Aux driving lights for 2010 R1200RT

[JiminPA]

I am looking to install some aux lighs on my RT. I am looking mostly for driving lights to light up the road at long with my high beam lights during night driving. I was thinking of mounting Hella ff50s under the mirrors using the BMR mounts. Is anyone here using that set up or something similar? Does anyone know of another vendor that makes mounts that would work for a set up like this? Any other suggestions would be welcome as well. I am planning to set my RT up over the winter to compete in some rallies next year and aux lights are at the top of the list.

 

Thanks

 

Jim

[jzzmusician]

These are the ones. Expensive but seriously bright.

 

--Bob

 

http://clearwaterlights.com/infopg_krista.html

[Pletch]

Jim,

 

Here are the ones I am putting on, a set of Euro beams mounted under the oil cooler and a set of fog beams mounted low on the highway pegs.

 

http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/productview/6158/424/

 

Denali 2 acc. lights

 

These really do seem to be the best on the market without getting really big. There is also a mount for under the mirror like you are looking for.

 

Dan

[steve_w]

I've had Moto-Lights on 2 RT's and they have provided great lighting for night driving. Currently, my 2010 RT has the LED version and these are great. Caliper mounts are easy to do yourself.

Steve W

[racer7]

I use the FF50s on BMW mounts and also have a set of D2 like (the Vision X version) mounted under the oil cooler on EzyMounts.

 

Re the comments on LEDs- both the Clearwater and D2. Neither will come close to the reach of the FF50 especially if you use 65W Osrams in it like I do. I like the D2 type a lot but they are basically conspicuity lights than can add some useful light out to maybe 50 yds or so. The Clearwaters use a multiple of what's essentially a similar LED setup and have a bit more range.

 

But all LEDs have a significant problem- glare to oncoming drivers even when aimed right. Makers provide optional or std dimmers to deal with that but if you dim them, range gets even worse.

 

I don't get the Clearwaters at all as an intelligent choice. For similar money one can get an HID setup that will smoke them for performance.

 

When picking lights for under the mirrors on an RT you need to be aware that many modern designs cannot be pendant (upside down) mounted. The FF50s can.

 

Whatever you choose, to get the best result for your use you need to clearly define what you're trying to accomplish.

Is is light on nearby roadside or cornering, mid field intensity improvments, long range (how far?), conspicuity so others see you, etc. There is a set of "best choices" for each use but there is no "all purpose" light.

 

Re mounts- there are Jimmy Mounts that do similar to BMR and are sold by BMW of Dnver but I've never seen a set and the web photos are poor at showing how they mount. The BMRs can carry a light up to 2 lbs or so but I would be leary of extremely heavy lights on them (some HIDs with metal housings wweigh up to 4 lbs/lamp). The FF50s are lght and no issue but the Hella kit parts are crap so you'll proably end up makig your own harness or using something else.

[JiminPA]

Racer, You said you used BMW mounts. Do you have a part number or know where I can find info on these? I still think I amgoing to use the FF50s as I am tring to get additional lighting at the mid to long range. I am just trying to see obstacles or animals on the road sooner so I have more reaction time. Like I said I am planning to do several rallies next year and expect to do some overnight riding on unfamiliar roads. I will probably try to avoid the backroads at night and stick to main roads when possible. I may end up adding something like PIAA 1100s to the forks for use with the low beams. I am going to upgrade the current low beam bulbs and try that first. Do you run the Osrams in your stock headlights as well. Any probalems with that?

 

Thanks again

 

Jim

[racer7]

I said BMR mounts, not BMW. BMR is CA accessory maker- just google them.

 

The Osram 65 is without doubt the best halogen headlight bulb for an RT.

At present I am using 5 across the front of the bike- 3 in the headlight and 2 in the FF50s.

 

For low beam improvement, probably the biggest bang for the buck is simply going to HID. The 1offmotorsport setup is reasonably priced and I am considering it myself though I have not used it. Many earlier HID setups were fairly kludgey installs but these are apparently good enough that some well respected BMW dealers (like Bob's in MD) are carrying them. Adding PIAA 1100 would also work but remember that these use a lot of juice. Running 5 Osrams like I do plus the PIAAs is 440 watts going to front lights alone and while the RT can do it, most bikes could not sustain this.

So if you want to improve low beams, an HID setup (or the Osrams) supplemented with an LED setup that can be left on in traffic would be my recommendation. Motolights are LED capable and there are the Denalis and VisionX, etc. But you must get the aim low enough to not annoy oncoming traffic and compromise your own safety- remember there are old folks driving around whose eyes cannot tolerate glare at all well.

