Where to put those lights?

[videoarizona]

The biggest issue with the 2nd Gen for me is there is no place to do things. Like little pouches or lights!

 

I've explored putting them on the front fender bolt...but can't find a M8x25 bolt with a M4x10 screw hole inside of it. That way I could mount the fender bolt then mount the light to the bolt. The stock bolt is recessed and I'm not to keen on putting a bunch of spacers or washers inside, then use a longer bolt and attach the light bracket there. I know it could work but sure doesn't seem like a good way to do this. Am I making a mountain out of a molehill here???

 

So went looking for alternatives.

 

I have both the lower vents and the highway pegs on the engine guards...only place left for a light there is underneath.

 

 

 

Downside to that is the light output will be lost on the road. Not going to help much locating the dumb deer that want to kamikazi me...

 

Now I could mount the lights on top of the lower fairings. Just drill through plastic, reinforce underneath to stiffen the plastic and mount. Have to put quick disconnects so I can take the fairing off....but at least the lights are up high enough to do some good. But it doesn't look that good!

 

 

At this point my brain is fried from thinking about this. Have had the lights 2 months and still not happy with any position.

 

Ideas and thoughts appreciated!

[Kretz]

Agree totally, it's a very difficult bike to add things to. On my RSTD I did look at adding lights to a clamp around the front suspension tube or even using the mounting "lug" that holds the front fender to attach some sort of fabricated bracket. But it may not look that good.

If you have the full fairing (ie Venture) even that may not be possible. Hope you can find a solution, keep us informed.

[cowpuc]

I'd scrap the little light idea and hop onto something like this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Chrome-Motorcycle-Driving-Passing-Bullet-LED-Turn-Signal-Spot-Fog-Lights-Bar-TOP/172542084184?hash=item282c4f4458:g:TssAAOSw9gRaAXBg

 

only higher end,,, gotta be something along the line of a 4" day maker setup..

 

Tweeksis just dumped her RLU so I jumpered er down and am now running a fan cooled LED 18/36 watt setup for kicks.. I have another RLU to drop in er but wanted to play with some LED bulbs I got laying around and gotta say,,, really impressive.. One of HD riding buddies down the road uses some awesome LED's in his semi and they are the same shape as the MK1 headlight and was thinking of heading that route cause WOWZY does his Semi light up the highway!! Bummer cause I just found out that even though it appears the lights are the same,, the stuff he is running is wayyy to deep... I know there is similar stuff available in 4 inch spots David and it don't seem like it would take much to alter a cheap light bar to accept the real deal high end buckets...

Where there is a will = there is a way and I gotta hunch that running those spots up higher like a traditional spot setup would REALLY give the max advantage for lighting up the road and seein those lop eared varmints getting ready to pounce!!

Puc

 

Sorry about the Vaz but @Flyinfool - did you ever have a second to iron out the RLU jumper schematic so the white light doesnt become the High Beam indicator?? I think I read you were maybe,,, possibly gonna take some time away from your full time job in the penalty box while on double probation and take a peek at that,,, might be wrong but I gotta pretty good memory... THANKS if you do Jeff!

Back to Vaz and regular scheduled

[videoarizona]

Sorry about the Vaz but Flyinfool - did you ever have a second to iron out the RLU jumper schematic so the white light doesnt become the High Beam indicator?? I think I read you were maybe,,, possibly gonna take some time away from your full time job in the penalty box while on double probation and take a peek at that,,, might be wrong but I gotta pretty good memory... THANKS if you do Jeff!

Back to Vaz and regular scheduled

 

Mine does that too after I jumpered my RLU connector. Must be something simple like changing a jumper. Of course, I could always just swap the bulbs in the instrument cluster! But it doesn't bother me...

 

Hi ya Puc!

[videoarizona]

Hmmm could it be? Maybe? A solution?

 

 

 

[cowpuc]

Hmmm could it be? Maybe? A solution?

 

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=113303

 

 

 

:sign Rock On::sign Rock On::sign Rock On:

[videoarizona]

Update:

 

Well those beautiful Kuryakin bolts don't work. I cut them to size and went to put them in...they fit just fine...but...you can't tighten them down! The difference is these bolts are made to go on a fender that does NOT have a nut welded on it like ours. I can't tighten them as their isn't any room with the bolt head recessed into the lower fork.

