BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

It's kind of funny. I frequent a photography forum where many helpful people advise those who ask about equipment and I never am interested in those threads: anything I could say will be said many times over by others and I have been into photography for so long that I know what I need/want for equipment and what it does.

So now I find myself in the position of asking! I have ridden for many (many) years, but accessorizing is fairly new to me and despite all the research I've done on this board and elsewhere on the internet, I have some questions I hope the more experienced farklizers among you can help me with.

I plan to add driving lights to my R1200R soon both for daytime conspicuity and night riding safety (lots of deer and, worse, moose around here). I have accepted that Lumalink brackets are about my only option for mounting and have figured out switch/wiring/etc. I am trying to decide between Hella FF50s and Trail Tech SCMR 16s. I know the SCMR 16s are brighter than, but 3x the price of, FF50s.

My concern relates to supposed problems I have heard of with each that I am hoping those of you who are more experienced than I am can provide some real world insight into. I have read that the Hella's housings break easily when used on motorcycles. I have read that the SCMR 16 lenses (or reflectors, I don't recall) fog up and the bulbs burn out too frequently. Is any of this true or should I let my needs for brightness and my finances dictate the choice?

Thanks in advance.

-Bob

Bob,

Those Lumalinks are really slick. However, I am concerned that they mount on the unsprung portion of the fork tubes. I expect that this will result in your lights bouncing all over the road as you hit bumps etc. I further expect that can't be good for the housings or the bulbs.

So, I am still trying to find a way to mount some lights on the sprung part of the bike where they will be subject to less bouncing about.

As for the lights themselves, I have long admired the MotoLights installed on my friends' rides... but not the caliper mounted versions. Anyway, there area lot of guys here with more experience than myself who will no doubt chime in. However, I must be the first to suggest that you use the search function for driving lights. You will no doubt find a enough reading for a long winter's night.

Bruce

Thanks for the reply, Bruce. My inclination also is to mount the lights on a sprung portion of the bike for exactly the reasons you said, I just can't see a way to do it on the R1200R other than on crash bars, which I don't want to do. On the other hand, a lot of people seem to like caliper-mounted MotoLights and other similar setups so maybe there is something to that. If you come up with a way to mount lights on a sprung portion of the bike itself, PLEASE post it!

If you want the lights relatively low, one option would be to mount them to engine guards (which you'd also have to install ... I keep meaning to get around to putting on a set of SW Motech bars...).

The problem I have with that is, it puts the lights down low ... and I generally find I that the higher the light source is above the road, the better I see with it.

At one point I remember seeing someone who put driving light extensions coming out the headlight shell mounting bolt holes. Sort of like a Harley light bar but with less chrome. :-) This was also years ago, before the R1200Rs came out; but something similar might be made to work for our bikes.

Anyway ... enough random musings for this kid, gotta get back to work.

Best,

- Lewellen

I've got Moto lights on my R and I had a set on my 02 RRS. Bouncing light is not an issue. For pure driving lights, which are designed for long range pencil type beams, you want you lights mounted higher on your bike. But i have found that the stock headlight on the R, especially when on high, is as good or better than any stock headlight I have had on any of my previous BMW's. I am running 50 watt 12 degree bulbs in my Moto Lights and combined with the stock headlight I feel is more than adequate. If you really want to scorch things, throw a set of 75 watt bulbs in the Moto Lights....we're talking big time light that I think you would find it hard to over ride in the dark, which is really what we're taling about when it comes to riding at night.

rtallent wrote:I plan to add driving lights to my R1200R soon both for daytime conspicuity and night riding safety (lots of deer and, worse, moose around here). I have accepted that Lumalink brackets are about my only option for mounting and have figured out switch/wiring/etc. I am trying to decide between Hella FF50s and Trail Tech SCMR 16s. I know the SCMR 16s are brighter than, but 3x the price of, FF50s.

I would question the TrailTech being brighter than the FF50's. Side by side shootout - the FF50s were brighter and had a better pattern than a friends big bucks HID lights on his Ironbutt ride (you may have heard of him - John Ryan - set a new record for Prudhoe Bay to Key West..) I have the smaller TrailTech HIDs and haven't bothered mounting them on the Roadster since they are for-sure dimmer than the FF50's, really should sell those suckers..

My concern relates to supposed problems I have heard of with each that I am hoping those of you who are more experienced than I am can provide some real world insight into. I have read that the Hella's housings break easily when used on motorcycles. I have read that the SCMR 16 lenses (or reflectors, I don't recall) fog up and the bulbs burn out too frequently. Is any of this true or should I let my needs for brightness and my finances dictate the choice?

Thanks in advance.
-Bob

Well, I'm at about 30,000 miles on my FF50s and I haven't experienced one breaking. And had them on a K75S and an R1150RS prior to the Roadster - never had one break. The report I saw of them being fragile was from one person, with no one corroborating his claim. I suspect something he's doing was the cause of the breakage.

