Mounting Driving Lights........

[BoomerCPO]

I recently was given a nice set of 55-Watt driving lights for my 06 Midnight Venture.

 

Question: Has anyone mounted driving lights onto the brackets for the small-clear wind deflectors which are located just below the headlight and over the front fender?

 

My 1st impression is that these metal wind deflector brackets should be strong enough to support driving lights but I want to know if anyone else has done this without any problems with the brackets.

[Bummer]

I have the OEM passing light assembly. The light bar has the mounts for the wind deflector brackets at a poor angle. If the bottom rubber bumper thingie doesn't come in firm contact with the fork the deflector mounting plate you're talking about will crack, and potentially fall off unless you catch it first. They seem to do ok if they are set up to be in contact and not vibrate.

 

I realize that doesn't actually answer your question, but there it is. If you do try it, make sure the rubber bumper thingie remains in firm contact with the fork and regularly check where the brackets bolt on for cracks.

 

Also, DiamondR makes a replacement bracket. I have 'em along with the nifty chromium deflectors they sell. Again, not a light, but they sure look better than the plastic ones.

[Carbon_One]

Boomer if you're talking about small driving lights I have to agree with Bummer on the air deflector brackets being a poor location. They do well enough as it is just for the air deflectors let alone adding more weight like driving lights.

I and some others have mounted driving lights to the front fender mounting bolt on the forks. However I have a spot light extender and my air deflectors would hit occassionaly under hard braking so I moved them to the front crash bars. After getting them there I find I like that location much better. Here's a link to my post on this -- http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=27986

 

Larry

[BoomerCPO]

Thanks for the info Larry. I'm leaning towards going to the boat Marina and find some stainless steel "P" clamps to mount the lights to my crash bars...............

[Bummer]

Just keep in mind that some States, Indiana and Connecticut included, have a minimum light height of 16". Tennassee was ticketing everyone for stuff just like this when they had the Dragon crackdown a while back.

[Carbon_One]

Just keep in mind that some States, Indiana and Connecticut included, have a minimum light height of 16". Tennassee was ticketing everyone for stuff just like this when they had the Dragon crackdown a while back.

 

Interesting. I measured mine and they are at about 13" from the ground. Would an out of state rider still receive a ticket for having mounted lights less than these states minimum height? Whether they are turned on/off?

I think the newer Gold Wings have their driving lights mounted low on the fairings as well. Don't know what the height of those are? If lower then 16" and a factory item what would state laws do in regarding to this? Of course if GW lights are 16" + from the ground this is a mote question.

Larry

[V7Goose]

Your charging system will not handle 55 watt lights if the carb heaters are on. You won't have an immediate problem, but the battery will not completely charge, leading to an early death and required replacement before its time.

Goose

[BoomerCPO]

Your charging system will not handle 55 watt lights if the carb heaters are on. You won't have an immediate problem, but the battery will not completely charge, leading to an early death and required replacement before its time.

Goose

 

Correct you are Goose regarding the wattage. I dis-connected my carb heaters long ago.

[Bummer]

Interesting. I measured mine and they are at about 13" from the ground. Would an out of state rider still receive a ticket for having mounted lights less than these states minimum height? Whether they are turned on/off?

I think the newer Gold Wings have their driving lights mounted low on the fairings as well. Don't know what the height of those are? If lower then 16" and a factory item what would state laws do in regarding to this? Of course if GW lights are 16" + from the ground this is a mote question.

Larry

Got a son in law who's a LEO. I tried to ask him about motorcycling lighting laws. He basically said there are too many variables, just don't blind him and it won't come up.

 

I'm thinking that if they're off they're just a couple of lumps of chrome and glass. Most LEOs would probably look the other way over out of State riders. However, last year the Tennessee police were on the Dragon hanging paper over absolutely everything the weekend before Irene and I went. 18 LEOs in 10 miles. Seems there had been a couple of deaths the week before and they were having a crackdown. There was a big write up about it on Killboy's site. We almost didn't go. We went ahead and rode it the following Tuesday and barely saw a soul. Pretty much everything depends on some form of chance.