 

I thought about taking a large drill bit and reaming out the cutaway for the bolt head...making it a larger diameter to get a socket in there....but not thinking this is a good idea. Maybe it doesn't matter..I don't want to weaken the lower fork leg by making that hole any bigger. Am I nuts or should I get the drill out and have fun???

 

 

 

 

I doubt I could have gotten a nut behind there as the clearance isn't much with the rim and tire there....But it's to late anyway since the bolt has been cut to fit.

 

That's what I get for reading the instructions: #1 , cut bolt to size.

 

OK..back to square 1. Guess the lights are going on the top of the lower fairing. Will look interesting for sure...about what those deer whistles look like that I've seen on some RSV's. Except these lights are chromed! LOL!

[M61A1MECH]

So why not get a longer bolt and a spacer to put under the head that the bolt goes thru and fits into the counterbore in the strut. Put a washer on the top of the spacer and land the lights on the washer, tighten the bolt.

[videoarizona]

So why not get a longer bolt and a spacer to put under the head that the bolt goes thru and fits into the counterbore in the strut. Put a washer on the top of the spacer and land the lights on the washer, tighten the bolt.

 

 

HMMM..sounds to easy...have to think about it and make a trip to the hardware store...

 

[cimmer]

Mine does that too after I jumpered my RLU connector. Must be something simple like changing a jumper. Of course, I could always just swap the bulbs in the instrument cluster! But it doesn't bother me...

 

Hi ya Puc!

 

I did the same on mine also to make the high beam indicator work. Swapped the bulbs in the dash, was too easy not too.

 

Rick F.

[videoarizona]

So why not get a longer bolt and a spacer to put under the head that the bolt goes thru and fits into the counterbore in the strut. Put a washer on the top of the spacer and land the lights on the washer, tighten the bolt.

 

 

Well steve, that was a good idea...thank you.

 

Unfortunately, I had a friend come over to see what I was up to, we were discussing your idea. He noticed something that I didn't...The little air deflectors on either side of the shocks will hit the lights if the shocks move more than a few inches. I bounced the bike up and down and he confirmed...With about 5 inches of travel on the front shocks, I would have to cut off about 3 inches of the deflectors.

 

So...that's out. But thanks, Steve.

[videoarizona]

Geesh...just when I was about to throw in the towel...

I run across a picture of @VentureFar 's 2nd gen. He has lights mounted to what looks like his fender bolts. Must have a a home made type mount to stick them forward enough. Gotta ask: Neil....how are the 2 lights mounted down low on your forks???

[VentureFar]

Short answer is directly.

If you zoom in you can see the mounting brackets that came with the LEDs

They are bolted directly to the fender mount with a longer bolt.

I used a piece of bicycle inner tube as a washer to not have metal to metal.

Use a hex head bolt and not an Allen head. That way you can reach in with an open end to adjust them.

I have them pointing fairly close to front of the bike.

I mounted them there because in Sturgis as night on the two lane roads you have to dim all the other lights- low headlight and turn off the spots mounted up high as a fellow biker goes by in the opposite direction. At that time I am totally riding in darkness so lighting up the road directly in front of My bike gives me some visibility of Road.

Down low you can’t get much usable light out too far. That is why I have the spots up high.

I could light up a tennis court.

VentureFar...

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[videoarizona]

Short answer is directly.

If you zoom in you can see the mounting brackets that came with the LEDs

They are bolted directly to the fender mount with a longer bolt.

I used a piece of bicycle inner tube as a washer to not have metal to metal.

Use a hex head bolt and not an Allen head. That way you can reach in with an open end to adjust them.

I have them pointing fairly close to front of the bike.

I mounted them there because in Sturgis as night on the two lane roads you have to dim all the other lights- low headlight and turn off the spots mounted up high as a fellow biker goes by in the opposite direction. At that time I am totally riding in darkness so lighting up the road directly in front of My bike gives me some visibility of Road.

Down low you can’t get much usable light out too far. That is why I have the spots up high.

I could light up a tennis court.

VentureFar...

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

It looks like your mounts keep the light away from the wind deflector...and that is my problem. IE, farther forward. If I mount to the fender bolt, a good bump or pot hole will find the deflector hitting the light.