 

For that reach you want, the FF50s with Osrams are probably the best bang for the buck and a 4" HID with a euro beam would be another excellent choice as long as it is a type that does not use one of the oddball, bespoke miniature HID tubes like the TrailTechs, PIAA Cross Country or similar- that design is not durable and does not have the reach you seek anyway. If you go HID it will require its own switched wiring harness and of course is not meant for frequent on/off as a halogen would be. I simply use my bikes hi beam as the trigger for my FF50s harness and switch them with the hi beam switch to minimize the number of switches mounted on the bike but that wouldn't be a good way to wire HIDs.

 

I have no plans to switch out my FF50s for HIDs. I find the color temp of long range HIDs tiring when used for long periods - the lower color temp of halogen is easier on your eyes, provides much better depth and color perception for brown/green colors (as in deer and trees), and less annoying glare from signs, etc. The HIDs will give better reflectivity back from the road surface so show a bit more asphalt detail but I don't find that a compelling enough reason to prefer them. Perhaps if I lived in the wider spaces in the west, my opinion would be different. My opinion come from many years of installing a lot of different light sets and from building halogen and LED custom flashlights- using them mostly in the eastern US in the countryside and woods.

 

 

[Mike0303]

Any updates to ideas now that 1motorsport is out of business? I'm purchasing a 2013 R1200RT and am tentatively planning to:

 

- convert the hi/lo stock lights to HID

- add fog and/or driving lights for additional illumination and conspicuity

 

What is the current thinking on the best options?

 

Thanks!

Mike

 

 

 

 

[malcolmblalock]

I just installed HID kits on my low beams on my 09RT. Supplier was DDM Tuning from CA. Cheap ($35) plus $15 shipping. Quality kits. Easy install.

 

Also recommend some aux lights for conspicuity; you'll not need more illumination.

 

Not affiliated with DDM Tuning; just a satisfied customer. Would recommend checking with them. Wish I had done it earlier...

[Jack90210]

I also run three Osram 65w bulbs on my '06.

 

The 1100x is a poor choice for lighting the road at night IMO. This unit "smears" light across the road, primarily directly in front of the bike, and doesn't throw nearly enough of it down the road in your line of sight -- for my money, traits which are just the opposite of what you want. However I think that they are a decent choice for a conspicuity light as their beam pattern is so broad and they are a reasonably reliable unit. Pic below is of 55w headlight bulbs and 1100x units under the mirrors.

 

[Jack90210]

Oh, and

 

I use the FF50s on BMW mounts

Racer, You said you used BMW mounts.

I said BMR mounts, not BMW.

 

[Fubar]

For low beam improvement, probably the biggest bang for the buck is simply going to HID.

So if you want to improve low beams, an HID setup (or the Osrams) supplemented with an LED setup that can be left on in traffic would be my recommendation.

 

I have no plans to switch out my FF50s for HIDs. I find the color temp of long range HIDs tiring when used for long periods - the lower color temp of halogen is easier on your eyes, provides much better depth and color perception for brown/green colors (as in deer and trees), and less annoying glare from signs, etc.

I'd go the way of an HID swap first then add on drivers if you still need them. Watch your color range and stay near the Kelvin of the halogens to avoid eye strain over longer night rides. Mine lean blue-white and I wouldn't want to ride all night with them without my Micro Flooter fog lights (for conspicuity) filling in the spectrum.

[12R12RT]

I use the FF50s on BMW mounts and also have a set of D2 like (the Vision X version) mounted under the oil cooler on EzyMounts.

 

Re the comments on LEDs- both the Clearwater and D2. Neither will come close to the reach of the FF50 especially if you use 65W Osrams in it like I do. I like the D2 type a lot but they are basically conspicuity lights than can add some useful light out to maybe 50 yds or so. The Clearwaters use a multiple of what's essentially a similar LED setup and have a bit more range.

 

But all LEDs have a significant problem- glare to oncoming drivers even when aimed right. Makers provide optional or std dimmers to deal with that but if you dim them, range gets even worse.

 

I don't get the Clearwaters at all as an intelligent choice. For similar money one can get an HID setup that will smoke them for performance.

 

When picking lights for under the mirrors on an RT you need to be aware that many modern designs cannot be pendant (upside down) mounted. The FF50s can.

 

Whatever you choose, to get the best result for your use you need to clearly define what you're trying to accomplish.

