How are your lights set up

Mick_rw · Oct 1, 2003

Originally posted by Mike O
2 x PIAA 910 Fogs (the lower ones in the pic), 2 x PIAA 1200 Spots (quite the best spots I've ever used - apparently discontinued now ). Expensive but brilliant build quality & very good lights.

Mike,

In case your need parts have just done a search on the web and found this web site selling both lights you mentioned, PIAA 1200 at £123.25 a pair and the PIAA 910 fogs at £188.50 a pair

http://www.a-pp.com/

Mick

Roge · Oct 1, 2003

Mark Dilloway said:
Roger - a bit like like Scurrel and Mike - in addition to Phillips bulbs I have PIAAs on the light bar connected to the Cancel switch and Hellas on the Wunderlich bars connected to the main beam. No problem with bulbs.

The only problem I have is that I think my fuse to my Hellas is too low since if I have my PIAAs on and then want go onto main beam the Hella fuse goes. Scurrell - can you remember what amp fuse you used - I think mine is a 5 amp. Otherwise I too would be 6-light guy.

Can't make Battleaxes in Oct Roger otherwise we could have chatted about it.

5A is way to low try at 55W each lamp is drawing nearly 5A so your 5A fuse is on the raggedy edge. On the bike the brake lamp (21W) is rated at 4A!! so you should be looking at a 10A fuse at least you are protecting the wiring not the lamps.

MikeO · Oct 1, 2003

Roger Walton said:
5A is way to low try at 55W each lamp is drawing nearly 5A so your 5A fuse is on the raggedy edge. On the bike the brake lamp (21W) is rated at 4A!! so you should be looking at a 10A fuse at least you are protecting the wiring not the lamps.

I've got a 10w fuse in my set-up. I have a maximum of 4 lights on (main beam, std GS main + 2 x 1200 spots = total of 220w), no need for 6 lights, IMHO. Did that for the first year & found it unnecessary....

Mike

ps Mick RW - thanks for the link - you'll have to save at least one pint for Gazza - he did the hard work

.

(RIP) Mark Dilloway · Oct 2, 2003

Roger and Mike O - Many thanks for the advice. Those PIAA 1200s are just amazing. I use them while filtering hence my "Moses when the lights are on" (Red Sea and all that...).

I hope they have a suitable replacement for any of my mods in the future

Roge · Oct 2, 2003

Light Differences

Is the difference between PIAA lights and Hella/Ring etc worth the difference in price. (Should not have asked I bet I get 7 responses and 8 opinions)

MikeO · Oct 2, 2003

Re: Light Differences

Roger Walton said:
(Should not have asked I bet I get 7 responses and 8 opinions)

As ever...........

Don't know. I had BMW Adv fog lights fitted until my prang. Although they're very good lights (from the point of view of beam pattern, brightness, looks etc), they have an incredibly fragile mounting systen (basically 2 thin bits of bakelite which will break even with a slight knock). If you break them, you've got to replace the entire lamp and they are VERY expensive.

After my prang, I decided to re-assess my lighting needs and did a lot of web-seaching, especially on the ADVRider site. I toyed with the idea of 2 pairs of PIAA 910s (1 pr fogs & 1 pr spots), but didn't think the upper light mount would handle the extra weight (would've looked even more OTT than my present set-up as well

).

All I can say is that the lights are now exceptional - easily encompassing the performance envelope of the bike safely on unlit roads. Hella/Ring may produce similar results.

Mike

ps I had a R850R as a loan bike a couple of months ago. It had a simple round 7" (or so) headlamp and gave an excellent beam pattern. If my std GS light had been that good I wouldn't bother with additional lights. BMW can make good headlights - it's fashion that has produced the glow-worm on Prozac we're stuck with......

theclowncrusty · Oct 2, 2003

HELLA V PIAA???

The PIAA must be fecking good lights at that price if you ask me, seems like a awfull lot of dosh to spend when i got two sets of FF50`s for 73 quid from a Hella stockists. 1 pair fogs and 1 pair spots, dead easy to fit (main problen was trying to keep the wiring neat).
Just my 2p worth......
The Clown

MiGSel · Oct 2, 2003

Like this:

Fogs (CarPoint):

Spots (Hella FF50):

From the bottom:

(RIP) Mark Dilloway · Oct 2, 2003

Roger, since I have both I believe I can give you a reasonable view. The PIAAs were the first to be installed - after we met at Sarrat - and the difference was unbelievable and the result is far better than the HALFORDS option which many people have.

After fitting my HELLAS I discovered the overall brightness was similar to that of the PIAAs. Which bearing in mind the difference in size is remarkable

Is the difference in cost between the two worth it? No - not really. With the PIAAs you get a wonderful wiring loom, LED and switch most of which we don't use because we (I) cut down the loom and use the Autoswitch option (which also comes with an LED which I also don't use). With the HELLA option you get the lights and the relay so you have to make up your own wiring loom and have to buy your spade terminals, crimping pliers etc - it depends how plumbed in you want to be.

About light coverage - well my PIAAs were meant as running lights and are focused as dipped headlights to avoid blinding people. That said because the light is so white I still get flashed!! My HELLAs are focused as a main beam. That said, the difference between the two is not huge and subjectively I don't think there would be much difference between the two if both were focused as main beam.

A decision on level of brightness based upon pictures posted here will be difficult due to the focusing issue - dipped or main. Subjectively - looking at the lights whilst switched on I can tell you that a few degrees off-line is the difference between saying "Ah ha, OK", and not being able to see for five minutes as a splitting headache starts.

