H4 dual filament - on all the time?!

Done a quick search and can't see this mentioned elsewhere so...

A while ago, I noticed that when I "flash" my high beam, both in the car and on the bike, the light produced is a lot 'richer' and seemingly brighter than when I put my lights onto full. Thinking about it, I realised this was because when "flashing", both filaments are active, but on "full beam", the hi-beam is active, but the lo-beam is off.

I checked the wiring diagram last night, and low and behold there's a 3-pole (live pins 1 and 3, 0-return pin 2??) switch, that appears to have a common neutral and two lives, one for the hi-beam, and one for the lo-beam.

So my thought was this: Why can't I just bridge the switch so that either:

a). Take the 'live' from the 'hi' part of the hi-lo switch onto the same feed as the 'pass', enabling me to have both filaments on... or
b). Bridge the gap, so that on high there's the live zero return (I assume) on pins 1 and 2, but also the 'lo' link on pin 3.

Will this work, and if so, will it risk frying the wiring loom, burnining out the bulb too soon, or melting the plastic of the headlight cover?

Cheers,

Al.

Come to think of it, would (b) bugger the brightness completely as it would be running in series?

[jambo]

I think there may be issues running both filaments continuously, be that heat or current draw. When you flash, it's important your lights don't dim as they switch from one circuit to the other. On a sustained usage this isn't the main concern.

If you want better bulbs fit some nice ones (not the blue tat off ebay).

[yorkie_chris]

I think you'd have problems, if you've got 60/55's then you're almost doubling the heat produced.
Also wouldn't you have to use a diode? Or else both filaments will be on all the time

[TSM]

One filiment is 60W the other 65W, with both of them on all the time then you would be essentialy pulling up to 140w extra from the bike. I dont know what the power reserve is of the SV. Also the extra heat may melt the headlight.

I think there may be issues running both filaments continuously, be that heat or current draw. When you flash, it's important your lights don't dim as they switch from one circuit to the other. On a sustained usage this isn't the main concern.

If you want better bulbs fit some nice ones (not the blue tat off ebay).

I was thinking about this regardless of bulb type - I've got the 'ultra brilliance' in the car, and standard on the bike, and both times when on full, if it's a "held-flash" rather than a "full-beam" the light still seems better.

I think you'd have problems, if you've got 60/55's then you're almost doubling the heat produced.
Also wouldn't you have to use a diode? Or else both filaments will be on all the time

Indeed you would ;-() It's the heat that I was thinking about as the main issue, and also possibly the wiring loom?

One filiment is 60W the other 65W, with both of them on all the time then you would be essentialy pulling up to 140w extra from the bike. I dont know what the power reserve is of the SV. Also the extra heat may melt the headlight.

That made me think - it's 140w pull, but only 65w on top of 'normal' - surely things like heated grips/heated pilliion vest/GPS/whatever other gadgets will readily draw more than 65w?

[yorkie_chris]

No, 120W on top of normal, as the S has twin lamps.

I think the earth return from the lights to the loom will pop first when it gets an extra 10A through it. Any other bets?

IMO, if you want bright, search for "HID in plain sight" by northwind.

Twice the light, half the pow-ah.