Driving lights

[12bar1]

I just found a few extra dollars and have decided to add some additional lights to the bike but can't decide between PIAA or Motolights. Which ones would you buy?

[Airman1]

I'm going to buy a pair of Hella FF50's. The Hella website has a comparison on lights and the FF50's look like they throw a pretty respectible amount of light and they really don't cost all that much. And they're small. Now if I had more disposable income, I'd go for the PIAA 910's. I've got a picture of a guy's 50R with them mounted and I'm impressed. Serious candlpower too.

[Gord]

I just found a few extra dollars and have decided to add some additional lights to the bike but can't decide between PIAA or Motolights. Which ones would you buy?

I just installed a set of PIAA 1100X using RCU Brackets. Took all of a 1/2 hour to install the brackets - and that included clean up! Took around two hours to take off the gas tank, install the PIAAs and reinstall the gas tank. My biggest trouble was getting the quick disconnects on the gas lines reconnected properly.

Not being the most mechanically inclined individual, I took some step by step pictures showing what I encountered along the way (just in case I couldn't remember how things were before I started tinkering). I intend to upload them this weekend and will make them available to you if you are interested.

[MidlifeMark]

I have Motolights on both bikes, mounted down on the forks. Besides the extra illumination for the rider (primarily short range) they provide enhanced conspicuity and a better range reference for cars. The triangle formed by the Motolights and the headlight distinguishes the bike from cars with a headlight out; the triangle expands as the rider approaches, offering drivers a range and closing speed reference.

When I put them on my first bike (1987 R80RT) I caused myself some electrical issues since the wimpy 220W charging system couldn't keep up with the additional load; the ultimate solution was to upgrade the alternator to 400W. No such problems on the 1999 R1100RA, however.

The Motolights are a very solid and substantial piece of equipment; no problems with durability. I would most likely put them on any future bike I own, as well.

[FGanger]

Mark’s “triangle of light” is absolutely correct. Having ones driving lights on the same plane as the headlight is just poor engineering - ala Harley.

MotoLights are my light of choice - except: Now this is my personal theory/practice.

If the headlight turns with the fork, as our R1150R bikes, I want the driving lights mounted to the frame. I have mine mounted to my crash bars.

If the headlight does not turn with the fork, as with my K12RS, I want the driving lights mounted to the fork.

In my experience, one gets better coverage using this process. Now this may be different if one is only looking for the extra lights to increase visibility. I want the extra lights to increase visibility, but to also light up more of the road so I can see better.

As “they” say: You pay your money and take your choice.

[Pat]

You get unparalleled versatility and value with Motolights, but they wouldn't be my choice. The variety and availability of bulbs for Motolights are wide and at a store near you.....
- but -
One is best served by the Motolights for catching a last-second glimpse of potholes or dunnage in the road around town. If you're going over 45 mph, they just don't reach out far enough to be effective.

With regard to that "triangle of light" for aiding in your desire to be more conspicuous, I feel it can be made TOO large. The very low Motolights are so far removed from the headlamp, that the other car needs to be at least a quarter mile away to actually notice the three points of light that announces the bikerider's approach. I think the three points of the "triangle" should be about 18" apart.
My choice for creating the "triangle" would be a set of bright amber/blue ("diochroimatic"?) wide-beam lamps that may illuminate the sides of the roadway as well.
- however -
My choice for a driving lamp would something that puts out a pencil beam of light produced by blatantly illegal wattage. I would have them connected to their own switch, so that my roadway is still illuminated before having to kill my headlamp's 100 watt PIAA high beam. The problem is that this is not a small headlamp housing.

I would have PIAA diochroimatics mounted on RCU's, and a set of PIAA 510's on a Wunderlich engine guard.

[fnfalman]

I have Motolight on because I think that the PIAA may be a bit excessive for street riding. Last thing you need is to piss off a car driver that's blinded by the PIAA lights.

[srosenfeld]

I have the PIAA 1100X installed with RCU Brackets. I use them day and night. They light up the road far better than the high beams on the R1150R -- both in terms of distance and in terms of width of the beam.

[FGanger]

As my good friend Patrick would say,

"Now That's What I'm Talking About."



I'm sure Pat recalls this shot.

