Owen

Just to add to the discussion... click here to see a sample of the different beam patterns. Notice that driving and fog lights do not extend the distance by very far. This means they do not have a very tall pattern. Fog Lights Anyone who has driven through a thick patch of fog knows that switching on the high beams does not improve your visibility–it makes it worse. That's because the light from your high beams reflects off the water droplets in the fog, bouncing right back into your eyes. The same thing happens when you're driving through other foul weather, like rain storms or snow flurries. Traditional low beams and high beams just can't cut through. Fog lights are the answer to driving through pea soup and foul weather. The only effective way to drive through dense fog is to angle the light downward onto the road, so that it avoids running right into the reflective water droplets. Typically, fog hovers about 12"–18" above the road's surface. Fog lights mount low on your front bumper, and cast a wide beam of light down onto the road. That way, the light gets lower than the fog, and you're able to see clearer and drive safer. What's more, in order to keep the light from extending above the level of your bumper, the beams of light are cut off at the top (imagine an Oreo cookie that's been divided in half). How your fog lights are aimed is extremely important. If they're angled too high, their light will just shoot right up into the mist—not to mention right into the eyes of oncoming motorists. If they're angled too low, then their range is greatly reduced, and you won't be able to see far enough ahead. Thankfully, the Society of Automotive Engineers (S.A.E.) has taken the guess work out of aiming fog lights by developing a standard system. Here's how it works: Mount the fog lights on the front of your vehicle between 10"–14" up from the ground. Park your vehicle 25' away from a flat wall, like a garage door or the side of a building. You'll want to make sure that the ground is level so that the results are accurate. Measure the height from the center of the lamp to the ground. Use that same measurement to draw a line on the wall with some chalk. Turn on the fog lights, and take a look at where the light hits on the wall. The tops of the beams should be 4" below the line you drew. A properly aimed set of fog lights not only gives you better visibility, it's also good roadway etiquette. Misaligned fog lights can shoot right into the eyes of oncoming drivers, and no one wants blinded motorist on the road, especially on stormy nights. After the initial alignment, periodically check to make sure that the lights are still aimed correctly. Since fog lights mount so low to the ground, they are at greater risk of being knocked out of position. A number of well-respected companies craft quality fog lights, including Hella, PIAA and KC HiLites. Driving Lights Safe driving is dependent on our ability to react to any situation, but we can only respond to what we can see. Low beams and high beams are our first line of defense against poor visibility, but often their range falls short. Driving lights pick up the slack. They're designed to boost the intensity and range of your high beams, showering the roadway with brilliant light. When we can see clearly, we're able to rapidly respond to whatever may come our way. If you think about it, driving lights give you the power to peer into the future. All their extra light reveals the road that lies ahead of you, and you can use that knowledge of upcoming conditions to plan your next course of action. Without the foresight that driving lights deliver, your ability to respond to hazards is greatly diminished. Because of this special characteristic, driving lights are most effective for nighttime highway driving because of the higher cruising speeds. Driving lights generate beams that are more focused than fog lights because they're engineered to travel farther in advance of your vehicle. As such, correctly aiming them is crucial to improve your own visibility while avoiding blinding other motorists. Follow these S.A.E. tips to properly align your driving lights. Mount your driving lights on the front of your vehicle 14"–30" up from the ground. Park 25' away from a flat wall, like a garage door or the side of a building. Level ground gives you the most accurate results. Measure the distance from the center of your driving light down to the pavement, and mark that distance on the wall with chalk. Flip on the lights and find the center of the hot spot, which is the intense inner circle of the beam. Tilt the driving light so that the center of the hot spot is 1 " below the mark you made in the wall. While there is little variation in the beam pattern of fog lights, driving lights come in a number of different styles that are optimized for specific driving conditions. Normal Driving Light Pattern This standard pattern increases the range and brightness of your vehicle's high beams. It's designed for higher nighttime cruising speeds, and it helps you clearly see signs and hazards long before your normal high beams. Euro Light Beam Pattern This pattern is designed to produce an exceptionally strong beam of light with wider coverage than the normal pattern. In fact, it projects its beam up to 1,500' away at a width of 250'. The beams are angled upward and to the right, illuminating the side of the road and making it much easier to see street signs and pedestrians. Cornering Light Beam Pattern This beam pattern is designed to improve your front and side vision, especially for winding roads, tight curves and cornering. Plus, you can get an intelligent lighting system that automatically senses when you're driving around a bend and turns on a fill light to illuminate the curve. Pencil Light Beam Pattern This pattern puts out a powerful, narrow and extremely long stream of light that's designed for reaching maximum distances. The range for a single beam can extend up to 2,500' long by 120' feet wide. Because of their power, pencil beam lights are recommended for off-road and racing use. Here is a pretty good review of different motorcycle lights. Hope this gets you thinking...

Ok... I gotta ask... what is the beam pattern from these 'driving' lights. I see 12 degree beam but that is a 'conical' 12 degrees. That means it is throwing light as high as it is wide. Seems to me that would be pretty blinding to on coming cars especially at night. Most driving lights have a beam that is not so tall yet pretty wide... more rectangular. Am I missing something here???

sounds like a plan... breakfast on the island...

Margaret and I are going down early saturday morning and then get the heck out of dodge after lunch...

Thanks for the offers guys, but I went ahead and got a set of new ones....

I have been very interested in these since first seeing them a couple years ago. The reasoning behind them is sound. They are a little ways down on my 'want' list at this point though...

You can find 'silkies' at your local bike shops too.

Do a search for Marshall Mod ...

Says I gotta register or sign in... sorry.

Ponch, I'm wondering about bar risers. Do they cause any problems with fitment?

You Probably have the same ones I have. Remove the outer ring and sealed beam. The bolt in the bottom needs to be loosened just enough to allow you to move it to the correct position. Then put the light back together, aim the light, then take it apart, then tighten the nut, then put it back together... repeat as necessary. Simple and straight forward...

Those are carb covers and they clean up the looks of the top of the motor nicely...

Having just made a long trip up that a way... I recommend a full face helmet, actually a modular is best for me, to break the wind and help with the cold and rain if it happens. Second is warm, water proof gloves for the same reasons. Its always my fingers and hands that get cold.

Everything on order... Thanks.

Yep... guess I will.

yep...

I am looking for a set of crash bar braces complete with clamps. Anyone have a set willing to part with them?

Completed my registration today for the class. I'm really looking forward to it! Who's gonna join me?

Thanks for sharing the photos!

Leave it home. It will still be there when you get back.

Been there several times. Nothing specific for yamaha but they do carry lots of lights and Küryakyn stuff. Super nice folks run the place.

Well I may not look it but I enlisted in the Air Force during Viet Nam... and I sometimes feel like I have aged 20yrs in the last year!

Glad you made it home safely! The clunk in the front end could be the same as mine... I have no idea and have not been able to find it!

Remedpar! I have purchased many items from them over the years. I also attended a CT service class there... its a small world!