LED auxiliary lights

[Fred W]

Pooky's got a second gen. Rather than finding the headlight relay wire (which may be a different color than what Patriot mentions above on 1st gens) you just need to find the factory heated grips power wire down near the glovebox. That power gets delayed till after the engine starts, same as the headlights.

 

[TomInPA]

Welp, this here product offering from Alex has motervated me to re-install the (highly illegal in Kweebeck) Chinese telescopic HID headlights back into my bike.

So now it's just a matter of deciding which strength (not as good as HID aux lamps) LEDS that I want to choose to supplement those highly inefficient, clearly inferior, illegal HIDs.

Man... sometimes, the world is your oyster.

Fred, why not install the Chinese HID lights, but not connect the hi/low connector on the left light? You can have the right beam provide the bixenon distance function and keep the close field illuminated with the left light. Supplemental lights look like the shizznit, and since Clearwaters are not in the budget, these should complement my low-price bixenon headlights very nicely.

 

[LowAndSilent]

So, are the 550Lm's backordered or something? The order button has gone missing. Looking at getting those for the front forks, and then possibly replacing my FF50's with the 1800Lm's if those work out.

 

[Fred W]

Fred, why not install the Chinese HID lights, but not connect the hi/low connector on the left light? You can have the right beam provide the bixenon distance function and keep the close field illuminated with the left light. Supplemental lights look like the shizznit, and since Clearwaters are not in the budget, these should complement my low-price bixenon headlights very nicely.

Thanks, Tom. I'm actually (a couple of years) ahead of you there. If you check out my post from 3 years ago I determined that this is quite do-able, and even posted some beam cast pictures. But, I also noted that the down range light power is noticeably less in high beam with only one of the two sides participating.

That was when I figured out that the premium option was to aim the aux lights to just cover the foreground void left by the headlamp high beams. That way you can just leave the Aux lights on all the time (for added conspicuity) and the aux lights don't have to be very powerful as they only need to cover about 50 feet of foreground.

My problem at that time was that my dual Hella FF50 aux lights were using up 110 watts of juice, which precludes the simultaneous use of any heated gear due to the alternator's power output. These LED lights should do what I want at less than half the wattage.

 

[TomInPA]

Figures you'd have done that. Any tips on height and distance for aiming the low beam? I really adjusted downward, and may have over-shot, but I never get flashed.

 

[Fred W]

Check this site out. It has everything you need to know.

I made marks on my garage door and have a paint spot in the driveway a measured 25 feet away.

 

[zed88]

Well now I have two of these mounted up. One set of the 550 lights on the front forks, and another set of new 1800 lights up high as driving lights with a dimmer. The bottom set is wired up to a simple on off switch and functions as visibility lights and close in lights. For this they are great. The top set is mounted into the shelf bracket handguards holes (very convienent and no need for seperate mounting brackets). They also have a dimmer from 0-100%, and when the high beams go on they go to 100%.

front

Upper lights

Low beam shot from 100 feet

High beam shot from 100 feet

These should make great driving lights, and the do seem to greatly improve visibilty from the front by creating the triangle of light. They are also small, and draw low power. I did invest in the 3m covers for them all, and also applied silver paste to them all since the stock is almost nonexsistent. The small size is great in not ruining the lines of the bike like the larger lights do.

I will post up manual camera controlled beam patterns in the dark a bit later.

 

[Alex]

So, are the 550Lm's backordered or something? The order button has gone missing. Looking at getting those for the front forks, and then possibly replacing my FF50's with the 1800Lm's if those work out.

The 550's are sold out. I did not purchase nearly as many as the others. I'm working on waterproof switches and some dimmers at the moment. The 1500 or 1800's on a dimmer would be the best of both worlds.

 

[Patriot]

Figures you'd have done that. Any tips on height and distance for aiming the low beam? I really adjusted downward, and may have over-shot, but I never get flashed.

eh

I park my Camry (or any low compact car) on a level road and move the bike directly behind it about 75' on the centerstand

I take a straight edge across the top lights and make them "flush" from left to right...they are now straight ahead and match

With all lights blazing, I aim the lower small lights at a straight ahead even in height spot on the rear of the car at the height of the license plate.

