Lights for a 1200, I need help.

[North]

I have read threads on lights and I am still at a loss.

I want to get lights for my 1200 and just wanted to know what a good PIAA set up would be. I was going to get their light bar made for the 1200.

Oh, what does anyone think of the HID lights.


Thanks
__________________

 

[Trevor Phillips]

So many light setups; so little time to describe them.
Ask yourself what you want. Beam spread, power (range?), legality in BC, image,cost,ease of fitting etc.
There's plenty of GSs looking like 60's scooters around.
But all setups are better than the crap original.
Start with 50% plus bulbs (easiest & cheapest) & work upwards.
Any additional lights & cars in front of you slow down to the speed limit - can be a pain at times.
Trevor

 

[andyclift]

Touratech

Not being happy with GS lights - and not wanting the bike to look like a 60s scooter I opted for the Touratech solution with a halogen fog light on one side and an HID driving light on the other.

The light units and HID ballast are Hella and are supplied with brackets that fit the lights each side of the beak of the GS, a bracket that holds the ballast under the bike's plastic plus all the required wiring, cable ties, fuses, etc. - plus little Touratech style aluminium guards which look OK but I doubt will protect the lights from very much. The light units are like those that BMW supply as an option for the Adventure.

The light brackets are very well made, solid with no vibration and discreet. I found it was a sod to work out how they are fitted but once on they are great. The wiring loom saves all the aggro of working out how to wire relays etc. as its all made up ready to go. Just make connections to bike according to clear instructions. Touratech clearly have never measured a 1200GS - there is enough cable to wire a truck!!

Fitting it all together is a bit time consumming as it involves removing beak, side panels and tank but again, the instructions are clear and it's no problem. It also suggests removing the existing lights to plumb in the cable (you need to connect a wire to both the dip and main beam feeds) but I managed to do it on the bike.

With the standard wiring the fog is switched (throught a neat handlebar switch) and only works with the dipped lights and the HID always comes on with the main beam. A switch could be fitted but there is really no reason to.

As the dip is always on anyway it means that with main beam you have FOUR headlights with a range of spreads. The end result is awesome. The fog light adds something to the overall light but it is more for adding some more spread. The HID light is VERY VERY bright and the white output makes everything really stand out. The only downside is having to go on dip sometimes as losing the HID is like turning the lights off.

The only thing I would change is that I followed the standard fitting which places the fog on the right and HID on the left. As the kit is German this is based on driving on right. It probably does not make a lot of difference but the fog may have been better on the left - although as fitted with the fog on the right its a good additional `here I am' light for daytime.

Highly recommended but Touratech delivery can be long (don't believe the delivery quoted on the website) and as with all HID, its a bit pricey.

 

[Lou Can]

I have a pair of Hella Micro fog lights on a Nippy Norm's Autoswitch. I use these with dip for daytime running (three light points been shown to be good for recognition doncha know). They also act as dip most of the time in darkness and are perfectly adequate but not outstanding since they 'flood' the area in front of the bike. Well worth the money and small and discreet.

I also have a set of matching Hella Micro DE HID driving lights mounted above the fogs on a Migsel bar. Now these are the babies. They are hard wired into the main beam circuit and so come on whenever main beam is selcted or flashed. The result is err... awesome. Steptoe described a single HID spot as 'like a nuclear event'. I certainly wouldn't argue with that butbelieving more is better extrapolated to the nth degree went for the two. You certainly won't complain about a lack of light, although as Andy points out you do tend to think you've gone blind when switching back to dip.

I went for the spots cos I suspect the reflector and lens combo on the standard lights is not up to much and upgrading the bulbs there (yes I did try that too) just sends more light to the wrong places. I reckon an HID bulb upgrade would be a waste for the same reason - with spots you can send the light exactly where you want it.

I paid £160 for a pair of HID spots (exaclty the ones Touratech want £200 each for) and about £40 for the fogs. Both were via German sellers on ebay. They come up pretty regularly.

This is them fitted:

HTH

LC

 

[cookie]

coming as i do from an 1150 with stock lighting and an airhead, i can't see why adding lights to a 1200 is needed at all. just more clutter

 

[de crowe]

the migsel bar

I have a pair of etc.

does the bar sratch the top of the forks? will that set up work on the 1200?

 

[Flipfly]

Migsel does a specific bar for the 1200GS. Visit the website www.migsel.com or PM him and he'll explain. The bar is great quality and IMO the nicest one available. You get a little bit of shake over bumps in the road but it's not distracting.

 

[Flipfly]

I have read threads on lights and I am still at a loss.

I want to get lights for my 1200 and just wanted to know what a good PIAA set up would be. I was going to get their light bar made for the 1200.

Oh, what does anyone think of the HID lights.


Thanks
__________________

North, I have HID dipped on my 1150 and its awesome. You can get the H7 kit for your 1200 for £80. This would do both dipped and main (although if you have canbus doing both may cause an issue). A definate worthwhile upgrade. If you PM me I'll send you the ebay link. Just ordered a set for my bro's 1200ADV.
Always buy the 4700k, any higher means more blue but less light output.
Don't ask for pics cause they don't do it justice. I also have MicroDE fogs and Hella FF50's. This is a good combo and keeps the price down, but HID to the dipped and main at £80 for the pair is the best value.
I don't think the beam pattern is quite as bad on the 1200 as it is on the 1150.

 

[dirtydog]

To be fair, the lights on the 1200 ain't that bad, way better than the 1150 which are feckin awful.

Upgrade the bulbs on the 1200. I used Osram Silverstars, they are pretty good and give off a 'white light'. I would also recommend going with some Hella micro D's, they are all you will need on the 1200!

I too am upgrading my dipped for a HID unit.

 

[Garryc]

Hi ...I have a set of Piaa spots on Migsel lightbar, off my 1150 Adv.

No Longer got the 1150, you if your interested, let me know will sell for reasonable sum. The spots on the their own were £150 pds

The light they put down was awesome - one of the best investments ever made. I used them day and night.

 

[Lou Can]

I have a pair of etc.

does the bar sratch the top of the forks? will that set up work on the 1200?

Sorry, bit late for this.......

Bar is stand alone, with no contact on any other part. Its a piece of Migsel genius. Available for 1200's as well.........

LC

 

[Agent Smith]

I have a pair of Hella Micro fog lights on a Nippy Norm's Autoswitch. I use these with dip for daytime running (three light points been shown to be good for recognition doncha know). They also act as dip most of the time in darkness and are perfectly adequate but not outstanding since they 'flood' the area in front of the bike. Well worth the money and small and discreet.

I also have a set of matching Hella Micro DE HID driving lights mounted above the fogs on a Migsel bar. Now these are the babies. They are hard wired into the main beam circuit and so come on whenever main beam is selcted or flashed. The result is err... awesome. Steptoe described a single HID spot as 'like a nuclear event'. I certainly wouldn't argue with that butbelieving more is better extrapolated to the nth degree went for the two. You certainly won't complain about a lack of light, although as Andy points out you do tend to think you've gone blind when switching back to dip.

I went for the spots cos I suspect the reflector and lens combo on the standard lights is not up to much and upgrading the bulbs there (yes I did try that too) just sends more light to the wrong places. I reckon an HID bulb upgrade would be a waste for the same reason - with spots you can send the light exactly where you want it.

I paid £160 for a pair of HID spots (exaclty the ones Touratech want £200 each for) and about £40 for the fogs. Both were via German sellers on ebay. They come up pretty regularly.

This is them fitted:

HTH

LC

Hi Lou Can, cool set-up with the hellas , would you by any chance know the name of the dealer you bought the lights off on ebay?