The PIAAs are black, small, very bright, unobtrusive but expensive. The HELLAs are a black, a little larger, very bright, relatively unobtrusive and cheap. Because of the wiring loom the PIAAs can be installed in half the time. If the bulb goes in a PIAA the entire reflector/bulb assembly is changed. For the HELLA the bulb alone is changed.

And no I don't know the differences in cost.

But I hope this helps!

Roge · Oct 2, 2003

Mark Dilloway said:
Roger, since I have both I believe I can give you a reasonable view. The PIAAs were the first to be ..........................................................................................And no I don't know the differences in cost.

But I hope this helps!

Thanks Mark that was the type of info I was looking for.

I will probably mount a pair of FF75 fogs and FF75 Driving lamps

Thanks

Roger

judge · Oct 2, 2003

Mark Dilloway said:
And no I don't know the differences in cost.

But I hope this helps!

Sure does, as and when I do receive my Hellas I will have BOTH DE fogs and FF50/75 driving lights for £120, I think a single set of PIAAs comes to more than that

(RIP) Mark Dilloway · Oct 2, 2003

cost

If my memory serves me the PIAAs cost around £165 - but now they are around at much less since they have been discontinued.

The HELLAs were recommended by a guy with no vested interest who said they were "OK do the job and don't flicker" They cost around £50. All you then need is some coloured wires and a few spade terminals, crimper, heatshrink, soldering iron and cable ties.

Judge has done the sums for you!!

The cost in replacement bulbs is likely to be considerable between the two units for the reason I mentioned but again if my memory serves me the HELLA bulb is a standard H1 - I should have checked on the web site but I'm pretty sure I'm right.

If you want HELLAs on your crash bars - as I have - then you need to consider just how close you follow cars etc. because you cannot replace the front clear lense alone if you are one of those people who are suspect to picking up stone chips - it is a sealed unit. But the glass is pretty substantial and no damage was incurred from the rubbish thrown up in front of me on the Morocco trip.

Detox · Oct 2, 2003

Genuine question, what sort of riding are you guys doing that you feel the need for so many lights? I’m sure there are some genuine users out there, but can’t help thinking there’s more than few fashion victims too.

Cheers,

Andy

MiGSel · Oct 2, 2003

Before the GS I had a K1200RS and never felt the need to add something to the lights.

The GS has such a small light that I added the fogs to be seen. Cagers don't confuse me with a moped so easily. Come winter, I didn't see where I was going, so I added some more lights. The Hella spots are to see where I'm going. OK, I could ditch the fogs now, but since I have them...

I ride all year, at least 60 km a day to go to work, so in winter that's 60 km in the dark every day. So I think the 150 euros were well spent... Certainly if compared to the 500 for the bmw lights that tend to fall off!

Mick_rw · Oct 2, 2003

Why the need for lights...

Andy Lord said:
Genuine question, what sort of riding are you guys doing that you feel the need for so many lights? I’m sure there are some genuine users out there, but can’t help thinking there’s more than few fashion victims too.

Cheers,

Andy

I use my bike for work and intend to use it through out the year, so I will be leaving and returning in the dark, so would like some decent lights to see me on my way.......

So any suggestions welcome...

Mick...

MikeO · Oct 2, 2003

Andy Lord said:
Genuine question, what sort of riding are you guys doing that you feel the need for so many lights?

Believe me, I don't want lights hanging all over the bike - I just can't see a bloody thing at night (it gets orrfull daark up 'ere, young master) with the standard lights. As I posted earlier, if I'd had the standard lighting of an R850R on my bike, it would now be spotlampless.....

Mike

Steve · Oct 2, 2003

Andy Lord said:
Genuine question, what sort of riding are you guys doing that you feel the need for so many lights?

If it was a fashion thing I wouldn't have made my light bar out of a bit of old scrap iron!!

I like to ride fast, and I like to ride in the dark. Additional lighting allows me to do that in a safer fashion.

judge · Oct 3, 2003

Andy Lord said:
Genuine question, what sort of riding are you guys doing that you feel the need for so many lights? I’m sure there are some genuine users out there, but can’t help thinking there’s more than few fashion victims too.

Cheers,

Andy

Andy, despite what they say there is a significant amount of lemming-like keeping up with the Jones' and some of the bikes would be more in place at carnival as they look like floats but I guess I'd be right in making the assumption that you haven't seen Vern's bike?

Now when you see me on my PD and it has extra lights on it - I respectfully suggest if you ask why you haven't ridden on of them at night. If I could get a night vision visor I would!!

Detox · Oct 3, 2003

Andy,

I’m an 1100GS owner, you’re correct in assuming I haven’t ridden any of the earlier models of GS. I also haven’t ridden the latter models.

I have however completed in excess of 84k all year round miles (don’t own a car anymore) on my 11 in all sorts of weather and I have found the standard headlight more than adequate.

It could be a case of I don’t know what I’m missing, so I am more than willing to be convinced additional lighting is the way forward, hence the original question.

Cheers,

Andy

Roge · Oct 3, 2003

Andy Lord said:
Andy,

I’m an 1100GS owner, you’re correct in assuming I haven’t ridden any of the earlier models of GS. I also haven’t ridden the latter models.

I have however completed in excess of 84k all year round miles (don’t own a car anymore) on my 11 in all sorts of weather and I have found the standard headlight more than adequate.

It could be a case of I don’t know what I’m missing, so I am more than willing to be convinced additional lighting is the way forward, hence the original question.

Cheers,

Andy

If the 1150 had the lights that the 1100GS or the 1100/1150R had the lamp and bracket manufacturers would be struggling

Roger

How are your lights set up

What Lighting set up do you use?

Standard out of the box and happy

Standard out of the box - sh!Te

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Pair of Spots

1 Spot & 1 Fog

Pair of Fogs & Pair of Spots

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