PIAA 1100X Lights w/ GC Light Brackets

[SockMonkey]

Picutres of completed installation of PIAA 1100X Driving Lights using GC (Gary C., a.k.a. Garauld) Light Brackets on an Gen II FJR with Gen I FZ1 mirrors.

Installation Notes:

1) When using FZ1 mirrors on a Gen II ('06, '07 or '08) FJR, the short mirror mount bushings as supplied in Skyway's Soltek light bracket kit are highly recommended;

2) For mounting the light above the GC light bracket as illustrated in the pictures below, the PIAA 1100X lamp assembly must be removed from its back casing by removing the 2 screws on the sides of the light case, rotated 180 degrees and reassembled;

3) The GC light bracket primary mount hole must be enlarged to accomodate PIAA mounting hardware using a 10mm drill (25/64" or 9.92mm drill recommended for tighter fit);

4) Nylon braided jacketing is recommended for PIAA 1100X wire harness to provided additional abrasion and UV protection;

5) 5/16" grommet used on panels C and D for thru-panel cable routing

 

[zenwhipper]

Looks Good. I have the same set up at home, just not mounted on the bike yet. My only comment, with the Garauld brackets and these lights - the lights seem to be a bit set away from the bike. I'd like em to be closer to the body. Which may sway me to mounting my PIAAs on the forks.

Scott

 

[Big-D]

You did a really clean job of mounting the lights. By looking at the pictures, it doesn't look like the lights could have been mounted much closer to the body than they are without interfering with the mirrors. Mounted where they are will allow for less vibration than if they were mounted on the forks. Looks Great!!

 

[tallyho911]

I agree nice job......

How can I lay my hands on a set of these brackets for a Gen I?

 

[SockMonkey]

Looks Good. I have the same set up at home, just not mounted on the bike yet. My only comment, with the Garauld brackets and these lights - the lights seem to be a bit set away from the bike. I'd like em to be closer to the body. Which may sway me to mounting my PIAAs on the forks.
Scott

I agree; I'd like the lights pulled into the bike about 1/2" or so too. Garauld actually designed these brackets for the Hella FF50 driving lights which are "cat's eye" (oval) shaped and fill up the space much better than these PIAA 1100X do (though the PIAA lights are brighter than the Hella lights). There was a bracket made for the PIAA 1100X lights (sold through CycleGadgets), but the guy that was making them stopped production several months back. I knew Garauld made a nice bracket (albeit for another light), so went with him instead becasue of immediate availability.

I tried the included PIAA fork mount brackets before going with these brackets. Once I got the fender mounts tight enough that they wouldn't vibrate out of alignment every time I rode and was actually able to use them, I quickly decided that higher was better - particularly up here in the PNW where we have some fairly dense underbrush. Low on the forks (and I had mine inverted so that they sat almost above the fender), the lights weren't getting enough light into the trees along the road where those pesky forest rats live. BIG difference when I remounted the lights below the mirrors as in the pics. Angle them out off-axis just a couple of degrees and there's plenty of light. Make no mistake: they're not HIDs, but they work.

I agree nice job......How can I lay my hands on a set of these brackets for a Gen I?

The brackets I'm using are in fact for a Gen I FJR. Garauld recommended using that version since I have the Gen I FZ1 mirrors installed. PM Gary (Garauld is his FJRForum handle) tell him you'd like a set, PayPal him the money and they'll be in your mailbox in a matter of days!

 

[madmike2]

Nice job, Marty. When you next have them apart you might consider painting the silver light housings black. On my '04 the silver housing looked good, but on my '05, the black housing helped them "disappear".

(Its really easy. The chrome bezel unscrews and I just taped off the wiring and bulbs and painted the housing with flat black Krylon)

I'm betting those lights really help you on the back roads once the sun sets. As an aside, I ran them during the day when we were in Moscow, ID, and it seemed to "freeze" the deer when we were on a group ride to Lake Coeur d' Alene. YMMV.

For those interested, CycleGadgets has a bracket that mounts the lights to the mirrors differently.

 

[garauld]

...- the lights seem to be a bit set away from the bike. I'd like em to be closer to the body.

Hi - if you want a set that's shorter, let me know how by much and I can make them accordingly. I can also leave out the hole also so you could position the lights wherever you want.

 

[SockMonkey]

Nice job, Marty. When you next have them apart you might consider painting the silver light housings black. On my '04 the silver housing looked good, but on my '05, the black housing helped them "disappear".
(Its really easy. The chrome bezel unscrews and I just taped off the wiring and bulbs and painted the housing with flat black Krylon)

I'm betting those lights really help you on the back roads once the sun sets. As an aside, I ran them during the day when we were in Moscow, ID, and it seemed to "freeze" the deer when we were on a group ride to Lake Coeur d' Alene. YMMV.

For those interested, CycleGadgets has a bracket that mounts the lights to the mirrors differently.

Thanks, Mike! Yes, they absolutely help! I had to aim them down just a bit as I was apparently pissing a few people off with them on (high beams were being flashed).

I might go so far as to have the entire light (including the chrome bezel) powder coated black. I saw that on a BMW recently and liked it a lot.

If we're talking about the same (Rex..?) bracket that CycleGadgets used to sell for the PIAA 1100X lights, that's the one I was referring to in my earlier post that is no longer made. I confirmed this with CycleGadgets before I placed the order with Garauld. They told me that the guy just decided that he wasn't selling enough to make it worth his while. That's too bad; it was a nice bracket.

 

[SockMonkey]

...- the lights seem to be a bit set away from the bike. I'd like em to be closer to the body.

Hi - if you want a set that's shorter, let me know how by much and I can make them accordingly. I can also leave out the hole also so you could position the lights wherever you want.

I might add here that these mounts are fairly rigid and the lights don't exhibit any bounce whatsoever as is at speed. (FYI: Garauld also includes 2 rubber "gaskets" that sit between the bracket and bike to protect the finish. If you look close enough, you can see them in the pics.)

 

[madmike2]

Thank you, sir. That is the one I was referring to and it mounted the lights sideways. I should have known you'd do your homework!

 

[SockMonkey]

Thank you, sir. That is the one I was referring to and it mounted the lights sideways. I should have known you'd do your homework!

Me? Do homework..? You've obviously got me confused with that "other" OCD SockMonkey!

I've got to say that I'm really impressed with the GC light bracket. Nicely made, clean bends, excellent powder coating (I have black but I think he also makes them in silver..?) and including the rubber gasket is really thoughtful. As far as a universal light bracket for the FJR goes (and he does make them for both generations), this is as close to perfect as anyone is going to get providing they're not using too heavy a light.

 

[madmike2]

As far as a universal light bracket for the FJR goes (and he does make them for both generations), this is as close to perfect as anyone is going to get providing they're not using too heavy a light.

Absolutely! There are pictures floating around of my bike with the Hellas mounted on Garauld's brackets. Nice work, nice finish and nice service.