Is is light on nearby roadside or cornering, mid field intensity improvments, long range (how far?), conspicuity so others see you, etc. There is a set of "best choices" for each use but there is no "all purpose" light.

 

Re mounts- there are Jimmy Mounts that do similar to BMR and are sold by BMW of Dnver but I've never seen a set and the web photos are poor at showing how they mount. The BMRs can carry a light up to 2 lbs or so but I would be leary of extremely heavy lights on them (some HIDs with metal housings wweigh up to 4 lbs/lamp). The FF50s are lght and no issue but the Hella kit parts are crap so you'll proably end up makig your own harness or using something else.

 

+1, I'm a fan of the FF50s and incandescent in general. I prefer to mount them low, on brackets I made.

 

 

 

I also prefer the warmer color headlights; I'm using Osram All-Season Selective Yellow.

 

Tom

[echo7tango]

Any updates to this? I want lights that will light up the road far ahead of me. I am not interested in conspicuity lights. Maybe later I'll add conspicuity lights, but for now I want to see long distances at night.

 

I live in the western USA and ride/drive on long, empty roads like US 395, US 50 across Nevada, and I-10, I-40 and I-80 in open country where it's 60-100 miles between open gas stations at night. For oncoming traffic or vehicles I'm approaching from behind, I will dim the lights and when they're gone I will turn them back up. I really want the high-powered lights without risking battery life.

 

Ideally I want to install the same lights on all of the following (for convenience): 2005 R1200RT, 2001 Honda CR-V, and 2001 Subaru Legacy Outback. But this is not a must-have.

 

MCN had a good writeup on the Clearwater LEDs, and those sounded good to me. Upthread, jzzmusician says they're expensive but seriously bright. But, maybe the Hella FF50s seem to be well-liked among some who've posted here.

 

Lastly, for a switch I want a variable dimming switch, like a rotating knob, that can turn the lights fully off and gradually increase to fully on.

 

In all my miles of riding I've never added driving lights. This will be the first time. Thanks for the information so far in this thread, and thanks in advance.

[racer7]

There are some newer LEDs from Clearwater with dimmer and more power that might suit your long range specs. However, they still have what some of us consider a significant drawback of LEDs (other than glare), the color temperature- which negatively impacts ability to preceive color and depth. But that impact is less where its dry and no so much greenery around so they might work for you.

For myself, I just mounted yet another pair of FF50s on a K1200GT using Jimmy Mounts (go under the mirrors on this bike) and had to make my own harness again- the parts in the kit are poor to put it gently, I used Deutsch QDs in the leads to the lights, relay and socket from Eastern Beaver and triggered direct to high beam circuit as is my ergo preference

 

Personally, I don't get the idea of using a dimmer but then I don't ride in your area either. To me the Clearwater dimmers are just a way of getting around the glare factor so that purchasers don't complain that everyone is flashing them- made necessary by the beam width design (15 degrees plus bleedover into a wider cone)..I'd be surprised if you can get by without getting flashed if you put a high output LED (over 2000 lumens) in a high mount position (like the BMR or Jimmy Mounts), dimmer or not.

 

Installing a dimmer on halogens isn't vey practical. It would have to be in either the main feed from the battery or in both lines to the lamps, in either case have to be waterproof and capable of handling 15A. Makes for a more complicated wiring arrangment (of rather heavy gauge wire) and I'm not sure what part you would use for it. I'd be looking for a way to do it with pulse width modulation rather than simple resistance. Dimmers for LEDs are a simpler matter, less current to handle...

 

My choice for what you talk about would be to forego the dimmer and look at a pair of Fuego 4" HIDs. Plenty of reach, built in ballasts but std HID bulbs (unlike the poor quality TrailTech and Warn lights). Just remember HIDs if switched a lot lose lifespan so they're best for places where you can run without a lot of dimming.

[moshe_levy]

I'd have to second the recommendation on Clearwater. I've got the Kristas mounted up high, with a set of Glendas under the oil cooler.

 

I think I can see the moon with the Kristas on high. And now both of these have been displaced: The Ericas are now almost 3x the lumens of the Kristas (same form factor) and the Darlas as 2x the lumens of the Glendas. See http://clearwaterlights.com/products2_pp.html I'm testing the Darlas right now and can verify the difference there.

 

The quality is top shelf and the functionality is first rate. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Clearwater.

 

-MKL

 

PS Once my Darla test is complete - this week - I will have a nearly new set of Glendas to sell, complete with dimmer and brackets for mounting either under the RT's oil cooler or on the fork legs, like Moto-lites. PM me if interested.