PIAA Lights & Bar for 1200

[Wraithwrider]

The only area that my 1200 falls down on IMO is the performance of the dipped headlight. This seriously restricts my enjoyment of the bike after sunset.

I am certainly in the market for some decent running lights and lightbar, preferably supplied as a well engineered package with all wiring and switches to complement the quality of the bike and the CANBUS system.

I've been keeping an eye on the US PIAA site for a while now for these products to come online:

http://www.piaa.com/Powersports/piaa-powersports/custom_applications.html

I telephoned Julian at PIAA UK and he explained that they are a different company and he couldn't see them ever making the lamp kit and lightbar available in the UK.

When I said that there could be (I think) a huge demand if the price were right he became interested. I gave him the part numbers and he said he'd get back to me in a week or two.

So it would be really useful if I could support this feeling with some numbers.

I will post this poll on both Brit forums that I use and would ask that you don't vote on both and give misleading demand.

Peter

 

[Mouse]

I can't really see how even a very professionally made lightbar should cost more than about 50 pounds if mass produced. Gazza managed to make a very limited production run of his for about 70 pounds per item, if made in larger quantities hopefully the price would fall.

Which leaves the cost of the lights ... HID lights are very bright although I don't really like the look of the PIAA ones - far too large for my tastes. They're also quite expensive. And are they the best choice for running lamps (ie dipped beam)?

 

[Wraithwrider]

Good questions Mouse. I'm looking at a variety of options. These PIAA items are likely to be expensive and very powerful units.

I'm coming around to realising that buying some FF50's, locally made bars and some good quality componants (relay & switch) will do the job for a fraction of the price.

Peter

 

[MiGSel]

Give me some more time and I'll come up with a suitable 1200 light bar

Cheers,
Michel

 

[Mouse]

Originally posted by MiGSel
Give me some more time and I'll come up with a suitable 1200 light bar

I suspect you could just take my "cheap ass" design and bend the ends down a bit (like your 1150 version) to avoid having to cut holes in the beak...

 

[stroller]

Are you happy with the main beam? I have not ridden my bike much at night, but I found the main beam to be just as disappointing as dipped beam, and if I took the supplementary light route, I think I would want to back up the main beam in preferance.

 

[Wraithwrider]

Are you happy with the main beam?

Stroller

I wasn't initially. Then I realised that it was set far too high. Bringing it down made it okay but then dip wasn't worth much.

I've gone through lots of trial and error adjustment and that's as good as I seem to be able to get it.

Anyway, here in the UK I'm hardly ever on main beam anyway, even here 'Up North'.

Peter

 

[gazza]

Are you happy with the main beam? I have not ridden my bike much at night, but I found the main beam to be just as disappointing as dipped beam, and if I took the supplementary light route, I think I would want to back up the main beam in preferance.

Dead easy to wire up with a couple of relays and you don't even need to be concerned about the canbus system. Wires completely seperate and leaves no trace when removed. Think MikeO has one of my diagrams somewhere.

 

[MikeO]

Think MikeO has one of my diagrams somewhere.

Mike

 

[stroller]

Thanks for the information guys, very helpful.
Mike

 

[gazza]

Thanks Mike can't find my copy.

 

[Emoto]

I was happy with the Martin mount, and made a little page about how to mount it: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/emoto1/lightbar.html

The outfit I got the mount from (http://www.creativecycleconcepts.com/) also sells PIAA and LightForce lights. They list the PIAA 004XT at what my web translator lists as 106.56 pounds sterling. The mount I got converts to 85.25 pounds sterling. He tells me he can ship to the UK no problem, and he is a good honest fellow to do business with, but I don't really know how his prices compare with what you can get locally over there. He is in line with what else I see over here in the states.

Of course, I used Hella lamps that I found on sale for the equivalent of 21.30 pounds sterling, so that brought the cost down a lot.

 

[Eric_Norman]

Fitting FF50's

I have a pair of Gazza brackets and yesterday the FF50's arrived from US, very cheap!

In trying to locate the dipped beam live cable, can some one help me out with the colour of the wire I'm looking for and the best place to make the join.

These FF50 seem a great pair of lights and come with all the wiring, relay, switch and connections required, very pleased.

Thanks

 

[gazza]

It's the yellow wire indicated, I had mine soldered to the back of the headlight plug. You can see where I have just unsoldered it. You could of course just scotchlok it as its kept nice and dry inside the headlight unit.

The trigger wire for the light relay can be feed into the headlight unit through this little rubber pipe. Not really sure what the pipe is for but it is ideal. There's another one behind the main beam light also.

Just one more picture while I have the old headlight. It's easier to see where everything is on this picture. Trying to locate all these little bits is a bit difficult when looking down inside the bikes beak. You can see that there are actually 3 of these little rubber pipes. I suspect they are to let some of the heat out. HTH

 

[Emoto]

Those little pipes are drains to let water out. I wouldn't block the low one...

 

[Omega]

Give me some more time and I'll come up with a suitable 1200 light bar

Cheers,
Michel

still awaiting your call MiGSel

FWIW, those PIAA's or sure ugly glad I have the Hella's FF50.

 

[Dietmar]

Those little pipes are for air ventilation to prevent foggy headlights, maybe the lower one will sometimes leave a drop..

If they were blocked you may experience humidity in your headlamp.

Dietmar

 

[gazza]

Thanks for that was told the same thing by my dealer. However feeding the relay trigger wire through it does not block it and there are the other two anyway. Been used on the bike for the last nine months without any problems.

 

[Gonzo]

Which leaves the cost of the lights ... HID lights are very bright although I don't really like the look of the PIAA ones - far too large for my tastes. They're also quite expensive. And are they the best choice for running lamps (ie dipped beam)?

I tend to agree - they look more like main-beam driving lamps than supplementary to the dip.

I'd pay reasonable money for a kit to convert my standard dip and main beams to a true HID set-up as Nippy Norman sells for other BM models. Talking to NN, he tells me that there is unlikely to be a kit produced for the 12gs due to issues with the CanBus system - although the PIAA kit seems to have overcome such problems.

Anyone know of a HID kit?