It's always something,
Frank

[P Jensen]

I plan on mounting a set of PIAA 1100X's I had on my F650 (too much draw for the 280 watt system). They light up the night time fine, everbody I rode with allways wanted to be behind me not in front?? As for the GS in the above post I dont think you would have to worry about cars running into you, they would be vaporized before they get to you with that much light.

[Optimus Prime]

Does anybody know what type of mounts insanehussain has in these pics?

[insanehussain]

Does anybody know what type of mounts insanehussain has in these pics?

no mounts! just drilled into and bolted on the oil cooler shrouds.

i prefer the lower mounts with a slightly downward bias on the beam angle, allows me to run them on virtually all the time without blinding oncoming traffic. they provided added visibilty during the day and definitely attract attention. at night, it considerably brightens up my immediate vicinity with added coverage to the sides but lacks a long throw. definitely an attention getter without offending... i have never been flashed with them on all the time, day or night.

[Optimus Prime]

Does anybody know what type of mounts insanehussain has in these pics?

no mounts! just drilled into and bolted on the oil cooler shrouds.

i prefer the lower mounts with a slightly downward bias on the beam angle, allows me to run them on virtually all the time without blinding oncoming traffic. they provided added visibilty during the day and definitely attract attention. at night, it considerably brightens up my immediate vicinity with added coverage to the sides but lacks a long throw. definitely an attention getter without offending... i have never been flashed with them on all the time, day or night.

That's a great idea. What driving lights are those? I really like the PIAA 1100's, I'll prolly try to mount those there and see how it works.

[insanehussain]

That's a great idea. What driving lights are those? I really like the PIAA 1100's, I'll prolly try to mount those there and see how it works.

that they be... mated to an autoswitch (http://www.autoswitch.com/). solder your connections or you'll be redoing them somewhere down the line... damhik!

[CycleRob]

I thought about getting PIAA's but could not believe the money chunk they wanted for them. The free lifteime replacement isn't really free when what looks like a $60 set of lites goes for about a $100.
I looked at what was available and chose a $20 set from Harbor Freight that were small, 55 Watts each and labeled "For off road use only". Yeah! Gimme blinding daylite power! They have a dispersed FogLite type pattern that shines great around curves at nite, but also shines straight far ahead. Their quality is good-2-fair at best, but You can't argue with that light output.

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/gallery/446661/3/12316087

I activated them at first with just an AutoSwitch. A month or so later, after tiring of the 1.6 second delay to turn them off for oncoming night traffic, I thought up a great solution. Two somewhat high current diodes from my electronics junk box were soldered in so the high beam switch turns them on/off . . . instantly -and- the Autoswitch can turn the D-L's (Driving Lite) on IF they are off with the bike's low beam. These current isolating diodes are necessary.
One goes between the AutoSwitch and D-L relay coil. The other between the high beam relay's power and the D-L relay coil. These diodes prevent the Autoswitch from trying to power the high beam -and- the power from the high beam being fed into the AutoSwitch's D-L relay coil power circuit. The diodes are soldered in under the fuzebox's rat's nest of wires where the bikes's high beam wire at the bike's relay is available. I forget the color, but the BMW wiring diagram I.D.'s it.

When these D-L's are on in the daytime, with the bike's low beam, I get treated like an oncoming emergency vehicle by cars about to turn in front of me. They wait instead of pulling out. Even when there's a huge distance to me. Amazing. These babies are worth it. Daytime hyper-visibility and seeing around nightime corners was the mission. Mission accomplished.

BTW, prior to my Pennsylvania State Inspection last week, I called the inspecting dealer and asked him if he would fail me for NON DOT driving lites. He wasn't sure what the tech would do, but advised me to disable them so they don't work. I did. It passed. They work again. YeeeHaaaa!

[Hunkystuff]

I have a pair of PIAA 1100X lights mounted (dealer insatlled) on a Wunderlich engine guard on my 04 R1150R. In 5000 miles one bulb failed and at 5500 miles and the other bulb failed. The pins from the bulbs broke. has anyyone else experienced this problem? The bulbs are supposed to be garenteed for a year but if this is a continuing problem I'm beginning to wonder if I should try a different brand of light.

I have had no problems with a pair of PIAA 510 lights mounted on my wife'x 05 F650GS. Thowe lights use a H3 bulb.