link to comment
Ken H. Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 Find yourself a suitable unpainted (or as I did) score the area you're trying to get a ground connection. Might not get it though. The Kisan modulator expects to see the same ground as the light it is modulating. Use the brown wire to the headlamp! Link to comment
Redbrick Posted July 29, 2005 Author Share Posted July 29, 2005 Thanks...... What great responses to my issue with the Pathblazer...I really appreciate the input and all of you point to faulty grounding as the likely cause....This is a great forum and in my short time on it I have had direction on a number of topics that have been really helpful...A whole lot of knowledge out there and a great willingness to share... Right now I'm going to make sure it is a grounding problem by either jumping to the negative on the battery or just scraping a little paint under where it's screwed in.... I'll post final results ...... Thanks to all again.... Phil....Redbrick Link to comment
Ken H. Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 or just scraping a little paint under where it's screwed in.... USE THE BROWN WIRE! Gezz! Link to comment
tomk99r11 Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 Oh, you mean the BROWN WIRE?! Why didn't you say so! Where is the brown wire? Ha!!!!!!! Link to comment
Redbrick Posted July 29, 2005 Author Share Posted July 29, 2005 Crisis Update !!!!! Went over to my old (Emphasis on Old) friends house and we grounded the Kisan direct to the battery with no change in enemic flashing. Also he put an ohm meter on the groundwire and the frame and got good continuity ......So....Dealer has an "improved" model for the 1150 coming from Kisan and guess I'll just wait 'til it comes and change this unit out...... Thanks again.......I'll post final results....... Phil......Redbrick Link to comment
Ken H. Posted July 30, 2005 Share Posted July 30, 2005 Went over to my old (Emphasis on Old) friends house and we grounded the Kisan direct to the battery with no change in enemic flashing. Also he put an ohm meter on the groundwire and the frame and got good continuity Gezz. You can lead a horse to water... Why do people post questions on this board and then totally refuse to follow the suggestions people make??? PS: What color is this text? Link to comment
Shaman97 Posted July 30, 2005 Share Posted July 30, 2005 GOOD continuity is a subjective matter. The idea is to use the methods of those that have had good results. USE THE BROWN WIRE!!! Link to comment
Redbrick Posted July 30, 2005 Author Share Posted July 30, 2005 Final results in "The Great Kisan no-workie problem": 1st..I did take the advise given and checked the ground first....Grounded it directly to the battery and then to double check put a meter on the ground circuit...It is a good ground, that's not the problem...So, at this time it is not necessary to change the ground to the sacred BROWN WIRE...Will do it sometime when I have some plastic off and have room to work...... 2nd....The mech had the Kisan tech on the phone as he installed it and "Thereby hangs the tale, Watson"....Communication..Unit plugged in back-asswards and that gives the same result many of you said happens with an inadequate ground; very enemic modulation...Switched wires in the modulator and it works like a champ As the great character actor Strother Martin said in "Cool Hand Luke":...."What we have heh is a failya to communicate" I want to thank all of you for the help on this very minor problem....There is a great deal of knowledge and a willingness to share it here and I really appreciate the guidance ......... Thanks to all again...... Phil......Redbrick Link to comment
Couchrocket Posted July 30, 2005 Share Posted July 30, 2005 Glad you got it sorted out! I really believe in HM's. Not a panacea for proper awareness of the roving brain dead morons in cages, but a big help. Oh, and for those of us who obsess over such minutae... the actual quote is: "What we've got here is failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach, so you get what we had here last week which is the way he wants it. Well, he gets it. And I don't like it any more than you men." Most often there is an "a" inserted before "failure" as people commonly quote this, but the "a" just ain't there. Sorry, I just can't help meself. Link to comment
Redbrick Posted July 31, 2005 Author Share Posted July 31, 2005 Absoultely right Scott.......no "a".....Strother was a great actor, could play a variety of roles well......I really enjoyed him.........."Now let's see, was that 5 shots or 6?............." Thanks Phil...... Link to comment
DangerMoney Posted July 31, 2005 Share Posted July 31, 2005 Phil, I wonder about your mech (bike technician). I can imagine his conversation with Kisan: "Positive? Negative? Ground? What's are you talking about?" I installed my Pathblazer using only the directions that came with it. Glad it's all fixed. Link to comment
Redbrick Posted July 31, 2005 Author Share Posted July 31, 2005 Bill.. Sorry I didn't make it very clear..... I (not mech) checked the ground for good continuity using the negative terminal (as Bob in Tempe pointed out)..That wasn't the problem... Mech installed it because I had it in shop for other stuff and just let him do it...I could have done it myself... He was talking to Kisan rep when he plugged it in and it wasn't done right; the wires on the modulator were in the wrong terminals, reversed....I didn't look at the instructions...Wasn't there at the time.. Simply switched wires in terminals and it works fine... Phil......Redbrick Link to comment
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