► Lights, indicators, electrics and alarm

[Porthos1]

I am about to take the plunge and buy some 'extra' lights for my GS. Keen to canvass peoples honest opinion on which to get? Are the TT Halogen worth the price tag (I do cover several hundred miles in the dead of night on the A1!)?

Are the budget lights on the posts above good enough? Are the TT 'Fog Lights' up to the job?

TT vs other brands?

I am yet to purchase kit from TT. I am better off ordering directly through them or do Nippy Norman's offer a quicker service?

Sorry to ask so many questions but would be keen to hear your views. I am a firm believer in paying for quality (but hate being ripped off!).

Many thanks.

 

[Blobby]

I am about to take the plunge and buy some 'extra' lights for my GS. Keen to canvass peoples honest opinion on which to get? Are the TT Halogen worth the price tag (I do cover several hundred miles in the dead of night on the A1!)?

Are the budget lights on the posts above good enough? Are the TT 'Fog Lights' up to the job............

Take a look at Les HID 50 Watt kit discussed on this thread as the light output looks stunning if you view the website they refer to. http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=201838

 

[fireman]

strobes

I'm considering fitting these to the hand guards and perhaps down on the cross bar of the crash bars for those moments when you might want to filter or draw attention to yourself when you get a motorist who has that look where they appear to be looking through you and not at you.

I realise flashing strobes are not legal. I'm thinking of wiring them up to a centech fuse box and have a dedicated switch in addition to the mode selector.

Someone had strobes at the Touratech Travel event and I wondered if anyone else has them or has photos/video of them in action aside from the stuff already on YouTube?

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5mZZSuTD5ac&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5mZZSuTD5ac&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Just havin a giggle here at the talk of these strobes, A word of warning guys!
I drive a 15 ton red thing with blue and white strobes all over it plus bloody loud two tone horns. if you are filtering with strobes on beware of some very strange things. some people just freeze and stop dead, others mount pavements and others jump red lights and almost cause crashes. thats why mr plod will have you!!! stick to your HID and a high vis if thats your thing. otherwise go and get the 800 dirty.
ok i am finished now

 

[tommyboy]

Tried out some new spots for 'bikers on a budget'. I think they look real good.
Well heres a Waldo moment, can you 'spot the spot'?
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-GvXj0lcui75tVu1c1SLlA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_VhF0aJqSW8c/Sq7I531KaiI/AAAAAAAAAWc/kDyHoNk2pAw/s144/IMG_0479.JPG" /></a>
Its from a compant called Bikeviz and they sell for £12 for a set of 2.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ZDKmN2aIqbTIZ2_XPlV2Pg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_VhF0aJqSW8c/Sq7I32eXIdI/AAAAAAAAAWU/5KX78k-wJsE/s144/IMG_0469.JPG" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/EXBCBEv5WgM87n9TR-pYvg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_VhF0aJqSW8c/Sq7I459yeXI/AAAAAAAAAWY/9wooTFhsma4/s144/IMG_0471.JPG" /></a>
Check it out for yourself

Look good and I am tempted can I ask how you wired them in?

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Blobby]

Look good and I am tempted can I ask how you wired them in?

Cheers,
Tom

Glad you asked that as mine arrived today and I came to a standstill when I got to the electrics.

 

[zippygser]

Look good and I am tempted can I ask how you wired them in?

Cheers,
Tom

Glad you asked that as mine arrived today and I came to a standstill when I got to the electrics.

I did have a bit of deliberation over the position of the LED's. Now sorry i did not take any pics when doing it.

What i ended up doing was loosening the front black plastic that holds the radiator cover in place, then took a little drill to the top of the brackets that hold the front indicators, just big enough to get the wires through and keep the LED securely in place. The wires are then just loosely channelled towards the canbus were connected using the cable purchased from BMW (£7)

I hope this helps a bit, i know its rather easier to follow pictures

 

[everywherevirtually]

Just havin a giggle here at the talk of these strobes, A word of warning guys!
I drive a 15 ton red thing with blue and white strobes all over it plus bloody loud two tone horns. if you are filtering with strobes on beware of some very strange things. some people just freeze and stop dead, others mount pavements and others jump red lights and almost cause crashes. thats why mr plod will have you!!! stick to your HID and a high vis if thats your thing. otherwise go and get the 800 dirty.
ok i am finished now

<object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2870143&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2870143&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/2870143">BMW F800 GS amber strobes</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user910681">Jonathan Fox</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

Been there, done that, took them off Fireman. It was a bit of fun for a while but now I just have the LED strips on the handlebars which serve a more useful function

 

[tommyboy]

I did have a bit of deliberation over the position of the LED's. Now sorry i did not take any pics when doing it.

What i ended up doing was loosening the front black plastic that holds the radiator cover in place, then took a little drill to the top of the brackets that hold the front indicators, just big enough to get the wires through and keep the LED securely in place. The wires are then just loosely channelled towards the canbus were connected using the cable purchased from BMW (£7)

I hope this helps a bit, i know its rather easier to follow pictures

I sort of get the idea without the pics cheers, I was more worried about where to actually attach the wires as the bloody canbus freaks me out a bit tbh

Whats this lead you bought from BMW any links?

