Differences between British and North American headlights ST1100

kiltman

kiltman

Joined
Apr 27, 2013
Messages
2,969
Age
69
Location
Stratford, Ontario Canada
Bike
2002,ST1100ABS
I would like to know the differences between the ST1100 headlights for the British market and the North American market.
Is it true that the British unit accepts a H4 55/60W bulb without the need of shims?
Secondly is the beam angle from the reflector different for right hand drive and left hand? I ask this because my 1971 Triumph headlight was specific to either British or North American.

Cheers
Robert
 
I can confirm that my 1990 ST1100 uses a completely standard H4 bulb. My 1998 VFR800 on the other hand uses a non-standard H4 with the lower locating tags at a different angle; you can fit a standard H4 bulb in these as long as you are prepared to cut off the two lower tags.

I can't comment on whether the ST1100 reflector is different, but the beam pattern on low is a standard flat rectangle that looks symmetrical to me.
 
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The U.K. housing is designed for left side of road driving. What you probably want is a European housing. It is designed for right side of road driving. It also uses the standard H4 available about anywhere. The light dispersion also seems to be better than the US version. I have one (European)on my 1100.
 
There is another significant difference, and that involves wiring. The European headlight uses one side for low beam and the other side (in addition) for high beam. In other words, when you are riding with low beams selected, only one half of the headlight is illuminated.

If you put a European headlight into a North American bike (a bike wired from the factory for a North American headlight), both sides will illuminate on low beams, meaning you will effectively have your high beams on all the time. I suspect that there are also additional differences in the pigtails (the connectors that go into the bulbs) between North American and European spec headlights.

Lastly (but you knew this) the low beam pattern is very different than the North American low beam pattern. The European standard low beam headlight on any vehicle has a sharp horizontal cutoff with a 15 degree uptick on the curb side of the road to illuminate signs at the side of the road. The North American standard low beam headlight directs a substantial amount more light upwards to illuminate overhead signs.

Michael
 
Huh .... I thought the non-North American low beam pattern was much better than the North American pattern because the North American reflector has an added "attenuator" plate inside.

I believe there is a thread on this Forum that describes how to remove the "attenuator".

Maybe it wasn't on this Forum - here is a link to the posting : http://johnandbecci.info/Hints/exorcism.htm
 
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What Jim said.

I have the Euro headlight module and it works just like the NA one. Both low beams and both high beams. Think about it, all you do is plug the bulbs into the module. No change in the OEM wiring/wire harness. The differences are no USA DOT mandated "antenuator" in the left side, uses H4s, and the lead for the little marker(?) light in the bottom has nothing to plug into.

John
 
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John OoSTerhuis said:
I have the Euro headlight module and it works just like the NA one. Both low beams and both high beams. Think about it, all you do is plug the bulbs into the module. No change in the OEM wiring/wire harness.
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Hi John:

What you wrote is absolutely correct, if you install a European headlight assembly on a North American bike and don't make any changes to the wiring, all the bulbs will work exactly as they did before.

The point I was trying to make in post #5 above is that the European headlight assembly is not intended to be used that way (with both bulbs illuminated during low beam operation). Proof of this is that European ST1100s are wired differently so that only one of the bulbs (only one side of the headlight) illuminates during low beam operation.

I do not know if using a European headlight assembly in a North American bike with unmodified North American wiring would result in excessive glare to oncoming drivers. I don't have the equipment needed to determine that. All I do know is that the European headlight assembly was not designed with the objective of having both bulbs illuminated during low beam operation, as would be the case if one was installed on a North American bike with unmodified wiring.

Michael
 
Bush said:
Yea, Honda calls it the position light and I think it is the equivalent to our parking lights we have on cars. Maybe someone over the pond can explain its purpose.
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Hi Bush:

Those small lights are generically known as 'city lights'. Europeans (drivers, auto manufacturers, regulators) have always been much more concerned about reducing glare (dazzle) to oncoming drivers than North Americans. Many years ago (40s, 50s, 60s, up to about the time that the existing standard for low beam light pattern in Europe was adopted in the late 1960s), drivers in urban areas served by streetlights would not illuminate their headlights when driving in the city. They would only illuminate the 'city lights', which are equivalent to what we older North American drivers know as 'parking lights'. You can see this behaviour if you watch any old movie or film clip that was shot in Europe up to about the beginning of the 1970s.

There are also much stricter rules governing use of front fog lights in Europe. For example, even to this day, in Switzerland, you cannot operate both low beam headlights and foglights at the same time - if you do, you will be ticketed. If weather conditions are such that you need to use fog lights, you turn on the city lights (which provide 'marker' illumination for the corners of the vehicle), then turn on the front fog lights. When you are out of the fog, you turn on the main beams and turn off the front fog lights.

