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1300 Passing lamps

2K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  KCW 
#1 ·
Okay, so, I've been looking into possibly getting a set of DRL/halo lamps to install in my passing lamps. Sadly, from what I've found, there seems to be 2 sizes of Yamaha factory passing lamps. There is a 4.5 inch and a 4.7 inch. By cross referencing part numbers, they seem to look identical, and I can't figure out which is a 4.5 vs the 4.7. I am also kind of unsure if that's measuring by internal diameter or external. Hence the dilemma I'm currently at. I could go sure thing and get new buckets then order the lights, but from what I've seen, 99.9% of buckets seem to be designed to HD specs, and I'd also have to buy new turn signals. As the weather's been extremely back and forth, along with the work schedule lately, I'm hoping someone here may have some useful info for me.
Thanks in advance!
 
#2 ·
Had some decent weather today, so I pulled one of the passing lamps out and measured.... I've got 4.7 inch housings. The three part numbers I've found for the passing lamps are:

STR4WM3510EA - I think may be the original design...possibly a 4.5 inch housing/halogen I've seen mentioned a few times.

STR4NK351001 - which appears to be a halogen bulb...can't find measurements anywhere.
and
STR4NK351000 - which seems to be my passing lamp, the sealed beam.
 
#3 · (Edited)
This is probably a super dumb question, but what exactly are passing lamps? Do they come on with the High beams or is it a separate switch? Are they really used only when passing?

Full disclosure: My bike doesn't have these, nor do my previous two bikes.
 
#4 ·
They’re kind of like fog lights. One on each side of the headlight. Mine are wired to be on when the low beam is on and off while using high beam, with an off switch in the housing in case I want to shut them off completely.


These:
 
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#6 ·
Mfwright: Are your lights factory wired to come on/go off like that or did you wire them? In my time spent in various forums that is the first time, I think, that anyone has mentioned said method.

Mine are all home-made and wired with a simple on/off switch on my left-side handle bar, so they're on or off purely at my whim.
 
#8 · (Edited)
My 2000 Royal Star Boulevard came with factory side lamps.

Passing lamps is a misleading name for them.

Mine have a toggle switch on the side of the right light, I can reach forward and switch them on or off, and they are always on or off.

They are normally used with your low beams, esp during day. It makes the front of your motorcycle much more noticeable to oncoming traffic during the day (from observing other bikes with them). Better than just your low beams, but not as offensive as riding around with your high beam on in the daylight.

At night they also light up the road and shoulders better than just your low beam. They are a non-focused wide angle lens, that throws the light uniformly in all directions infront of the bike.

If they are also on with the high beams (like mine) they light up the road a bit better, but a good stock hi beam with a Sylvania silverstar bulb is already pretty good.

If Im riding at night with a lot of on coming traffic on a two lane road, I usually turn them off. If Im on empty roads at night they go back on.

I google the name "passing lights" a while back and no one seems to know exactly what that is suppose to mean.

Only turning them on when you are passing a vehicle makes no sense.

If they were intended to augment the high beam, they would be call "driving lights". I had a set of those on a '74 beetle years ago, when you turned them on, it was like you turned on street lights as far as you can see down the road, like aircraft landing lights!
 
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