A link that may be helpful:

http://www.eilenberger.net/R1200R_Roads ... lights.htm

HIGHBEAM ONLY:


HIGHBEAM and FF50's:


One change I made since I put that webpage together - I've remounted the Hellas so they hang under the Lumilink clamp. When I was doing some suspension test work, I realized that if the front end was at full compression and full lock - the light could hit the tank (of course if that was the case I would have already been in big trouble..) Mounting them under the clamp provides a slightly greater triangle effect (for daytime visibility) and there is no way they could hit the tank.

Don,
Thanks for the reply – it gets right to the heart of my questions. Glad to hear that what I've read of FF50s being fragile is not common. Interesting to know that the Trail Techs are not better than the FF50s in terms of brightness, too. You just saved me $200! I have seen your report here on this board and on your own page – thank you – but you never know if things have changed, so I thought I'd ask now that installation is imminent.

While I've got your attention...I recall reading (I think here) that you had bad luck using an Electrical Connection Euro Can-bus adapter. I thought I'd try one anyway since I really really really don't want to cut into any wires in this bike so I bought one. Do you have any photos of the installation process? (The BMW CD-ROM "manual" doesn't seem to have anything useful in it and the fiche pictures are no help in finding the wire placement in the headlight, which I have not taken apart yet – maybe it will obvious once I do.) TIA again.

Bob - you shouldn't have to get too far into the can-bus. Use the pilot bulb or the GPS power connector to go through your auxiliary light switch to operate a 30A relay. Use the relay to switch the voltage for the aux lamps, naturally with fuses on the hot leads. Worked for me.

Bob, I'd agree with Harry. Either source would be fine to power the relay coil.. and I used a Positap (non-destructive wire tap) off the parking light bulb in the headlight shell. It requires one wire to be fished out of the shell (make the weep hole in the bottom of the housing slightly larger, or drill a small hole in the rear of the housing that just fits the wire..)

The Can-Bus adaptor just didn't make a reliable connection.. and it really was sort of a kludge IMHO (circuit board to work like a bulb base.) Positaps are reliable. http://www.posi-lock.com/posiplug.html

+1 on the FF50's.. mounted a set under the oil cooler shrouds on an '04 1150R almost 5 years ago. And though I know longer own that bike, the current (hmm, a pun?) rider has had NO electrical/breakage problems with the lights, and they still have the original bulbs installed. He rides that bike on a daily commute into the Seattle metro area and appreciates the conspicuity as well as the improved lighting. I used clear fog lenses, and they absolutely floodlight a broad and semi-deep area of the road without causing any problems for oncoming traffic. The sharp top beam cutoff of the lens design really works.

Good Luck with the upgrade....you're gonna love it!

Cheers! Bill J

Harry and Don – Thanks. The pilot bulb wire is definitely how I intend to get power I just wasn't sure where to get to the pilot bulb lead. It sounds like it'll be obvious once I get into the headlight housing. Since I already have the Can-bus adapter, I'll try it. If it doesn't work out then I'll go for the positaps. (Actually, I'm using the lead to power a relay to switch a fuse block: the driving lights will be powered off the switched fuse block.)

Naiad – Thanks for the encouragement on the FF50s. They certainly seem like the way to go.

Bob,

You're most welcome...also, I've seen those Lumilink mounts on a couple of bikes, they look like the ticket for easy mounting. I've done something a bit different on my R11S and used Hawk mounts which attach to the valve cover bolts and fabricated an ell bracket to hang the lights off the Hawk bracket. Gets the FF50'S sort of wide and low without having to drill holes through that lovely bodywork. Though I like the Lumilink mounting system, I've noticed on other bikes travelling rough pavement that it can allow the light patterns to sort of shimmy, which I find very distracting...but maybe that's just me.

And the triangular arrangement mentioned is also a key. When I see a bike with good separation between the main and auxiliary lights I know right away (even from a very long distance) that it's a bike. The light bar arrangements as seen on cruisers has NONE of that affect. I confuse some of the Harley guys as a car/truck with a burnt out headlight (or a low flying UFO).

Cheers, Bill J

Bill -- the Hawk mounts sound interesting; at least worth looking at. Can you supply a link?

Thanks.

rtallent wrote:Bill -- the Hawk mounts sound interesting; at least worth looking at. Can you supply a link?

Thanks.