[VentureFar]

I haven’t seen your mounting brackets that make your lights up so high to hit the deflectors. But what about using an angle bracket ( shelf bracket) to move the lights outward away from the fender ??

VentureFar...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[videoarizona]

I haven’t seen your mounting brackets that make your lights up so high to hit the deflectors. But what about using an angle bracket ( shelf bracket) to move the lights outward away from the fender ??

VentureFar...

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I've been looking for something like an angle bracket from places like Kuryakin. Would like to keep it looking decent.

 

Here are the lights and the little bracket that comes with them....

 

 

 

As you can see, there is only about 1.5 inches between the bottom of the plastic and the top of the light if I mount directly to the fender bolt. Front fork travel is around 5.3 inches.

 

More and more I'm re-thinking mounting them on the top of the lowers. I already have quick disconnects on the end of the wires so taking the lowers off will not be a problem and I like the idea of the light being higher anyway. Let's face it, they are for use during the day to help me be seen and at night for the critters, both 2 legged and 4, that cruise on the highway when they shouldn't....

 

 

If you have any other suggestions, I'm all ears!

TIA

Edited July 4, 2018 by videoarizona
punctuation/my height guess was wrong!

[VentureFar]

I think you are paranoid on this.

I have had these lights located here for at least 15,000 miles. I have hit my share of pot holes and never touched.

I did First mount them on flat iron stand offs. Think blade of a butter knife. It moved them for forward about 2.5 inches. I didn’t like the way they looked and mounted them direct. You could use a flat “blade” down 2 inches. That would take them away also.

See my pix. I out a tape measure in the background. 15000 miles never hit the deflectors.

VentureFar...

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[videoarizona]

Yikes!

 

Do you have stock springs or Progressives? I'm still on stock and I can bounce the bike hard enough to get the travel to hit the light.

I run no air in front at all...maybe that's my problem...

 

 

 

The forks were rebuilt last year and springs measured. Put 15 wt oil in instead of the stock weight.

I could be paranoid! Would hate to break those wind deflectors...

[videoarizona]

But the bottom line, Neil, is put them up and get better use of the light or mount them down.

You run one set low and one set high.

[Kretz]

In that pic above, how about just a short (say 2" maybe 3"long) flat strip (aluminum or SS, drilled as necessary) that would drop the light mounting height to get it lower & away from the plastic above?

[videoarizona]

In that pic above, how about just a short (say 2" maybe 3"long) flat strip (aluminum or SS, drilled as necessary) that would drop the light mounting height to get it lower & away from the plastic above?

 

Don't want to go lower as the light is low enough as is to just barely be useful. I would want to move it forward about 1.5 inches. But Neil has me thinking about just mounting them and see what happens. I can always take them off....

[bongobobny]

As far as mounting on your lowers, I personally think there is too much flex on them and you would have a light beam that vibrates and bounces around too much IMHO...

[videoarizona]

As far as mounting on your lowers, I personally think there is too much flex on them and you would have a light beam that vibrates and bounces around too much IMHO...

 

 

I've been thinking about that...and thinking of ways to reinforce the top of the lowers. I can't remember seeing any vibration type flex on them on this cross country trip when I ran into heavy winds for a good part of it. I may have solved part of that problem when I reinforced the lower parts of the fairings with fiberglass last year, after seeing how prone they are to cracking due to flex stress. Maybe a simple layer of epoxy and glass matt near the top of the inside of the fairing will solve that problem. Plus, by adding a small square of ABS where the bolt would go through, I may be able to stiffen up the mounting so it doesn't crack with vibration.

 

Thanks for confirming that I need to take that into account. LOL...maybe a little flexing would be good...like a modulating headlight!

 

And as Neil said...I think I am making to much of the this whole problem. Just mount the darn lights where I want them and live with it!!

[VentureFar]

My front shocks are stock.

I have hit plenty of pot holes

Hasn’t hit yet that I know of.

VentureFar...

 

 

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[baylensman]

Glad i'm not the only wit this issue. I don't want to drill holes but i have two sets of light i'd like to mount. Never thought of using the fender mount idea.

i've been thinking of turning the mounts for the hi way pegs up side down and pushing them as high as they'll go so i can mount the other lights below them.