Yet another lighting ??? 87' Royale

[davepa]

Brackets arrived from Squid and now I can't choose lights..My nomad had 55 watt "spots" made by Harley mounted up above center line of headlight which threw the light out well ahead and easily adjustable due to height.

 

Now with the lower mounting position on the 87' and I am sure alot less adjustment angle, would I be farther ahead to use a Amber/clear "fog lamps"?

 

Are you using using fog lamps or spotlights? Pro's --Con's ?

 

35 watt seems to me to be the choice for the charging system..

 

 

Thanks in advance

Dave

[GigaWhiskey]

I am using Walmarts Platinum burners. THey were about $15 and are nice and bright. They look OEM on a 2nd gen and very good on a 1st gen. They are 50 watters (I think) and there is some post on here about where to find 35w bulbs.

[lonestarmedic]

I tried the Burners and liked them. They are a 55watt MR16 bulb. The pattern is 24 degree spot. I put in a set of 12 degree spots and didn't like them. You can go to Lowes and Home Depot and find the 20 and 35 watt versions. Make sure to get the ones with the lens on the front and 12 VDC. I put a #4 stainless steel screw in the bezel to make sure that they don't untwist.

 

JB

[Yammer Dan]

Harbor Freight also has some that work good. 8 bucks when on sale!!

[davepa]

Thanks all ...I am still looking. The light selection at my local Wally-World is slim.

I can not find a standard round chrome light housing even at the chain auto parts stores, other than the large BAJA style.

 

4 inch lights are available but are they too big to mount? Anyone using the 4" housing?

 

Time now to look at Drag Specialties, Summit , and other catalogs.

Edited May 13, 2008 by davepa

[GigaWhiskey]

4 " would be huge.

[sarges46]

The only thing I would really watch for is the draw on the charging system. Now my 89 blue would not handle the draw and I could watch the battery drain as I was driving along....that was with 55watt bulbs.

 

I eventually found 35 watt ones and they worked fine. The usable light was non-existant but I had the "triangle" of light up front like I wanted. To be seen.

 

I had Squids brackets on and they worked slick. You can mount darn near anything there.

 

(I also had Squids thicker wires on as well, which greatly improved things, but still too much draw (55w)for my old bike)

[davepa]

I agree the 30 watt would be much better for the charging system. Since the lower watt doesn't throw much light, I go back to an earlier question...would I be farther ahead to use a fog lamp instead of a spot lamp due to the lower wattage as well as the lower mounting position?

[sarges46]

Sorry Dave...I used a "blue" lens fog...they were quit small bullet shaped and looked pretty good...why blue lens...bike was two tone blue....thats the only reason for the color.

 

My bud here runs with the yellow fogs and they are not that great. I can hardly see them over the main light when he gets far enough behind. But then again they are older.

 

Mine had their own switch which caused me grief cause I kept forgetting to turn them off! They will kill a battery dead dead dead over night!

[davepa]

Thanks Rick....good information

[Squidley]

Dave,

Fog lights throw a shorter beam than the driving lights, and dont light up the road as well. A decent set of driving lights will give lots more useable light further up the road. The 35 watt bulbs are what I used, they were made by Hella, but can be hard to find.

Here's a post by Lonestarmedic that has the smaller lights that I have seen used

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=19714&highlight=Driving+lights

If you like these and can't find them locally, let me know and I'll try to stop and get a part # for you to go by....or I'll pick you up a set and ship them

[lonestarmedic]

I checked the other day and Wally here in S.A. has about 6 set of the lights. If ya can't find them up there, I can get a set and send them.

 

JB

[davepa]

Thanks Guys,

 

Squidly....were the light sets HELLA or just the bulbs (35 watt)

 

Lonestarmedic....If not a problem please let me now the part # for the optronics lights to make sure I have not overlooked them. And yes, If they are unavailable here on the East Coast I may have you ship me a set.

 

In a previous post you were trying to locate a slightly larger light housing did you ever find one?

 

Dave

[GigaWhiskey]

I have what JB has in the link provided by Squidley. It was daylight at night when i turned them on. Covered the ditch and the lane next to me. Even made my windshield look like it was a halo. Not one person has flashed their brights at me with those on.

[lonestarmedic]

Here is the exact same thing I put on. E-bay item #130221271156. The seller has a bunch of these at various prices and shipping charges. I can hit Wally world this weekend and check the part number. I may even have the number in the garage.

 

JB

[Squidley]

Dave,

On the Hella question, it was just replacement H3 bulbs, not an entire set of lights. When I get some time I'll check and see if I can find a distributor on the bulbs. I used to get them through a previous place I worked for as they were replacement bulbs for Forklift headlights.

[BJB]

Try here.

http://www.rallylights.com/hella/H3.asp

[davepa]

Thanks BJ...

[Squidley]

Try here.

http://www.rallylights.com/hella/H3.asp

 

 

Thanks Barry, I have been looking for any source for the 35 watt bulbs

[BJB]

No problem. I just found that site yesterday. I just wish I could find a Canadian distributor for these bulbs. I hate to order a total of $7.00 worth of bulbs and wind up paying around $16 shipping/handling etc etc to get it to me in Canada. I have a set of lights already on my bike and would like to make them into driving lights so that the cage drivers see me better. Thus I need to replace the 55w with 35w.

[davepa]

Just for a update...my local Wally World is to get a shipment of lights Saturday so I will be able to check them out..

Thanks !

[davepa]

Well the lights came in...and 4 sets where damaged. I came home and ordered the Kuryakyn silver bullets with 35 watt bulbs.

 

I will soon see if the choice was a good one. Anyone running the silver bullets?

 

Dave