Sure, try this...http://www.hawksproducts.com/default.html

Cheers, Bill J

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet, but I plan on getting http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/pr ... /3076/594/ for protection as well a place to mount driving lights. Just thought I'd throw this out there as another option to choose from.

rtallent ... All the following is IMHO...
I have been looking into adding driving lights to my R for some time. I seem to remember Don and perhaps other riders attaching the lights to thier forks. The fork mounts would allow the lights to be pointed into a turn unlike the head light on the R1200RT. Also higher than a crash bar mount giving or throwing more light on the road. So that is a consideration.
I like the spacing of a crash bar mount because the positioning spreads the lights out... a larger triangle and adds to the rider's visiblity (being seen). However I don't like the look of crash bars but I did notice that the crash bars attach onto the motor block.
The posting above mine has a link to Twisted Throttle's SW Motec crash bars. The web sight has a pdf file where a detailed accounting of mounting thier product is given. In this pdf file is an exploded view listed as "A." That is the point where I hope to attach my lights. I have not spoken to a fabractor about designing mounts so the cost is still to be determined. However I think a flat plate with a hole for a bolt and a round piece to sleeve into that recessed bolt/nut like the SW Motech cb's would provide a platform to add an elbow or a dog-leg bringing it over the cylinder heads... would be do-able. Doesn't seem like the cost would be to high.??? Two plates and a 1/4 inch of tubing plus labor for cutting and welding....
I like the Hella FF50s and I think they sell for about $100.00 for a set of two.

PIAA lights start around a hundred and top out at a thousand each.

http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/pr ... /3076/594/

Wunderlich sells driving lights with wiring, mounting brackets, and fixtures... another consideration. Wunderlich lights attach just under the gas tank...another point to attach driving lights.
W charges about $325.00 so that cost is my budget.

http://www.wunderlichamerica.com/mm5/me ... e=R1200R-E

Good luck on driving lights for your R.

Robert

redwing wrote:rtallent ... All the following is IMHO...
I have been looking into adding driving lights to my R for some time. I seem to remember Don and perhaps other riders attaching the lights to thier forks. The fork mounts would allow the lights to be pointed into a turn unlike the head light on the R1200RT. Also higher than a crash bar mount giving or throwing more light on the road. So that is a consideration.
I like the spacing of a crash bar mount because the positioning spreads the lights out... a larger triangle and adds to the rider's visiblity (being seen). However I don't like the look of crash bars but I did notice that the crash bars attach onto the motor block.
The posting above mine has a link to Twisted Throttle's SW Motec crash bars. The web sight has a pdf file where a detailed accounting of mounting thier product is given. In this pdf file is an exploded view listed as "A." That is the point where I hope to attach my lights. I have not spoken to a fabractor about designing mounts so the cost is still to be determined. However I think a flat plate with a hole for a bolt and a round piece to sleeve into that recessed bolt/nut like the SW Motech cb's would provide a platform to add an elbow or a dog-leg bringing it over the cylinder heads... would be do-able. Doesn't seem like the cost would be to high.??? Two plates and a 1/4 inch of tubing plus labor for cutting and welding....
I like the Hella FF50s and I think they sell for about $100.00 for a set of two.

PIAA lights start around a hundred and top out at a thousand each.

http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/pr ... /3076/594/

Wunderlich sells driving lights with wiring, mounting brackets, and fixtures... another consideration. Wunderlich lights attach just under the gas tank...another point to attach driving lights.
W charges about $325.00 so that cost is my budget.

http://www.wunderlichamerica.com/mm5/me ... e=R1200R-E

Good luck on driving lights for your R.

Robert

If you are thinking of going the crash bar route, you should consider the new Ztechnik crash bars. I've seen these in person and they are really quite nice. They have a brushed stainless steel look and they already have the plate mounted to them for installing a set of lights. They also are priced in between the Twisted Throttle and Wunderlicht models. If you do go with the round powdercoated type of crash bar, Piaa makes a very nice set of light mounts made specifically for round bars and they run about $ 40, which is probably what someone is going to charge to weld a tab to your nice new powder coated bars, which you will now have to touch up with paint. Keep in mind that if you mount lights to a crashbar, you want them mounted so that if the bike does go over, you don't break the lights.

I'm running an Osram bulb in the high beam (for the bright light) and a stock lamp in the low beam because it will last a long time and not go out at an inopportune time (I hope). I'm using Piaa 004TX (55W) lights mounted on my fairing. They're a wide beam almost a fog lamp, I aimed them wide to light up the side of the road (where the large fuzzy things live). For long distance light I have a (one) Hella pencil beam running a 55W (soon the be 75/100) mounted on a set of Hepco Becker Bars. The Hepco Becker bars are fairly unobtrusive (IMHO) and don't distract too much from the bike, again IMHO. (A&S BMW has the best price on the bars)

Lighting is a very much personalized area as it has to be fine tuned for the area you live in and the type of riding you do. The big light on mine is mostly a farkle as at night I rarely ride fast enough to warrant that much light.

gezerbike... I am a big fan of piaa lights. What is the model number for that light you mentioned?
Piaa has a good product but I could not find that lamp at thier web sight

Robert

redwing wrote:gezerbike... I am a big fan of piaa lights. What is the model number for that light you mentioned?
Piaa has a good product but I could not find that lamp at thier web sight

Robert

Maybe there was some confusion. I had mentioned Piaa light mounts, like the ones below. They will attach nicely to round crash bars.