Affordable auxillary lights...
 

There's been a few people mention additional lights, mostly the Hella units that TT peddle or the PIAA units, both appear very good but pricey all the same. Round where i live theres plenty of very dark roads so i've been thinking of adding some more light for a while. I've been considering these so i thought i'd mention them and see what you folks think.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16046994@N06/3227822727/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16046994@N06/3228678024/

they are a 70mm driving lamp ('e' approved for those of us in Europe), and they fit just nice in this space on the front on the Ten'.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/1604699...n/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/1604699...n/photostream/

they're not mounted yet - i was holding them from above for both those pics

bulbs are 55w halogens so total power consumption for the pair is 9.2A. they weigh a measly 156g each.

dimensions here. http://www.flickr.com/photos/1604699...n/photostream/

i have them on the front of another vehicle (fitted as main beam) and they are quite impressive considering their size-and pretty watertight too (with the addition of two cable ties per lamp i have submerged them with no water ingress) they cost around �40 a pair (i think). for the bike i plan to sort some brackets that will pick up on the lower mounting tab for the headlamp.

I think they're a canny little lamp which will fit nicely. What do you reckon? any good?

I've got one of those on my TTR, I bought them because they were very cheap (�15ish from Halfrauds). They are OK, actually they are fantastic given the crap (non halogen) bulb on the TTR.

I've been working on a bracket over the weekend, but there's very little to mount to in the front, once you've looked at the forks (when turning), and the dive of the bike. I'd like to get a look at the TT mounts and see where they mount to - pics anyone ??

They look good to me and locating them in that 'gap' (assuming the fork movement is not restricted) it might help stop the turbulent air that pushes up through the gap around the forks?



Nick

Looks like they mount to the frame that the headlight unit is mounted to:

http://www.touratech.com/shops/008/i...255-0_I_01.JPG

well i'll be damned - as you say, halfords. On their web for �26. i've been searching all over to find them cheaper and there they are in different packaging for �20 less.... we have an account with Ring at work too. b*gger.

GULG - as you've tried them on a bike do you think they're worth fitting to the ten?
i'm thinking of wiring them independantly of high beam so i can leave the dip beam on and have all areas lit up.

Nick - i'd wondered about the air too, we'll see.

I've got a sheet of perspex, I thought about cutting out a piece to fit in the gap, but again the mounting is a problem, unless it's fitted to the fork clamp, but then it's too low. It would stop the water from funneling up through the gap though when you hit a deeaper puddle!!



There is only 1 on the TTR, it makes a huge difference - but nowhere near as good as the Hella Micro DE's.

http://www.smokingtailpipes.com/Gallery/PA240154.JPG

Bump :p

what is the make/model of these cheap/nice aux lamps ?

i think their the RING AUTOMOTIVE you can get them at halfords about �26 they do round or oval

Thx.
I'll have a look :)

hi zou the lamps are
Ring Compact Cruise-lite
Cat. code: 295881-0 they have them in the newry branch of halfords i seen them yesterday,they are 70mm round. i made up 4 extra brackets so if your interested in one give me a shout,stoic

Thank you !

I'll have a look in the Drogheda branch as it is on my way home ;)

how you wired these up?
main beam both on or one dipped one main
any help be greatly received and did you have a bracket left?

What about these lights

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BNIP-Ring-Micr...3A1%7C294%3A50

same idea but i think they are smaller, but i cant find exact measurements

They are smaller but they are a fog pattern rather than a driving lamp.

Dimensions from Ring website - 63 x 70 x 39

they arent a bad little lamp for the size and price , to be honest the beam pattern is quite poor - the reflector is so small it doesnt really have the dynamics to produce a good beam. Also as a short and wide beam it wouldn't really be of great benefit on the bike. That said, with a not so good fog pattern, it might work well as a flood?

just my 2p, i'm probably full of it.:101:

LED's
 

has anyone investigated LED aux lamps, as they would be perfect as they are low consumption, take some hammering and very bright.
What about gaffa taping two LED torches �5 each fro Tescos, then you can have any combination of lighting you want, now. . .to invent the evr lasting battery. . . .:thumbleweed::thumbleweed:mm, guys? . . . . .guys?

You're having a giraffe aren't you?

if your having a little dig at the tiny Ring lamps above bear in mind they are still both 55w halogen each!:icon_clown:

but anyway - i've no experience of LED aux lamps, i've seen LED lamps used as daytime running lights - i cant imagine they give much light over a distance tho as they are intended as a marker lamp rather than for illumination.

