Bike driving lights

[Les]

Well I found a pair of small round lights at Repco yesterday called Night-Eyes and they should be good. Just a simple matter of a couple of brackets to hang them either side of the main headlight and then wire them up .

[Les]

If anybody is interested I've got the lights mounted. Here's some pics if you wanna see:

http://geocities.com/nedu537/bike_stuff/

Decided to fasten them simply to the existing headlight bracket at this stage and see how they go there. Will sort out the wiring over the coming days...

[scumdog]

You'll find they make you a whole lot more visible, noticeably so!!

Just make sure you run them through a relay and have an on/off switch for them as they will annoy the pus out of everybody coming towards you at night!! (and they don't actually light the road very far ahead anyway.

[wkid_one]

As far as the LEDs go, I reckon that if you could get a decent enough output from them (don't see any reason why not) and possibly also utilize a lens, they'd be awesome as headlights. Nice white light and easy on the eye. Yes.

Yes - except they don't throw a beam so would be FUCKEN USELESS as headlights!

[pete376403]

Recall back in the 70's & 80's (when bike electrics weren't so good - such as certain Suzuki GS models) running with the headlight on all the time was not advisable, so daytime running lights (DRL) were promoted as the latest Good Thing. These were a couple of 50mm square white lights mounted either side of the headlight. Useless for illuminating the road, but helped to make bikes more visible to car drivers. The Yamaha cop bikes were all fitted with them - although if a BDC car driver couldn't see the huge white fairing, then there wasn't much point in pinning your hopes to a couple of little lights. You still see some of the old bikes (eg the Gumby bikes if you refer to that thread) with them.

[scumdog]

Sadly automotive relays are for cars & big & heavy. Needs to be a headlight relay to handle the switching & continuous light swap.

I have used those wee plastic relays on my bike for years, they seem to handle the mini-spot type lights that I have mounted each side of my headlight o.k.

These light utilise the same type of bulb as used by jewelrs stores etc to light up displays (about 50mm dai.) and I've seen similar ones at Repco for $70 or so as a kit.
Never had a problem at WOF time but I have run them through a separate switch to the headlight, mainly 'cos you don't want them on at night - too dazzling for everybody.

[pete376403]

The relay I use for the Fiamm horns is a standard auto relay, would be a bit smaller than a 35mm film carton, ie about 25mm square and 30mm long. That was a Repco purchase, nothing fancy.

[Les]

Well the idea is really to increase the spread of light not so much to add distance as the headlight is ok in that regard. It's all a bit of an experiment anyway, might turn out to be not that good at all. I'm gonna run them via a relay triggered by the high beam and with their own separate on/off switch. That way I can choose whether or not to run them and they will only run along with high-beam.

[FROSTY:Me]

In that case try a FOG light under the headlight.
a foggie gives a diffuse spread of light instead of a tighter forward beam

[scumdog]

Well the idea is really to increase the spread of light not so much to add distance as the headlight is ok in that regard. It's all a bit of an experiment anyway, might turn out to be not that good at all. I'm gonna run them via a relay triggered by the high beam and with their own separate on/off switch. That way I can choose whether or not to run them and they will only run along with high-beam.

If they are like most of that type of light they will provide a big flood of light going out about 10-15 metres and out to the sides a bit, will not help for seeing any better than your factory headlight, i.e. they have no range.

You WILL be seen by those coming towards you so best not used at night or you will get constantly flashed by oncoming vehicles!!

Of course maybe the items you got ARE some type of long-range light and the above doesn't apply.

[Groins_NZ]

Hey Les, any updates on your auxiliary driving lights?

Cheers,
G.

[Zapf]

Les,
Go to BNT or AutoStop and ask for Philips H4 Preimum, or have a look as Philips has a range of 55W bulbs that puts out more light than the standard osram that comes with the SV's. I had a SV650S and changing to bulbs to the Philips ones made a good bit of difference.