Auxillary lighting

[Celtic32]

Hi,

I'm considering adding some extra lighting to my 14 as it's going to be getting used for commuting. Has anyone had experience with these?

https://www.bikevis.com/product/bikevis-cree-motorcycle-auxiliary-lights/

Would the 30 degree beam width be the one to go for, as they recommend?

I've replaced the main bulb already, so didn't know if this would create the extra width needed to justify just going for the 10 degree beams for the increased distance. I'm also conscious of the fact i'd prefer not to dazzle oncoming traffic too much, which the tighter beam should be easier to avoid?

I've seen other options, including ones that have dual intensity so operate with the high and low beam settings, but these seem more reasonably priced in comparison to some.

[VladTepes]

They certainly look like a nice neat solution.  Move the horn/s under the tank and use the current horn mounts for these and you'd be laughing I reckon....

The way I see it, the problems you need to know about jump out from the side of the road (here anyway) not kilometres in front of you....  Perhaps that's my exaggerated way of saying I prefer a wider beam.

Dazzling oncoming traffic is a function of how 'high' the beam extends, not how wide.
Yellowish lights (lower color temperature) also dazzle less than blue - definitely wouldn't want to go any higher than 6000K which these sit at.

[gsxbarmy]

I've used Bikevis products Andrew - very impressed with them - and actually had a set of Cree lights mounted where the horns normally sit. Very bright, very worthwhile, I had the 10w LED's on mine, nice and bright without drawing silly amounts of power - a very worthwhile mod.

However the BikeVis lights are pretty expensive - there are a lot cheaper on eBay which are as good (google 12v LED spots on eBay - you can get some real bargains for under £20 including wiring as well)

[VladTepes]

Knowing which are good and which aren't is the problem.... how does one know?

[gsxbarmy]

Knowing which are good and which aren't is the problem.... how does one know?

Its a fair point - and one which I can't answer. I do know I fitted one of the Chinese sets to a mate bike the other week which cost him £16 off eBay - and they are brilliant, came with brackets and switch as well - so the quality is there

[VladTepes]

link ?

[gsxbarmy]

link ?

These were the ones I fitted to my mates Explorer
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2X-125W-12V-Motorcycle-CREE-U5-LED-Driving-Headlight-Fog-Lamp-Spot-Light-For-BMW-/112298776124?hash=item1a2587563c:g:EHYAAOSwOgdYnYII

Just an example of what's available on eBay at not a lot of money. Search on 12v LED spot lights on eBay, there is loads of choice

[VladTepes]

I was actually looking at those recently and wondering if they were any good.
Did you post that link somewhere before maybe? Can't imagine where else I'd have got it from....

[gsxbarmy]

Nope I fact I had to look it up Mike as the lights I fitted were bought by my mate not me. And I have to say that since fitting them, they are really bright in your mirrors from a long way back, I could pick him out in a crowd if bikes at least 1km away on a straight road.  Very impressed

[KiwiCol]

I've been off for a little tiki tour through e-bay looking at these lights, damn cheap aye!  Bright too, going by the specs.


I just wonder how long they'll keep going though, like the 'less expensive' LED indicators, they may be good for a while then not go any more.  Be interesting to see.


I don't do bugger all night riding as it happens, so these would only be for daytime visibility, still for the price, might be worth a crack.

[gsxbarmy]

I have them for daytime visibility only Col, amazingly bright even from a distance, so makes it just a bit safer as drivers see these in their mirrors, headlights tend to fade into the background.

Longevity is very good, especially if you go for the Cree type models. But even if they go pop after a few years, at that price, cheap as chips to replace 

[Celtic32]

Sorry about starting this post and going quiet, been busy with work and all that.

Thanks for all the replies. I'll have a look for some Cree based LED lights then.

Fitting them in the original horn mounts is the plan to keep things nice and neat. I've had a look though and it seems pretty likely that the lights are going to be sitting so they are at least partially obscured by the forks. Those that have done this - did you make up some brackets to push the lights further out from the tank or is there an easier (read "lazy") solution for this?

For what its worth, I had thought about putting a small LED bar across the top of the oil tank using the mounts for it, but having read Barmy's comments from his Biker Down course I decided to go for the 2 distinctly separate lights instead.

[gsxbarmy]

Sorry about starting this post and going quiet, been busy with work and all that.

Thanks for all the replies. I'll have a look for some Cree based LED lights then.

Fitting them in the original horn mounts is the plan to keep things nice and neat. I've had a look though and it seems pretty likely that the lights are going to be sitting so they are at least partially obscured by the forks. Those that have done this - did you make up some brackets to push the lights further out from the tank or is there an easier (read "lazy") solution for this?

For what its worth, I had thought about putting a small LED bar across the top of the oil tank using the mounts for it, but having read Barmy's comments from his Biker Down course I decided to go for the 2 distinctly separate lights instead.

you have text!

[VladTepes]

I'm interested in about the mounting options too.l

[Celtic32]

Rather than tapping into the headlight wiring Im thinking of running them from the fuzeblock ive installed just in front of the rear light.

The instructions say the wiring doesn't need to be fused, but if you do then use an inline 5.

My questionson are this. Could I run both lights through the same fuse? If so, would I still use a 5amp fuse or double it to 10?