Anyone else?

i use to have a set of LED lights, 16 each side in a set pod, they are great for being seen as they are super bright but dont cause blindness but they arent that great for anything else. They just arnet strong enough to light up any of the road.

Yea i noticed these are fog lamps (just bought a set not fitted them yet) but ive tried the ring lights (or a similar set) before and found they just created a ring of light that wasnt that big so in my view they are more just like spot light to light up areas about 6-7m round in the distance. But the ones i had where ever you put them constantly dazzled people unless you pointed them at the ground so you ended up being flashed all the time which made it even harder to see.

But we will see what they are like later on when i get them fitted. generally i think riding at night is half about seeing where your going and half about being seen (ie by lights, reflectors, positioning on road etc)

just got the lamps from Halfords and getting wired to come on with full beam does anyone know if the charging system should be okay to run these additional 2no-55w lamps as well as the full beam.
and does any one have any idea where can get a handle bar switch to turn them on.
was thinking of a toggle switch maybe???
want to really be able to switch on - off - on.
i.e. - so can have with FULL beam or completely off or turn on just on own.

any help on wiring / switching would be greatly appreciated .

I've developed some brackets for the Tenere, puts the lamps just in the recess at the bottom of the main lamp.

Nick has been testing these out for me to give an independant view of what they are like to fit, vibration of the lamps, and what they are worth. The cost is �15 + P&P (�3 to UK addresses) to forum members. I'm happy to send outside the UK, but you pay the postage.

They are made of 20x5mm steel, welded and painted with Plastikote (black) and come with the replacement SS bolt you need to fix them to the bike.

Delivery is 1 week from order. They are made to order, and much of the time is taken waiting for the paint to properly cure (36hours between penultimate and final coat).

Payment is by PayPal. If you send me an email I'll get the brackets made, then send you a PayPal invoice when they are painted. I will send the brackets to the address on the PayPal remitance, this way we all get some protection.



Nick has some further photos in another thread photos.

These are just the brackets, not the lamps. I can supply the brackets, (cheepish �40 Halfords, blue tint) lamps, switch and wiring all ready to go for �65. subject to availability of the lamps.

The lamps are these : http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/s...egoryId_165688

Here are some photos for you.

http://www.smokingtailpipes.com/Gall...vingLamp01.JPG

http://www.smokingtailpipes.com/Gall...vingLamp02.JPG

And the view from the front.

http://www.smokingtailpipes.com/Gall...vingLamp03.JPG


Of course, any small diameter lamp (less than 70mm) will fit.

thanks for that GULG
do you have them on with main beam all the time and have know battery charging problems or do you just use occasionally??

for 25� I'd be interested too :p

another very interested a useful mod I can afford and all the better with winter just around the next bend :)

will you have any for the ace day, if you're going that is ?

I've a set of these made up, will be cured and ready for despatch on Tuesday if anyone is interested, otherwise I'll ebay them at full price of �20 + P&P (XT660 is �15 + p&p)

I also found a set of early prototypes, they are unpainted and have the wrong hole size (they are M10, and should be M8) but will work if someone wants them - �5 +P&P, I'll undercoat them before they go.

drop me a PM or email.

And WORTH every penny (or pence, but that does not sound right)

Deal !!!

you have a PM

Just to be clear.
 

I've just noticed a load of posts that I've not seen in this thread.

OK,

The brackets are �15 +p&p to the XT660.Com members, �20 + p&p through Ebay.

For �65 +P7P I can supply these with lights, they are the Halfords ones as detailed in previous posts, complete with switch relay and wires. Not considered a price for these on Ebay, probably �75ish + p&p

Everyone who has expressed an interest, has stuck with the brackets alone, and supplied thier own lights, wiring, relay & switch.

I'm happy to make up a switch, mounting and some cables - but I'll ned to sort a price for this. It fixes to bike in a manner that can be removed later as can the light brackets. You don't ned to modify the bike at all to take this stuff.

I think I'll put a post in the 'for sale bit', as it's easier to find for people.

------------

I still have the early protoype brackets,

anyone else wanting these - let me know as we're back to building to order again!

I just chanced upon these spot lights this morning - http://www.trailtechproducts.co.uk/a..._HID_MR11.html

There is some more information about them on the US site - http://www.trailtech.net/single_hid_mr11.html

Would they work with the brackets?

Al.

It's hard to say without seeing them. The size quoted is 80x47x100mm, if the dimensions are 'Diameter x drop x lenght' then yes, if they are 'length x drop x diameter' then maybe!