Cheers again,

Tom

 

[everywherevirtually]

I sort of get the idea without the pics cheers, I was more worried about where to actually attach the wires as the bloody canbus freaks me out a bit tbh

Whats this lead you bought from BMW any links?

Cheers again,

Tom

maybe checkout the Centech AP1 from Nippy Normans. It's a fuse box that you attach to the battery. That way you don't have to mess with the Canbus. If in future you want more lights, a heated vest or another accessory you just pop it into another slot on the Centech

 

[zippygser]

I sort of get the idea without the pics cheers, I was more worried about where to actually attach the wires as the bloody canbus freaks me out a bit tbh

Whats this lead you bought from BMW any links?

Cheers again,

Tom

sorry no links but if you head off to your local bmw and ask for the canbus lead for an 800gs, the will know what to supply. its a really simple cable actually, a canbus connector with 3 yellow wires attached

 

[TexasMule]

I could've sworn I saw...

I just received my HID35W conversion kit from Les, and I could've sworn I saw a picture from an Aussie where he put the ballasts on the main bar behind the lights mounted like siamese twins.

I thought the install was very professional looking.

Although I can probably remember/figure it out myself, it bothers me more that I can't find the pictures now.
I've done a search on ADV/F800/UKGS and nothing/nada/nein

Anybody remember seeing this? or are my meds acting up again...

 

[TexasMule]

Found It!

It was on the ADV board.

He used Xenon instead of HID. So much for my search techniques.

 

[everywherevirtually]

I just received my HID35W conversion kit from Les, and I could've sworn I saw a picture from an Aussie where he put the ballasts on the main bar behind the lights mounted like siamese twins.

I thought the install was very professional looking.

Although I can probably remember/figure it out myself, it bothers me more that I can't find the pictures now.
I've done a search on ADV/F800/UKGS and nothing/nada/nein

Anybody remember seeing this? or are my meds acting up again...

I saw that about two weeks ago. I think it's on ADV. Nearer the beginning of the lighting thread for the 800. Will have a look again myself and report back

 

[sijohnston]

HID damage

word of warning: 50W HID's will nuke your 800's headlight. There was a few posts on here recently about it, and mine has since deteriorated very badly. I think it's electron discharge and oxygen reacting, but am not sure. Either way, it ain't pretty. I wonder if the 35's wouldn't be so toxic to the silver reflective film lining the headlight?

 

[freeloader]

word of warning: 50W HID's will nuke your 800's headlight. There was a few posts on here recently about it, and mine has since deteriorated very badly. I think it's electron discharge and oxygen reacting, but am not sure. Either way, it ain't pretty. I wonder if the 35's wouldn't be so toxic to the silver reflective film lining the headlight?

Some time ago I responded to one of those posts about reflector damage due to the fitting of 50W HIDs, at which time my dip beam reflector was just starting to lose its reflectiveness just above the bulb holder.

That old post of mine for comparison, taken 5 weeks ago...

I've just taken these photos of the state it's in now. Bear in mind I haven't done many miles, maybe a hundred or so in the last 5 weeks...

...so I've decided to go back to conventional H7s for now, although I'll be trying out something like the Halfrauds Extreme Power bulbs (or whatever they're called) instead of the standard ones, and hope the reflector doesn't get any worse.

I'd been thinking about this for the main beam anyway, since the HID in there takes so long to reach working brightness that for a signal flash, that it's worse than the conventional bulb for that purpose.

I suppose I could try a 35W HID for the dip beam, but for the main beam, given the way I use the bike, fitting a HID was a waste of time and money.

 

[divelandy]

That does not look good

Compared to the previous image of mine, there's little change in 4 weeks another 3k miles - total of 9k with only the first couple of hundred without HID.

 

[freeloader]

That does not look good

Compared to the previous image of mine, there's little change in 4 weeks another 3k miles - total of 9k with only the first couple of hundred without HID.

View attachment 133106

Interesting, but are yours 35W or 50W? The only other thing which I can think of which might make a difference is the colour temperature. However, I can't remember what temperature mine are...

Mine are coming out though, just as soon as the new (undrilled) covers for the back of the headlamp unit arrive. And I won't be using the bike much until they do (if at all); I don't want the reflectors to get any worse than they are, although that could be bolting the stable door after the horse has gone...

 

[divelandy]

Mine are 50watt 6000k HID's from Les.
I'd hate to go back to the candles....

 

[everywherevirtually]

The burning will spread and the smoke generated will cloud up your lens. I tried taking the black outer cover off to access the glass only to find that something is still holding the outer cover on despite the 3 clips and few screws being removed. In addition to this the glass is sealed into the headlight housing.

I am hoping to remove the glass and refurbish the lens. I have some chrome aerosol paint and some silicon / glue combo sealant to deal with replacing the lens.

 

[freeloader]

...However, I can't remember what temperature mine are...

The HIDs I fitted are 50W and 5000K, if anyone's interested. It might be interesting to know how widespread this problem is, and if the colour temperature is a factor (I'd guess that the power rating IS a factor, but I really didn't want to get 35W HIDs because I thought they wouldn't be bright enough).

Anyone else noticed this happening to their headlights?