DIPPED BEAM

[ELIMINATOR]

As the lights are so duff, I ma thinking of going continental?
I mean that I am going to switch the dipped beam to the other side. Although admirable in intent, by just rotating the dipped beam from L/H drive to R/H it is obvious whom it is aimed at PUN!!!] .it does agreat job of lighting up the kerb, but the horizontal beam is crap, if I rotate it so that it is L/H drive I think it will be far better. The raise right hand side looks?! as if it won't offend an owl, let alone a car driver.
Has anyone tried it, or is anyone running their light like this.

 

[(RIP) Dennis]

I sympathise with your problem and recently invested in a Phillips 30% brighter bulb which has improved things a little. I don't think that rotating the light will achieve much.
M&P are now advertising HID conversion kits at £199 which I'm thinking of trying out on my dipped light. my problem is compounded by the fact that I have a TT HID spot wired in with my main beam and when I dip the lights it is as though everything has gone out...

 

[ELIMINATOR]

If it is just swopping to some exotic bulb then I would not bother. The problem is with the design of the light, all you will get is brighter lights illuminating the same area, and not a larger illuminated area. For that sort of money you can get fog lights fitted. No experience of these, just read about it a lot on this site.

 

[(RIP) Dennis]

No, HID is far more than just an exotic bulb, the tiny TT HID spot is awesome far brighter than any pair of spots I've ever used. Although I do take your point about the design off the light itself. Equally just rotating it will just leave a hole right where you least want it...smack in the middle.

 

[ELIMINATOR]

But, it is free ti try!

 

[ELIMINATOR]

Been out to the garage, followed the instructionas in the BMW book,but I can't adjust the dipped beam. What am I supposed to turn? I don't want to break something?
Someone out there must have done this when riding abroad.

I loosened the cap head, but what am I supposed to grab to turn, to butt the opposite pin adjacent to? I grabbed everything available, but the light did not want to rotate.

 

[columbus]

Loosen the whole unit and pull it forward about 5mm rotate it and push back. Tthere is a small plastic moulding like a dowel on the light unit itself and 3 locating holes on the clamping assembly. Once you have done this and tightened everything up and replaced the screen you can see that it is quite an easy procedure.

The fact that it is easy to do will please you greatly 'cos you can now start to reverse the whole procedure and put it back the way it was.

My GSA is an import and when I picked it up the beam was still adjusted for continental roads. This conected with the lights being crap anyway is not good when you discover it on a narrow road in the middle of nowhere without street lights at night in the pissing rain.

The solution, as testimony to lots of folk on this website, rotate the unit for our roads, 30% brighter dipped beam bulb, 100w main beam bulb, Hella FF75 Driving lamps and Micro DE fog lamps. Fit them get a long stretch of unlit road, at night, with a bend along it and adjust them.

P.S. Hope you read all this before rotating your headlamp unit.

 

[nleader]

Been out to the garage, followed the instructionas in the BMW book,but I can't adjust the dipped beam. What am I supposed to turn? I don't want to break something?
Someone out there must have done this when riding abroad.

Well, I could tell you, but as I don't approve of dazzling oncoming drivers with my headlight, I won't!

But just in case you do go to the continent sometime - it really does work as per the book but it took me 30 minutes the first time I tried it, as, like you, I didn't want to force anything and risk breaking it. The whole headlight glass turns.

Cheers, Norman

 

[ELIMINATOR]

OK guys I won't bother adjusting the beam, but I still think it would be better. Has anyone changed the dipped beam in this country before going abroad & noticed the difference.
I don't think that it would blind oncoming traffic, as the left hand side of the beam is far brighter and also covers a larger area than that for the English side of the road. The right hand side is not as good as the left hand portion of the dipped beam.
It was just a cheap BMW excercise to avoid doing the job properly.

 

[(RIP) Bin Ridin]

Bezackly wot they said.... I gave up, went away, then went back and it moved dead easy. Was set for drive on right, made a bit of difference to set it for drive on left, but finally, I fitted the FF75 / DE solution on Migsel bar and the case is closed.
Funny, my Renault 16 had better lights, light height adjustment from dashand headlights could be switched from lhd to rhd in 5 seconds.
Progress or what...

 

[ELIMINATOR]

As for the extra lights option, my budget is currently torn three ways. Crash bars [H & B £115ish] Givi Topbox & backrest [£240ish] lights [£not a clue]

 

[columbus]

I paid @ £120 for the lights from Hella dealer in Glasgow.

 

[Grumpy Lee]

Givi Topbox & backrest [£240ish]

If you are looking for a second hand one give me a ring on 07971 582192, as I have three (all E360) in the loft off of a previous bike (one with a back rest). a rear mounting plate, and a fitting kit for a F6C.

I was / am going to post this lot and some other bits in the For Sale forum towards the end of January after I sort the loft out (insert Smilie of your choice here as it seems I can't - well not when I'm posting from work!!!!)

 

[ELIMINATOR]

It turns out that as the bike is an import, the dip beam is primarily for left hand drive & only for short term Uk use. If you see what I mean. When on dipped most of the light goes up the left hand kerb, with an abysmal bit on the horizontal.
The dealer said that the fact that the bike is an import makes no difference. Errr. That would be no Mondial breakdown then? No BMW UK back up? wrong dipped beam? Thank you.

 

[MikeO]

It turns out that as the bike is an import, the dip beam is primarily for left hand drive & only for short term Uk use.

Whoever told you that is talking bollocks. The dipped beam on LHD environment bikes differs slightly from the RHD bikes - the rectangular section in the centre of the lamp is aligned with the ground when it's adjusted normally (LHD) and tilted to the left (anti-clockwise) (looking from the front of the bike) when adjusted for RHD.

Similarly the RHD headlight is parallel with the ground when RHD and tilted to right (Clockwise) when adjusted for LHD.

Does any of that make sense?

Basically either headlamp can be used in either environment - 'short term use' is just bullsh1t.

This picture shows a RHD headlamp set to RHD (if you look carefully) - a LHD headlamp set to LHD would look the same...

Mike

 

[ELIMINATOR]

When on the motorway in the outside lane, & without dazzling the car in front. I am lighting up the motorway signs on the nearside lane, surely this can't be right?

 

[MikeO]

When on the motorway in the outside lane, & without dazzling the car in front. I am lighting up the motorway signs on the nearside lane, surely this can't be right?

That's exactly what should happen - where's the problem?

Mike