I then aim the top big lights at the front seats below the rear view mirror with no reflection in any mirror of the car

(don't use a tall vehicle like a SUV or big pickup)

I take the bike off the centerstand, sit on it holding it level, and recheck since the nose is lower on the centerstand than off

Has worked for me with virtually no flashing of other vehicles high beams as I travel the interstates in the dead dark of night

hope this helps

 

[Patriot]

So, are the 550Lm's backordered or something? The order button has gone missing. Looking at getting those for the front forks, and then possibly replacing my FF50's with the 1800Lm's if those work out.

The 550's are sold out. I did not purchase nearly as many as the others. I'm working on waterproof switches and some dimmers at the moment. The 1500 or 1800's on a dimmer would be the best of both worlds.

GUNNY

I'm happy with the lower smaller lights on full blast 24/7 and the dimmer only controling the lowers

On mine, the other option is for the dimmer to equally control all four lights

Of course, using two dimmers could control each set separately, but I don't see the point

 

[LowAndSilent]

So, are the 550Lm's backordered or something? The order button has gone missing. Looking at getting those for the front forks, and then possibly replacing my FF50's with the 1800Lm's if those work out.

The 550's are sold out. I did not purchase nearly as many as the others. I'm working on waterproof switches and some dimmers at the moment. The 1500 or 1800's on a dimmer would be the best of both worlds.

That doesn't make Adam happy.

But, I did just order two of the 1800's. Those will hold me over for now. Still dreaming of those 550's for the front forks though.

 

[pooky12800]

Ok, I have been following this thread and have my bike wired with the barrier strip farkle that was suggested and ready for the lights. I did tap the relay on the side marker light that comes on with the key instead of the heated grips. The heated grip relay would probably have been better but having an AE I often shut off the bike with the kickstand leaving it in 1st gear so it doesn't roll away. The lights will tell me quickly if I turned the key to off. I am wondering where zed88 got the 3m covers and what the silver paste is for and how is it applied? I think I am definetly FJR addicted. With the weather being bad lately, I am almost having as much fun farkling the bike up as I am riding it.

 

[zed88]

The 3m covers came from another more expensive vendor on Advrider, but come stock on these lights. The silver paste is used on computer CPUs to facilitate heat transfer (just unscrew your lights And you can see a slight bit that was used.) You can google arctic silver thermal paste and it's about $8 a tube at newegg.com. Basically it should help get excess heat to the outer Heatsinks. Maybe not needed buts it's cheap and easy to do.

 

[Patriot]

Ok, I have been following this thread and have my bike wired with the barrier strip farkle that was suggested and ready for the lights. I did tap the relay on the side marker light that comes on with the key instead of the heated grips. The heated grip relay would probably have been better but having an AE I often shut off the bike with the kickstand leaving it in 1st gear so it doesn't roll away. The lights will tell me quickly if I turned the key to off. I am wondering where zed88 got the 3m covers and what the silver paste is for and how is it applied? I think I am definetly FJR addicted. With the weather being bad lately, I am almost having as much fun farkling the bike up as I am riding it.

you want all the electrical power (voltage x amperage) the bike can muster going to the starter when cranking

definitely would remove the relay coil connection from switched power and put it to the headlight relay so the lights only come on after the engine is running

lights on while cranking bad bad bad IMHO

YMMV

 

[pooky12800]

I take your point but want to caution others. If you wire the relay off the headlight low beam, you will lose power to the auxillary lights when you turn on your brights. I have a GenII and I dont think that two 1500 lumens lights that power a combined total of 3mps and 40 watts will do any damage. Does anybody else? If so what damage? I am not trying to insult anyone I am learning from you so, Thanks! Thoughts or suggestions? Do you think a 5 amp fuse is sufficent?

 

[puppychow]

I take your point but want to caution others. If you wire the relay off the headlight low beam, you will lose power to the auxillary lights when you turn on your brights. I have a GenII and I dont think that two 1500 lumens lights that power a combined total of 3mps and 40 watts will do any damage. Does anybody else? If so what damage? I am not trying to insult anyone I am learning from you so, Thanks! Thoughts or suggestions? Do you think a 5 amp fuse is sufficent?