I suspect the diameter is 47mm, drop is 80mm and length is 100mm, in which case, yes again. But the information is just too abiguous to be 100% sure

The problem isn't with the brackets, it's the space available. You could position the brackets to be lower, and so fit in a bigger light unit but you would then run the risk of the forks hitting the lights during a turn. By removing the 'Tow hook' you could improve this.

Trail Tech MR11 lights are small and compact. They are timetested,
proven performers. Perfect as helmet lights and lights for
small machines or backup lights for large machines. MR11�s are
great for custom/extreme applications.
� Color Temperature: 5600K Daylight
� Reflectors: 6� Spot, 13� Flood
� Power Consumption: 13 Watt
� 13 Watt Lumens: 500 Lumens
� Auto-Restrike: Not Enabled
� Housing Diameter: 46mm (1.8�)
� Housing Depth: 82mm (3.2�)
� Housing Material: Billet Aluminum
� Weight: 185g (6.5 oz.)
� Ballast: Self-Contained Ballast
� Polarity: +/- Polarity Requirement
� Power Required: 12V DC
MR11 Overview:
MR11 Post Mounted:
Post mounted lights are well
suited for custom applications.
� Mounts in any 3/8� hole.

Trail Tech SCMR16 HID lights are optimized for performance. Trail
Tech HID lights output 3 times the amount of light of Halogen per
watt of power input. SCMR16 lights are the perfect balance of size
and power.
� Color Temperature: 5600K Daylight
� Reflectors: 12� Spot, 36� Flood
� Power Consumption: 30 Watt
� 30 Watt Lumens: 1850 Lumens
� Auto-Restrike: Auto-Restrike Enabled
� Housing Diameter: 66mm (2.6�)
� Housing Depth: 103mm (4�)
� Housing Material: Billet Aluminum
� Weight: 365g (13 oz.)
� Ballast: Self-Contained Ballast
� Polarity: +/- Polarity Requirement
� Power Required: 12V DC

MR11 are HID right, so you'd need 1 ballast /light ?

http://www.trailtech.net/3112-SX-V.html

MR16 are halogen
http://trailtech.net/single_halogen_mr16.html

It looks like there is a HID version of both. They both have the ballast electronics built into the body of the lamp itself so no external boxes to mount.

Al.

received mines today thank you !!!!

bought some nice lamp to be mounted on it

http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/st...egoryId_212516

Mounted the rack and the lights, I just have to connect them now.
(and buy the necessary hardware and find a power supply point)

It was a tough job to drill the holes to attach the lamp but I managed :)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_tL3EwxTEUng/Sr...90925-1916.jpg

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_tL3EwxTEUng/Sr...90925-1917.jpg

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_tL3EwxTEUng/Sr...90925-1919.jpg

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_tL3EwxTEUng/Sr...90925-1920.jpg


Oh and maybe I'll have to clean the bike too :sign13::sign13:

lamps installed and cabled now

left hand side with a view on the switch

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_tL3EwxTEUng/Sr...90927-1507.jpg

right hand side
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_tL3EwxTEUng/Sr...90927-1507.jpg



the relay, fuse, cables just beside the battery.
The relay is actually fixed using the airbox cover screw :p

I used the reg plate light for the relay, so no ignition, no power to the lamp :)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_tL3EwxTEUng/Sr...90927-1508.jpg

front view (I know, one of the running light is blown and I'm waiting to receive LED replacement)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_tL3EwxTEUng/Sr...90927-1509.jpg

Close up on the switch (which is illuminated)
it doesn't interfere with the bars/cables and it's big enough to be easy to use with gloves.
And it is of course on the left hand side to be used on the move.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_tL3EwxTEUng/Sr...90927-1509.jpg

Now I'm waiting for nightfall to setup the lamps correctly :)

All that wouldn't have been possible without Gas_Up_Lets_Go brackets and installation notice.

Kudos to my friend Pete who taught me the basics in electricity and gave me confidence so I wouldn't fry anything too :)

great job about to do mine.....

Yeah I think I'll have to put some heatshrink tubes around the conenctors as the irish weather is ... wet ... :)

just orderd 2 of these VisionX Solstice Solo Elliptical 45�/15� beam - 76.55 GBP from adventure-spec.com ill be fiting them when the brakets arrive

They have just had the last coat of paint. I'm waiting on a delivery of bolts, which should be with me Saturday or Monday. As soon as they arrive I'll pack it all up and ship it out 1st class.

I have some more brackets waiting to be painted too, if anyone wants to put some lighting on their bike over the Christmas break. if you want some, just drop me an email.

I just got Touratech lights for about 2 weeks now.

I always wanted a cheaper solution, but i didn't want to mess with the electrics.

I will post some pics when the snow and grit is off the roads.