GS Headlight and Driving Lights

[DickNCA]

I try not to ride at night, but it is unavoidable especially during the winter when the sun sets so early. A annoying and potentially hazardous problem I have noticed on my 07 GS is that the headlight just doesn't throw light very far in front of me. I have adjusted the headlight to the "up" position with very little improvement.

I am considering adding driving lights. I stopped by my local dealer to price driving lights. The dealer recommended PIAA 520 lights. With a light bar, lights and tax I am looking at nearly $500. Ouch!

I would like hearing from any of you that have experienced similar problem. What are my options? Auxiliary riding lights and if so which are best? A higher wattage head light bulb? Head light adjustment and if so how so as not to blind oncoming traffic?

I would appreciate your advise.

 

[sit]

I ride a lot at night, went with the HID option as opposed to spending major bucks aux lights. I have aux lights, but they are cheapo ones I used just to add light to the front of my bike so cars can tell I am a bike and to make me stand out more. Not to light the road farther ahead of me to any great degree.

The HID's I went with are from
http://www.vvme.com/single-beam-hid...3.html?zenid=s7ml01pj0aackfjoq7nverj3dnca2osi

At the time I purchased them, they only had the regular kit, not the digital slim kit. For less than $100 I got HID in both lights and they have worked fine since day one, not LAMPF! codes or anything. And boy are these things bright! They put light much farther down the road and a wider pattern too. I love them and they have saved my bacon.

 

[advenbob]

I work the night shift at the Army Proving Ground in Yuma Az and travel home around 2-3 am on a 2 lane highway that has deer, burros, horses, mountain sheep, coyotes, etc.

In order to see what I am about to strike, I have a HID low beam, along with 2 Soltek HID driving lamps. The left side is a pencil beam and the right side is a driving wide beam. They work great. They are not cheap, but you get what you pay for.

There are many options out there for driving lamps, have fun picking what is right for you.

bob

 

[TourNut]

Being in Michigan deer country , I put KC Hilites 3 X 5.5 " (lens part) driving lights on both the RT & Goldwing and the R80GS years ago. Put out a lot of light, even after switching 100Watt H3 bulbs for 55W H3 for less electrical stress. You need to come up with mounting brackets from the frame. I would stay away from fork mounted driving lights because of the road surface beating the bulb filaments is not a good for their longevity.

 

[Polarbear]

GSA here;

The stockers the GSA come with are pretty good and I ride every night in the wee hours after midnight, from country to city. I don't know who makes the stock GSA driving lights but I always have them on, with good results. No need to change this one. You may consider the bolt on GSA system, but I think its pricey too. Randy

 

[glenfiddich]

Since the GS alternator puts out plenty of juice, I bought a pair of automotive style (55W) PIAA 510 driving lamps for $125 -- I have no idea why the brighter lights are so much cheaper -- and bought a light bar off an inmate at ADVRider for $75. This gives me plenty of lighting when I need it.

For simplicity's sake I ran the hot wire straight to the battery and spliced the relay into my high beam hot wire. That completely eliminated the separate switch; when I switch to high beams, a minor sun goes nova up front.

I thought about retrofitting my OEM lights with HID, but wanted the safety of mulitiple light sources up front so cars know something is out there

Pete

 

[RTRyder]

The best deal I found on auxiliary HID lights is here... http://www.bestrestproducts.com/c-141-trailtech-hid-lighting.aspx

Power draw is 30 watts and the light output is amazing.