I believe the headlight relay resides behind the speedometer. The HI and the LO beam signals come off of this relay. I believe the input to this relay is powered when the engine is running. If you are going to use the headlight signals as a switched source - that is the signal you need to tap.

Unfortunately, I do not have pictures of said relay.

 

[Patriot]

I take your point but want to caution others. If you wire the relay off the headlight low beam, you will lose power to the auxillary lights when you turn on your brights. I have a GenII and I dont think that two 1500 lumens lights that power a combined total of 3mps and 40 watts will do any damage. Does anybody else? If so what damage? I am not trying to insult anyone I am learning from you so, Thanks! Thoughts or suggestions? Do you think a 5 amp fuse is sufficent?

actually, I the dimmer circuit uses both the high and low beam power relays

I don't know the circuits, but at low beam my lights are adjustable with the dimmer with max at 80% bright

At high beam all the led lights go to 100% bright

There also is an optional simple circuit that cause the led lights go to 100% (like high beam) when you blow the horn

 

[puppychow]

I take your point but want to caution others. If you wire the relay off the headlight low beam, you will lose power to the auxillary lights when you turn on your brights. I have a GenII and I dont think that two 1500 lumens lights that power a combined total of 3mps and 40 watts will do any damage. Does anybody else? If so what damage? I am not trying to insult anyone I am learning from you so, Thanks! Thoughts or suggestions? Do you think a 5 amp fuse is sufficent?

actually, I the dimmer circuit uses both the high and low beam power relays

I don't know the circuits, but at low beam my lights are adjustable with the dimmer with max at 80% bright

At high beam all the led lights go to 100% bright

There also is an optional simple circuit that cause the led lights go to 100% (like high beam) when you blow the horn

Mike that would be true for the Krista's. Now being a new owner of a pair of Krista lights I might be biased, but those features you described out of the box bought me over to their side. I am sure it would be possible to do the same for Alex's lights - but the circuitry may not be as integrated.

 

[zed88]

All you need if you want to dim from 0-100% on low beam is a dimming box like so: https://stores.intuitwebsites.com/hstrial-QualiRegResou/-strse-22/Wireless-LED-Dimmer-with/Detail.bok

It also taps right into the high beam relay for 100% light when you hit the high beam (located off the above mentioned relay in the blue(purple) wire which is in the upper left hand cowl next to the air vents on a gen2). You can also hook it to the horn if you want that to go off at 100% brightness.

Its an option for those with more limited budgets (you can mount 4 sets of the brightest lights for the cost of 1 krista!). I'm sure they are great, but I doubt they match the brightness of 7 1800L lights, and 2 dimmers. Having seen both side by side, the Krista's looked slightly brighter, with slightly better throw distance, but not 3x as much.

 

[puppychow]

All you need if you want to dim from 0-100% on low beam is a dimming box like so: https://stores.intuit...with/Detail.bok

It also taps right into the high beam relay for 100% light when you hit the high beam (located off the above mentioned relay in the blue(purple) wire which is in the upper left hand cowl next to the air vents on a gen2). You can also hook it to the horn if you want that to go off at 100% brightness.

Its an option for those with more limited budgets (you can mount 4 sets of the brightest lights for the cost of 1 krista!). I'm sure they are great, but I doubt they match the brightness of 7 1800L lights, and 2 dimmers. Having seen both side by side, the Krista's looked slightly brighter, with slightly better throw distance, but not 3x as much.

I don't want this to turn into an appendage measuring fest.

The wireless dimmer looks interesting, but I wonder how fun it would be to control it with heavy gloves for instance. As far what is better and what punches longer - that is all relative to the observer. I am sure Alex's lights are great - I was even considering them for a while. I have even compared the Krista's to the PHID's on a dark Nevada night, what I observed might not be the same as what many others will debate about non-stop and I don't want to get into that either.

Let's just say in my personal preference the illumination (not just raw brightness but beamcast as well) and the control of the Krista's and not having to source different other parts from different vendors nor having to plan and envision clean routing of wires and looms to the various distributed control components swayed me in the direction of the Krista's. Just my personal preference - that's all.

Also, since this is a discussion about Alex's lights - I will say no more about other lights.