garyS-NJ Posted December 1, 2015 Share #1 Posted December 1, 2015 I ride a lot at night and feel I can never see enough.. so I want more light. In this quest i just added some ebay Chinese led motorcycle spots (think I got them from a US reseller for about $40/pair. They are advertised as 125w but 15w actual power and actually ran at 11w with a 12v supply (will probably run proportionally hotter around 14v). They are tight spots (about 15 deg) & I bought them with plans to light the road forward (one beam a little forward if the other but I didn't achieve that yet). Test rode last night and I'm happier but would like a little more light. And I added a 3/4" wide strip og black electrical tape across the bottom to keep spill out of oncoming traffic eyes. I mounted to my frame so I can't point light with my handlebars and would like more flood light near in do thinking a small flood on top of the fork brace. But big picture I really want more light up front like the newer bikes with led headlights.. but those led headlights are mad expensive and I haven't found one to fit my oem rectangular light mount. I did get enough light on my 78 cb750f adding a pair of aux hid projector pods running at 35w each. Ideas?? Links?? I'd like not to add a lightbar and defiantly not incandescent lights!!!http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/01/03e5c66cdff5e0a0965ba4cd0c3d974f.jpg http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/01/16ed9ac0136a905a6038af9493c97dcf.jpg http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/01/ded0c246cab18bccf3e164c859026978.jpg http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/01/bad2b8dbbf521200a12ba6bd19405de7.jpg http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/01/2cc746445be113f48ddabc136642d0b6.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great adVENTURE Posted December 2, 2015 Share #2 Posted December 2, 2015 Nice Brackets, do you get any shadowing from the radiator or the front of the bike? I'm still looking around for a set to mount down near my calipers. BTW I live in Highlands NJ not to far from you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cimmer Posted December 2, 2015 Share #3 Posted December 2, 2015 I installed a set of the PIAA LP530 fog lights on my 89 VR but they also make a set of driving lights. I was thinking it would be nice to have a fog light on the left side of the bike and a driving light on the right but the pair of fog light work great for me. here is a link to them http://www.piaa.com/store/p/187-LP530-3-5-LED-Driving-Light-Kit.aspx Rick F. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyS-NJ Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share #4 Posted December 2, 2015 Great adventure- no shadowing as the beam is very tight as evidenced by the light shot with two spots mounted (& that yellow light is the headlight.) I think rather than caliper mount it's best to mount spots high up and angled down at the road. There is at least one set of hid projectors out there for bikes with a movable window inside to have a low beam cut off then high beam (else you can buy the fixed high beam or fixed low beam). Somebody bought the company that I bought those hids from and I really like those lights.. oh and BTW if you buy spots like mine , look for the ones with a single bolt mount of light within frame to allow side to side aim this way you could mount them on the lower legs or maybe fork tubes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyS-NJ Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share #5 Posted December 2, 2015 Hard to see in that pic but my light has two Allen bolts mounting light pod to the tube mount half. The single bolt mount would allow rotation to aim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyS-NJ Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share #6 Posted December 2, 2015 The brackets are angle aluminum. I had to shave it to fit next to the upper fairing and counterbore the top holes and clearance the upper side mount. And needed longer bolts with a Phillips or Allen for that clearanced upper bolt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyS-NJ Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share #7 Posted December 2, 2015 And cimmer, PIAA makes good stuff. I forgot about them but was considering their housing for an hid some time ago.. $300 pricey for those 6w spots but I bet I'm loosing 30% of my available light with the black tape cut off shield. I'll watch the PIAA video later but do they have a high a low beam control? (So that's one 3w led for the low and both for the high?). Problem with rear facing led is you can't sink enough heat from high power lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djh3 Posted December 2, 2015 Share #8 Posted December 2, 2015 I added a pair of those type lights on my 2 gen. I put mine down by the foot bars. I think they work pretty good and dont suck a lot of power which is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyS-NJ Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share #9 Posted December 2, 2015 Djh3, i think thats a slightly smaller and lower power light (older tech 10w). But I bet they are good for seeing potholes around town. I wanted something to see the road surface at highway speed. Didn't do that run the other night and doubt I hit the mark.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cimmer Posted December 3, 2015 Share #10 Posted December 3, 2015 I only have the fog lights and use the supplied switch to control them and usually have them on with both the high and low beams. I have the right one direct to help light up the white line and ditches with the left one more on the center line for when I am riding in rain and fog mostly and to help being seen and didnt want to blind oncoming traffic and possible endanger myself. Rick F. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djh3 Posted December 3, 2015 Share #11 Posted December 3, 2015 30w 1200 lumins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyS-NJ Posted December 3, 2015 Author Share #12 Posted December 3, 2015 Djh3, we're those ebay or can you post a link? I never saw a 30w led in such a small package.im thinking on modifying a light pod to up the led by moving the driver outside and adding heatsink inside.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djh3 Posted December 4, 2015 Share #13 Posted December 4, 2015 Off e-bay. Look here for similar lights to mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyS-NJ Posted December 4, 2015 Author Share #14 Posted December 4, 2015 Those lowers must keep your legs warm in the winter. And the spots have 2 axis of adjustment? (Rotate with one bolt at the clamp half or fixed with two bolts?). & about how far out can you light the road? & the 15w (each) Cree u2 technology is earlier than the 15w Cree U5. The U5 is smaller and lower heat and more lumens per watt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djh3 Posted December 5, 2015 Share #15 Posted December 5, 2015 Clamp has a single bolt in center. So you can move clamp around bar to sort of aim direction, then point light and tighten the center bolt. With the lowers on the bike I have to be careful on how far in they are pointed as I dont want them rubbing the fairings. I thought about making a bracket to mount them to the forks at one point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyS-NJ Posted December 5, 2015 Author Share #16 Posted December 5, 2015 I'd like to do something to add lowers like that to my '84xvz12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djh3 Posted December 6, 2015 Share #17 Posted December 6, 2015 There are some places that make what they call "highway bar close outs" or something like that for open highway bars. Actually the lowers can be a PIA. In the summer they dont vent and get HOT. They are god in wet, but your knees still get soaked as all the water is now forced between the fairing and leg lowers. At least the lowers on the Victory Cross Country have vents in them that work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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