driving light aim?

26667 · May 26, 2011

So I got the Hellas driving lights fork-mounted, just above the calipers on my 1100RT, and probably they'll do just what they're intended to do. :clap

But here's my Q:

What's a good formula for aiming them?

Should they both be angled slightly to the right so as not to annoy oncoming cars, yet make me more visible? Should they be aimed maybe taillight high so they don't blast other drivers' rearview mirrors? Should I try and cover a wide arc?... or maybe down and slightly to the right with one, and up and more center with the other? I'm just making this up as I go and my last thought seems like it has potential. :dunno

PS they're white light. not amber.

and...won't this produce some entertaining replies? :lurk

ricochetrider · May 27, 2011

let 'em burn

i try to aim mine just high enough to ALMOST annoy other drivers. if the idea is to be seen then i certainly am. i do occasionally have somebody flick their high beams at me but not often.

piperjim · May 27, 2011

Aim

I set my caliper-mounted Motolights just even, or ever-so-slightly above the low beam. Then had my wife drive down the highway to check the "annoyance factor" as I both followed her, and then met her. That setting seemed just about right.

pglaves · May 27, 2011

It depends on the beam spread angle in degrees of the light beam.

For a headlight low beam proper aim is for the sharp cutoff top of the beam to strike a vertical flat surface (wall) 17 feet ahead of the lens at a height 2 inches lower than the center of the lens with the rider astride the bike.

For fork mounted driving lights operated full time with both high and low beam this same standard would theoretically apply, except since they are mounted low they might best be aimed one inch below the mounting height. But a 40 degree light would still be in the drivers eye while an 8 degree spot beam wouldn't.

Motolights says set to a 3 degree downward slant which works well for spot beams but not flood beams.

marchyman · May 27, 2011

PGlaves said:
Motolights says set to a 3 degree downward slant which works well for spot beams but not flood beams.

Which is why I got rid of my motolights several years back. The amber bulbs I was using were only available with the 12?? beam spread (don't know if that is still true). If adjusted for good daylight conspicuity I could not use them at night without seriously annoying others on the road. Given the round beam pattern the only way to adjust them to not annoy people at night made them useless for both day and night riding.

A pair of fog lights with a sharp cut-off work better for me. The motolights were probably better for daylight conspicuity, though.

pglaves · May 27, 2011

marchyman said:
Which is why I got rid of my motolights several years back. The amber bulbs I was using were only available with the 12?? beam spread (don't know if that is still true). If adjusted for good daylight conspicuity I could not use them at night without seriously annoying others on the road. Given the round beam pattern the only way to adjust them to not annoy people at night made them useless for both day and night riding.

A pair of fog lights with a sharp cut-off work better for me. The motolights were probably better for daylight conspicuity, though.

The MR16 bulbs that fit Motolights are available in 12, 25 and 40 degree beams at some good hardware stores and at Home Depot, among other places. They are a very common track lighting and display lighting bulb.

Motolights work well for conspicuity and as a night-time low beam augmentation. If you want light down the road the a different approach is needed.

See: http://web.bigbend.net/~glaves/relaybox.htm

sdpc2 · May 27, 2011

+1

with the right side light aimed a bit towards the white line along side the road; as that is what i was taught to follow in bad weather.

piperjim said:
I set my caliper-mounted Motolights just even, or ever-so-slightly above the low beam. Then had my wife drive down the highway to check the "annoyance factor" as I both followed her, and then met her. That setting seemed just about right.

marchyman · May 27, 2011

PGlaves said:
The MR16 bulbs that fit Motolights are available in 12, 25 and 40 degree beams at some good hardware stores and at Home Depot, among other places. They are a very common track lighting and display lighting bulb.

And 8??. The bulbs that come with the unit are 8?? lights. The 3?? downward set of the motolights assume you are using the 8?? lights. Using a 3?? down angle will upset the riders in front of you if used with 12?? lights. At least that is my experience with lights mounted about lower mud-guard level on an R12GS.

leesrt · May 27, 2011

I adjust my mottos so that the top of the motto beams hit just above my low beam cut off. This does well for lighting up the road at night and I can run with just my mottos if my low beam cuts off. During the day you can seen them well.

I'm using GE 50w reveal halogen MR16 spotlight bulbs (12 degeree).

26667 · May 29, 2011

hellas

Thanx, all. Maybe I should have also specified that I chose the Hella f50's(?) that paul recommended in another post. But generally this all makes sense, tho i don't honestly know whether they're "spot" type or otherwise.

PS I almost always ride with my high beam during the day. many years ago one of the MSF instructors suggested to our class that in case your high beam burned out( and it would probably go first since most riding is done in daylight hours) you could still ride day or night with the low beam

pglaves · May 29, 2011

Go here to see the FF50 light patterns.

http://www.hella.com/produktion/Hel...g/FF_Series/FF50_FF50_Blue/FF50_FF50_Blue.jsp

26667 · May 29, 2011

Thanx!

as always, Paul, thanx so much for the helpful info.

driving light aim?

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