Aftermarket bulbs such as the 'fake xenons' that we see teenagers installing here in North America - the ones that blind oncoming drivers even when on high beam - would not be tolerated for a moment in Europe. The first policeman to observe such a vehicle would pull the vehicle off the road and not allow it to proceed, the driver would be fined.

Michael
 
I do not know if using a European headlight assembly in a North American bike with unmodified North American wiring would result in excessive glare to oncoming drivers. I don't have the equipment needed to determine that. All I do know is that the European headlight assembly was not designed with the objective of having both bulbs illuminated during low beam operation, as would be the case if one was installed on a North American bike with unmodified wiring.
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As mentioned above, post #3, I have a European lamp housing. It lights up the road better than the US version. I have not had approaching vehicles flash their lights at me. It is really nice to fit off the shelf lamps when they are needed. I suppose if you could get into a European parts fiche for the 1100, you could probably buy the position lamp pigtail and wire it into the front turn signal/running light. I'm not sure there is a point in doing that as the head lights can't be turned off and it probably can't be seen with the headlights on.
 
I suspected that the EU model had only one lamp on in low beam operation, because my ST has a modification in cables to light on the two bulbs contemporary.

Questions:

1) What bulb is normally on in EU model ?
2) If the EU headlight is not intended for dual lamp mode in low beam operations, is the second reflector (only for hi beams) able to manage the low beams properly ?
3) Using the two bulbs like in NA models, what is the best setting/adjustment procedure ?
 
CYYJ said:
drivers in urban areas served by streetlights would not illuminate their headlights when driving in the city. They would only illuminate the 'city lights'
Click to expand...

I saw this commonly practice when I was in Japan in the early '70s. What we in the US call 'parking lights' were called 'position lights' even back then.
 
roby_59 said:
I suspected that the EU model had only one lamp on in low beam operation
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That depended on local regulations/codes...
On some country versions both low beams are connected, on others not.
I'd to attach the cable link on my AR version bikes.

1) What bulb is normally on in EU model ?
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60/55W H4

2) If the EU headlight is not intended for dual lamp mode in low beam operations, is the second reflector (only for hi beams) able to manage the low beams properly ?
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Yes, it was designed for dual operation, see top.

3) Using the two bulbs like in NA models, what is the best setting/adjustment procedure ?
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Did it on 5 headlight assys, no adjustments required... light pattern always dead on.
Simply install a wire with the crimp connector suitable for the empty slot in the H4 lamp connector (breakers and workshops are a good source) and attach it to the feed of the "other" factory wired low beam supply.
Running this since '92, never had an issue...
 
I am from South East Asia, when I bought my 2000 Pan Euro ST1100Y brand new, it came only with a single lamp mode in low beam, I send to my mechanic to modify the wiring and enabled both bulbs. They light up the roads alot better than single beam and the difference is very drastic. I am not experience enough to tell the light pattern, but almost every ST1100 I saw has both bulbs enabled for safety purpose/high visibility. Default configuration is with H4 bulbs without any shims or modification needed, just plug and play.

The position lights are actually bright enough to be noticed but most folks would just turn on or off the lights.

The right hand switch also has options to turn on/position/off the headlights, don't think US models has this options as my previous ride(CBR900) was a US model and the lights are turned on once ignition key is on.

Btw, we drive on the left side of the road, so I'm still not sure if our ST is UK/Euro model :)
 
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ST1100Y said:
Did it on 5 headlight assys, no adjustments required... light pattern always dead on.
Simply install a wire with the crimp connector suitable for the empty slot in the H4 lamp connector (breakers and workshops are a good source) and attach it to the feed of the "other" factory wired low beam supply.
Running this since '92, never had an issue...
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sorry, I intended how toadjust the beam horizontally/verticallly if I look at the road, I can see two separate parallel beams with a 'black hole' in the middle.
 
The Owners Manual shows how to adjust the USA headlight module horizontally and vertically with the knob on the left side of the instrument panel and the screwdriver access hole in the fairing underneath.

The ST1100 OEM reflectors themselves can be adjusted independently. Here's a great HID writeup by our own HID expert, John Parker, STOC 124, with pictures and how-to, including reflector adjustment:
http://johnandbecci.info/Hints/HID.htm

John
 
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The position lights, i.e. the small low output front bulb can be used when being ridden in a restricted area. Restricted roads are those subject to a maximum speed limit of 30 mph in the UK. Why you would wish to do this I haven't got a clue but that's road traffic law for you.
 
raygks said:
The position lights are actually bright enough to be noticed but most folks would just turn on or off the lights.
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So you can operate the headlight independently of the position lights?

Do they come on when you turn your key to ACC? I'm tempted to wire mine so they also can function as 'parking' lights.
 
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