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Aux lights....Ideas?

ld_rider

ld_rider

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I'm interested in adding additional driving lights and wondering if anyone has BTDT? I'm coming off of a GL1800 which had 220 watts of headlight power (4 x 55watt H7s). That bike would burn a hole through these Maine dark nights like no other stock motorcycle in the world.

Would love to add some more lumens but not sure what the NC700's alternator would be happy with. I added an additional 200 watts to the GL1800 with a set of PIAAs (pair of 910 driving lamps w/100 watt H7s) but I'm thinking HIDs or maybe LEDs would be easier on the NC700's alternator??

Thanks in advance for any advice...
 
I would stop thinking in terms of power draw by incandescent, and start thinking LEDs. You can add very adequate aux lighting with LEDs for just a few amps power draw, or the equivalent of one added incandescent light. The NC will be able to handle lots of LEDs.

In fact, on my GL1800 I just switched the aux lights in the lower cowl away from the hot, power robbing 55 watt lamps to LED replacements that draw a fraction of the power.

Your actual aux light product choice might depend on if you want the lights for seeing where you're going, or rather for you to be seen. Here is one of many prior threads on the subject: http://nc700-forum.com/forum/nc700-mods/4450-10-watt-led-lights-better-than-advertised.html

The search feature on this forum stinks, but if you go to Advanced Search, and search on "lights" by thread title only, you may find some useful hits.
 
Last edited:
Hey JDE, how/where did you mount them? I'm thinking about putting them on the crash bars (Givi). Thoughts?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I have a pair of PIAA LP530s I'm in the process of mounting up. They're LEDs, with a total power draw of 1 ampere for the pair. I'm running them through the Honda accessory wiring harness, which I have on the bike already for other reasons, using a connector someone on here found a source for, which plugs right in to the Honda connector. I'm also hanging them off the Honda light bar, which again was already on the bike on the showroom floor, using the factory holes on that bar.

These lights are a classic driving light pattern, which I wanted. I don't care for the circular light pattern which nearly all other LED aux lights provide. For my use, that means lots of wasted light in one direction or another. These PIAAs are a new type of design, in that the LEDs themselves don't 'fire' forward, but at the reflectors, just like 'regular' auxiliary lights.

There was a write-up of this PIAA design in the form of the LP570, in a direct head-to-head comparison with a bunch of other LEDs, by Overland Journal(??) in 2013. PIAA sent me a copy of the whole article when I called to talk to them about LEDs. The PIAAs won the Editors' Choice award. While the ones reviewed were a larger size, the design and pattern is the same. It's a very worthwhile article for anyone considering LED auxiliary lights. There's LOTS of information, and LOTS of instrumented light testing.
 
670cc said:
Your actual aux light product choice might depend on if you want the lights for seeing where you're going, or rather for you to be seen.
Click to expand...
As posted, I'm interested in driving lights. The PIAA 910 (under mirror mounts) had a nice narrow, far-reaching beam that was IIRC about 10 or 15 degrees. The PIAA 1100x (mounted under fairing) were about 55 degrees and I found them useless for driving lights but fine for lighting the side of the road directly in front of the bike.

I have no experience setting up or choosing either HIDs or LEDs, but from the comments from you and others I'm leaning towards the LEDs..

My due diligence continues.......
 
MZ5 said:
I have a pair of PIAA LP530s I'm in the process of mounting up. They're LEDs, with a total power draw of 1 ampere for the pair.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info, I'll look into them...That is a crazy low draw... Seems like it would leave plenty of alternator capacity for other goodies!
 
ld_rider said:
I'm interested in adding additional driving lights and wondering if anyone has BTDT? I'm coming off of a GL1800 which had 220 watts of headlight power (4 x 55watt H7s). That bike would burn a hole through these Maine dark nights like no other stock motorcycle in the world.

Would love to add some more lumens but not sure what the NC700's alternator would be happy with. I added an additional 200 watts to the GL1800 with a set of PIAAs (pair of 910 driving lamps w/100 watt H7s) but I'm thinking HIDs or maybe LEDs would be easier on the NC700's alternator??

Thanks in advance for any advice...
Click to expand...

LEDs will be a must on the "NC" as the Charging System will not support an additonal 110 Watts with conventional Halogen driving lights for long.

IMG_2418.jpg

I used Vision X XIL-SP120 Solstice Solo Prime Dual Light Motorcycle Kit (40° Narrow Beam) with 1 Meter Deutsch Cable Assemblies Rigid Industries 40197 Harness Extension and PIAA 74000 7/8"-1.25" L-Bracket, (Twin Pack) mounted on the Honda Light Bar.
 
MZ5 said:
I have a pair of PIAA LP530s I'm in the process of mounting up. They're LEDs, with a total power draw of 1 ampere for the pair. I'm running them through the Honda accessory wiring harness, which I have on the bike already for other reasons, using a connector someone on here found a source for, which plugs right in to the Honda connector. I'm also hanging them off the Honda light bar, which again was already on the bike on the showroom floor, using the factory holes on that bar.

These lights are a classic driving light pattern, which I wanted. I don't care for the circular light pattern which nearly all other LED aux lights provide. For my use, that means lots of wasted light in one direction or another. These PIAAs are a new type of design, in that the LEDs themselves don't 'fire' forward, but at the reflectors, just like 'regular' auxiliary lights.

There was a write-up of this PIAA design in the form of the LP570, in a direct head-to-head comparison with a bunch of other LEDs, by Overland Journal(??) in 2013. PIAA sent me a copy of the whole article when I called to talk to them about LEDs. The PIAAs won the Editors' Choice award. While the ones reviewed were a larger size, the design and pattern is the same. It's a very worthwhile article for anyone considering LED auxiliary lights. There's LOTS of information, and LOTS of instrumented light testing.
Click to expand...

MZ5 Can you share the source for the connector that goes to the OEM wire harness? I have it installed on mine, with the intent of running lights off it

Thanks.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
jggassert said:
MZ5 Can you share the source for the connector that goes to the OEM wire harness? I have it installed on mine, with the intent of running lights off it
Click to expand...

I picked up my locally, you can also order them on-line too. Please refer to one of my earlier post for all the information that you require, LED Light Installation - Brillot2000. Take a look at post #9...
 
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