Additional lights for Adventure... advice.

[ballistic]

After having a 1200GS for nearly 2 years, and being very pleased with it, I’m just about to spec/order an Adventure.
The one area in which I can’t make up my mind is auxiliary lights. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the GS lights are ‘crap’, like some have, but additional lighting would certainly be an advantage for regular night time riding.
I like the Migsel light bar set-up with 2, or even 4 spots, but I don’t think this light bar fits the Adventure… bigger tank? The BMW spots that fit the engine bars look OK, but they’re not HID… can you buy the mounting frame separately and fit other spots?
What solutions have other 1200 Adventure riders come up with?

 

[Cole]

HID Auxiliary lights ... like these:
If you want some, let me know ASAP ... available in regular 35w HID or if you really want hard core lights, I should be able to source 50w HID units. Should be able to get a pair of 35w ones for £155 and 50w ones for £185. They are small ... about the same size as Hella Micro DEs. I have never tried them ... but am about to ship a pair over for testing. If you want to give em a try, let me know ASAP as I need to finalise my order with the factory. These are only going to be good as main beam driving lights tho.

(see also http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showpost.php?p=819272&postcount=12)

 

[Cole]

As for the BMW lights

I have the regualr £200 BMW fog lights ... these are projector lights with a good sharp cutoff and run H11 bulbs. I have done a HID conversion on them and use them as additional HID dipped beams. They give a really good spead of light close to the bike and make a huge difference to the illumination to the sides. In that sense they have a true foglight 90 degree beam (45 degrees either side of straight ahead) instead of the narrower 20 or 35 degree wide beam of a driving light

If you want additional HID dipped beams (rather than additional HID driving beams) then you could do a lot worse than to go with the BMW fog lights and HIDify them yourself.

The effect is something like this:

See this post for more detail:
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69094

The other advantage of going with the BMW lights is that you also get the BMW mounting bar ... which you also can buy separately I believe, for 60-70 quid.

 

[ianran]

I have the regualr £200 BMW fog lights ... these are projector lights with a good sharp cutoff and run H11 bulbs. I have done a HID conversion on them and use them as additional HID dipped beams. They give a really good spead of light close to the bike and make a huge difference to the illumination to the sides. In that sense they have a true foglight 90 degree beam (45 degrees either side of straight ahead) instead of the narrower 20 or 35 degree wide beam of a driving light

If you want additional HID dipped beams (rather than additional HID driving beams) then you could do a lot worse than to go with the BMW fog lights and HIDify them yourself.

The effect is something like this:

See this post for more detail:
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69094

The other advantage of going with the BMW lights is that you also get the BMW mounting bar ... which you also can buy separately I believe, for 60-70 quid.

How much was bulb conversion?
I assume its straightforward?

Cheers

 

[Cole]

How much was bulb conversion?
I assume its straightforward?
Cheers

The conversons can cost anything from £80 to £300 for a pair ... depends on what supplier of kit you use. I know there are some guys on here who have used an Ebay guy who does 35 watt kits for £80. I dont know if that guy does the H11 bulbs. I understand he only does 4700K colour temp burners.

If you want a reliable UK based supplier, try HIDs4U ... they are normally about £220 for a 35w kit, but I posted a link a while back which gets you the kit for about £198 delivered. They offer you 3 colour temps - 5000, 6000 and 8000k, and do have the H11 bulbs.

I am currently investigating bringing 50w HID kits into the country and should have some more answers after Xmas about these über-bright setups (1.5 times normal (35w) HID light) which electronically conveniently use a similar wattage to the original 55w H1s, H3s, H7s and H11s.

The kits themselves are pretty straightforward. The main trick is working out where to mount the ballasts (electronic voltage controls and igniters for the HID burners), though some ballasts can provide canbus problems.

 

[Padge]

To mount them you have a few options, but most seem to be home made at the moment.
Do a search for Adventure Lights in the 1200 section and you'll find a few suggestions.

Here's a photo of a simple light bar I saw in South London Motorcycles a few weeks back.
It was just cable tied under the beak, but wouldn't be too difficult to do something more permanent.

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84716&page=2&pp=16&highlight=south+london+lights

I made my own bracket for my 12AVD. I'm running Ring Micro Cruise lights. Theyre 55watt only cost about 25 quid.
They have a very wide spread, so excellent for being seen and narrow lanes (or off roading in the dark), but don't project the light into the distance.
I'll try to take a photo of the bracket if I get a chance.

If you're looking for more light in the distance you'd want a pretty narrow spread..Something I wish I had lately on the long dark runs. Maybe I'll add a second pair..

 

[Kanegon]

PIAA 510 ATPs

Not being a fan of the BMW Aux lights i went a set of the PIAA 510 ATP lights mounted to the crash bars using the PIAA ATV Brackets (http://www.shopatron.com/product/product_id=PIA74100/353.0). I like the mounts ($20 US) but may upgrade the lights.

 

[Schwarz Baron]

I have the standard Adv set up, which I am fairly impressed with. Being a nightshift worker, I use my Adv for the trips to and from work on these dark winter nights, I find the spread of light, more than effective, on the proper setting, it compliments the dipped beam more than adequately, by adding that extra spread of light left and right of the dipped beam. Only on the odd occasion do I get a flash from the oncoming tin box. I think if I fitted the HID bulbs, then I might look like an oncoming aircraft.

 

[Shep]

Having read about the fragile nature of the BMW's foglights I've been carefull around mine, however late saturday morning just pulled up at home and saw a strange light reflecting off the bushes beside me, on checking, the LH fog lamp had fallen off and was hanging by its wires, Not good at all very little material where it had broken and it had that brittle plastic feel about it seems poor to me

Shep

 

[dirtydog]

Having read about the fragile nature of the BMW's foglights I've been carefull around mine, however late saturday morning just pulled up at home and saw a strange light reflecting off the bushes beside me, on checking, the LH fog lamp had fallen off and was hanging by its wires, Not good at all very little material where it had broken and it had that brittle plastic feel about it seems poor to me

Shep

Clipped mine on the garden gate and it stapped clean off. £55 for a new one. The plastic is so cheap and nasty it's 'untrue'...

 

[Shep]

Clipped mine on the garden gate and it stapped clean off. £55 for a new one. The plastic is so cheap and nasty it's 'untrue'...

£55 for the complete lamp or the plastic bit?

 

[dirtydog]

£55 for the complete lamp or the plastic bit?

You have to buy the complete lamp, apparently the plastic cover isn't available as a separate item...