 

Really I just did some research about motorcycle laws and learned some oddball stuff. Every now and then some of it comes in handy. FWIW I couldn't find anything in the Michigan vehicle code online about lights. It would appear they default to the federal. Of course they may just not have it online. IANAL.

[waterbug]

Ok stupid question but what does the carb heater do and does it matter if you do un hook it? I know mine is very cold natured and shes like a big block chevy once she has some heat in her shes great but she doesnt like the cold. I dont have the driving lights yet but plan on adding that this winter when I tear her down.

[BoomerCPO]

Ok stupid question but what does the carb heater do and does it matter if you do un hook it? I know mine is very cold natured and shes like a big block chevy once she has some heat in her shes great but she doesnt like the cold. I dont have the driving lights yet but plan on adding that this winter when I tear her down.

 

 

Speaking ONLY for myself I have found out that the carb heaters do nothing but pull valuable wattage from the bikes electrical system.

 

Even in the coldest weather here in Noo England my Venture will start easily just using the choke and giving the bike a few minutes to warm up before going on the road. I have never experienced "carb icing" which is what the carb heaters are supposed to prevent.

 

If I remember correctly each carb heater pulls 35 Watts of juice when they come on. That's a lotta juice for a Venture no matter how ya slice it.....IMHO juice better used for lights and such.

[silvercrew]

I questions a police that pulled me over about lighting on the front. The motor vehicle act in Canada states you are allowed 1 set of fog and 1 set of driving lights. The fog lights can only be on with the low beams and the driving lights have to only be on with the high beam. They also have to have a sae f rating for fog lights and sae y rating for driving. Both sets have to be located under the headlight line of the vehicle. If lights are above the headlight line they have to be covered. Even if you have the rating but they are hooked up with just a on/off switch they may give you a ticket. I am not sure what the law is with the passing lights beside the headlight. He said nothing about min high just lower than the headlight line. I have one set of each hooked up on all my vehilces except the bike I only have driving lights hooked up on it but I have them with a on/off switch and may change that this winter.

 

I used a set of cb antenna mounts from a big rig I bought at the local truck stop to mount my lights to the crash bars. This is also how I mounted my highway pegs to the crash bars.

[Kidh2]

I recently was given a nice set of 55-Watt driving lights for my 06 Midnight Venture.

 

Question: Has anyone mounted driving lights onto the brackets for the small-clear wind deflectors which are located just below the headlight and over the front fender?

 

My 1st impression is that these metal wind deflector brackets should be strong enough to support driving lights but I want to know if anyone else has done this without any problems with the brackets.

 

 

I did exactly what you are talking about to my 2002 about three years ago. I really don't like the look of the large driving lights and picked up a set of 55-watt at Wallyworld for less than 20 bucks. I didn't use the switch that came with them but installed an illuminated switch behind the fairing and used the existing bracket and screw on the wind deflectors to mount. Really easy install and lights me up big time. Three years and knock wood, I have had no electrical issues

[Alex]

Heres my Wallyworld lights mounted on the brackets.

[waterbug]

I like the looks of the wally world lights, can you mount them on the driving light mounts for the bike or does anyone know? I am going to put some on this winter once I decide what I want.

[AKRefugee]

Boomer,

 

I am not sure which ones you have but I got the bullet type from Wally World and mounted them on the deflectors. Used a small section of aluminum tubing and flanged one end. This allows me to not only adjust the lights up and down but in and out as well. I than used some chrome colored wire covering to pretty it up some. Here are the pics. Hope this helps you some.

 

Also, if you are using this light, make sure you use a little bit of Locktite on the lens ring or they will vibrate off.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

I did exactly what you are talking about to my 2002 about three years ago.

 

 

Ok...thats great...but WHERE did you park, that had 'Motorcycle' parking AND train tracks???

 

 

 

 

[Kidh2]

Ok...thats great...but WHERE did you park, that had 'Motorcycle' parking AND train tracks???

 

 

 

 

Work....we have over 20 riders and 10 assigned motorcycle spots. Luckily most work 12 hour swing shift but we have run out of spots and had to take up cage spots.