Moved my PIAAs out from under the oil cooler...

[swilson]

I'm using PIAA 90 Pro XT's... slightly smaller than the more common 1100x's. I originally mounted them under the oil cooler like so many others. I had even read on one of the web sites that only 1200RTs with ESA had enough clearance so that the fender wouldn't contact the lights.

 

Well, even with ESA, my fender contacted the lights everytime I hit a big bump or bad pot hole. Didn't damgage the fender, only left very minor scuffs. Didn't damage the lights either, but each time they would get bumped, it caused the lights to be aimed too high and forced me to pull over and correct the problem so I didn't blind other vehicles.

 

I finally got sick of it and moved them when I did my 12k service last week. I mounted them below my mirrors using the stock PIAA brackets. Only had to drill two small holes beneath each mirror that wouldn't even be noticed if I ever removed the lights.

 

I've put about 700 miles on since moving them and I'm really happy. The lights are about a foot higher on the bike than their previous location and it made a noticable improvement in the beam pattern on the road. The new position also makes better use of the scattered light... instead of having it blocked by the faring it now hits the ground helping out with low speed riding (surface appraisal in parking lots).

 

[swilson]

[swilson]

[swilson]

[IndianaHarvey]

That's a lot of light and very professional looking installation. Thanks for the photos. Installed my PIAA 1100Xs about a month ago under the oil cooler and so far have not had a problem with the lights contacting the fender. Maybe I just haven't hit a big enough pot hole yet. So for the time being I"m going to leave them there. But if I were going to move them I would consider your solution. By the way, how is it your PIAA lights and your headlights look to be the same color and brightness? My PIAAs are brighter and bluer than my headlights.

[swilson]

Thanks. I converted the low beams to HID. I highly recommend it... relatively low cost with huge gains in light. My HIDs are whiter than the PIAAs. I think the temp on the HIDs I bought was 6500.

[ESokoloff]

Looks good but how visible are the turn signal(s) now?

[CoarsegoldKid]

I read about that interference with the fender some time ago and as I remember it it said not for use on ESA bikes. Getin old so I could be wrong!

[mos]

Where did you get the low beam HID ? Any problems installing them ?

Mike

[Boffin]

Where did you get the low beam HID ? Any problems installing them ?

Mike

 

Take a look at VVME.COM.

 

I got a H7 kit for my R1150RT and am soon to order a H3 kit to upgrade my spotlights

 

ANdy

[ESokoloff]

and am soon to order a H3 kit to upgrade my spotlights

 

ANdy

 

[smiller]

The lights are about a foot higher on the bike than their previous location and it made a noticable improvement in the beam pattern on the road.

The under-the-oil-cooler location is just too low for optimal driving light use on oilhead/hexhead RTs IMO. I've had lights in this location and above the mirrors (EMP mounts) and the improvement when moving the lights higher was, if you'll excuse the pun, like night and day.

 

 

[swilson]

Looks good but how visible are the turn signal(s) now?

 

I'm sure the new location makes the turn signals a little less visible... but not nearly as bad as the above photo would suggest. My camera phone feaked and made it look like the lights were glaring right into the camera. In reality the camera phone was high enough to be out of the main focused area of the light.

[swilson]

I bought the HIDs at CQLight. I've ordered from them several times now and have always been happy.

 

Here's the original thread for the HID install.

[keithb]

Nice install. I mounted my aux. lights in the same location two years ago. A huge benefit is that they are tucked nicely away from view but give you additional light. I still have a small pair of fog lights mounted under the oil cooler. So far they have never hit the front fender.

[swilson]

Oh... correction on the PIAAs I'm using. They are actually model 004XT.