Hello guys,
I am planning to have a pair of Hella Micro DE driving lamps installed
on my Tenere. Does anyone have an experience with this??

I have question marks concerning the electrical system; is it capable to handle this load or I should need to make a modification on the charging system - if this is the case, what are my alternatives???

Waiting for your feedbacks,
Thanks,
Umit

__________________
Umit CUKUREL
Istanbul - TURKEY

Hi Umit - Are you considering the HID driving lamp version, or the regular fog light (halogen beam)?

If you're planning on the regular (and much cheaper!) fog beam, and haven't put you money down yet - read this first:

http://www.cyclegadgets.com/products...t.asp?Item=PIA

Basically what they are saying is that fog beam patterns have limited use on a bike (the sharp upper cut off angle, and the short range - good for lighting the sides of the road, and for fog when the bike is upright, but not as improved penetration).

I've just ordered a pair of PIAA 004X driving lamps, which are very small and neat and have halogen 'blue light' type bulbs (the reviews I've seen say they offer excellent performance, especially for the money). The 004X lamps have a spot beam (rather than fog or flood) as I essentially want to improve the long range high-beam illumination on the bike. Most importantly perhaps, they also have a round beam pattern rather than oval (like a lot of car-based lamps) have - which means you can mount them horizontally or vertically, and they won't cut off when you lean into a corner... Obviously depending on where you mount them, you can angle them up/down in/out to get the spread you desire.

btw. for anyone else considering auxillary lights, if you didn't know already the Touratech lamps are Hella Micro DEs with modified brackets and an aluminium shroud... very nice (in a Terminator/Mad Max sort of way), but you pay's your money etc.

xxx

ps. Please don't think I'm criticising the Hella DE lamps Umit, I love the look of them (and the quality), it's only that for them to offer any real benefit, you need to get the driving lamp version, which are HID and thus a lot more money!

__________________
"Where we're going, we don't need roads..."

JennyDakar.com

JMo, Thank you very much for your quick and detailed reply.
Yes you are right, I will order driving lamps. The beams of fog and driving lamps are
different. I haven't considered the HID ones, since I don't wish to pay that amount and
the quality of light doesn't matter; what we need is a higher range.
:-))))
The reason for my decision on Hella is, it's easier to find in Turkey and they are fair
priced.
JMo, it' would still be ok; if it was critcism.

So, what do you think; is Tenere able to handle that electrical load or there is
a danger of stall with a drained battery in the middle of nowhere.
:-))

__________________
Umit CUKUREL
Istanbul - TURKEY

Hi Umit -

I think the problem with the Hella Micro DE lamps is that the (long range) Driving Lamp version is only available as an HID - you can only get the cheaper halogen bulbs in the Fog Lamp lens version if you see what I mean?

PIAA not only make specific lamps for bike applications (and they do a number of HIDs of course), but they also offer driving lamps with halogen bulbs - typically the blue or 'white light' version that offer a similar beam colour to HID, but at halogen prices!

I'd always had (and heard) mixed opinions about PIAA lamps - that some weren't that well made/were the same as cheaper unbranded lamps, just with some nice stickers and a premium price. But I've been convinced by their 004X lamps - which are nice and compact, black (important!), and have the right beam at the right price...

The 004X range is bike specific with a round (not oval or cut-off) beam - they also offer the more expensive 1100X series which look like eggs, but I've read a couple of reviews saying they are not as robust on a bike used off-road.

A popular upgrade is also their (or other brands) headlight bulbs which have the same 'white light' beam - I have fitted 100w bulbs to my Tenere and the difference is certainly noticable - everything is crisper looking, and reflects better than with a standard yellow colour beam.

Running the 100w bulbs doesn't seem to have caused any problems with the exisiting circuitry on the bike (or the charging system). Obviously if you ran low and high beam at the same time it might, but this doesn't happen unless you hold the pass/flash button on of course.

You should certainly run the auxillary lights directly from the battery, and switched via a relay from either a dedicated switch or wired to the high-beam circuit (I prefer a dedicated switch so you can run them with or without the bike being on highbeam). The PIAA kit comes with all of this.

The PIAA 004X draw 35w each (but they say gives the equivalent of a 55w bulb), and similarly this is why a lot of people run HID lamps, as the power/current draw is far lower than the equivalent light output. However, one problem with HID is that they can take a few seconds to warm up to full power, which is why using them as a high-beam supplement can be of limited use (if you have to keep switching them on and off)?

So for example, with the pair of 35w lamps on, you are pulling another 70w from the generator. Coupled with the white light version of the headlight bulb (they do a 55w bulb that gives out around 100w equivalent power), I think you'll have no problems, and a lot more light!

Of course this is all speculation at the moment as I am still waiting for my PIAAs to arrive in the post! - once they are fitted I'll be able to give you a more definative answer.

In the meantime, I hope that has given you a little more to think about? In these world of global shopping, you ought to be able to get PIAAs shipped to you, if you decide to go with them?

xxx

__________________
"Where we're going, we don't need roads..."

JennyDakar.com

Hi JMo,
hmm this is interesting; I have specially asked the guy, he told me that they have both of them. I will visit them as soon as possible to compare the lamps.

Yes you have been a great help; thank you very much. I have the possibility to import
the PIAAs here, no problem, but I will wait until I see them on your Tenere.
:-))))))
Meantime, I will visit the Hella shop to understand the lamps; if they are the same.
So, we are waiting forward to hear from you about the arrival of PIAAs.
:-))

__________________
Umit CUKUREL
Istanbul - TURKEY

And likewise I'd like to know if you can get a regular halogen version of the Micro DE with the driving light lens - that would be nice!

xxx

__________________
"Where we're going, we don't need roads..."

JennyDakar.com