wheel prices from ebay last spring:
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off-road lighting
There is a nice Off-Road light package on E-Bay, item #180041443226. It's
plug and play. I'm ordering a set next payday. I purchased from him before
and the quality is first-rate. Hope this helps. Ross
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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off-road lighting
Len, Yan and all-
Ross's idea (eBay item 180041443226) doesn't trip my trigger, because
the lights don't steer with the bars, they stare straight ahead like
the headlight does. No help at all on really twisty roads. Don's got
it right, from the look of his pix
(http://autos.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/DSN_KLR650/photos/view/7d54?
b=1&m=s&o=0>). I emailed him asking what make/model the lights are.
His are fog lights, but there must be driving lights that would fit
that same. Meanwhile, can anyone tell what make the pictured ones are?
Thanks, Don!
-James Flower
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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off-road lighting
i am thinking of getting one of these lights and stick onto the front frame
under the headlight - power it from the european city lights or something
with a switch. do you think that might work?
On 10/25/06, James W. Flower wrote: > > Len, Yan and all- > Ross's idea (eBay item 180041443226) doesn't trip my trigger, > because > the lights don't steer with the bars, they stare straight ahead like > the headlight does. No help at all on really twisty roads. Don's got > it right, from the look of his pix > (http://autos.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/DSN_KLR650/photos/view/7d54? > b=1&m=s&o=0>). I emailed him asking what make/model the lights are. > His are fog lights, but there must be driving lights that would fit > that same. Meanwhile, can anyone tell what make the pictured ones are? > Thanks, Don! > -James Flower > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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- Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2003 6:02 pm
off-road lighting
On Tue, 24 Oct 2006 23:24:43 -0700 James W. Flower
writes:
Len, Yan and all-
Ross's idea (eBay item 180041443226) doesn't trip my trigger, because the
lights don't steer with the bars, they stare straight ahead like the
headlight does. No help at all on really twisty roads.
SNIP
<><><><><><>
<><><><><><>
Listers,
I don't have a lot of experience in this area but I do wonder about
steerable lighting. At slow speeds you tend to turn the bars the
direction you want to go. That's pretty slow speeds like walking speed.
But at higher speed you countersteer meaning to go to the right you turn
the bars to the left. That would seem to me that the light would head to
the left instead of the right. So a steerable headlight maybe actually
less helpful than a fixed light.
Anybody with any first hand experience with a steerable headlight?
My BMW Airhead /6 has a pretty good light that's attached to the forks.
I don't ride at night if I can help it so don't have any recent
experience. But I do remember a few years ago riding with another newer
BMW and a Harley and my /6 light was by far the best of the group. I
didn't have any trouble seeing where I was going. The shoulders of the
road were lit but that's about as wide as the beam of light got.
Maybe one of the best upgrades a guy could do for lighting is to install
a relay and heavier wiring. I seem to recall that you lose light output
at a dramatic rate with each portion of a volt dropped. So getting every
volt to the headlight would be important for the best light output.
Best,
Jeff Saline
ABC # 4412 South Dakota Airmarshal
Airheads Beemer Club www.airheads.org
The Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota
75 R90/6, 03 KLR650, 79 R100RT
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- Posts: 71
- Joined: Sun Aug 06, 2006 10:31 am
off-road lighting
In my younger days I used to enjoy riding at night and did so
frequently. Back then I had a Yamaha 400 Special and in later years
a 700 Magna. They both had lights that turned with the forks which
I found annoying as the seems when turning the light was pointed
where I was going to be rather than where the rest of the bike was
at present. I really like the KLR light that points with the bike.
Maybe for off-road use a fork mounted light may be of some use. I
raced cross-country snowmobiles for years and the headlight doen't
turn with the bars on most models. I guess it's all what you're
used to. Ross
--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Jeff Saline wrote: > > On Tue, 24 Oct 2006 23:24:43 -0700 James W. Flower > writes: > Len, Yan and all- > > Ross's idea (eBay item 180041443226) doesn't trip my trigger, because the > lights don't steer with the bars, they stare straight ahead like the > headlight does. No help at all on really twisty roads. > > SNIP > > <><><><><><> > <><><><><><> > > Listers, > > I don't have a lot of experience in this area but I do wonder about > steerable lighting. At slow speeds you tend to turn the bars the > direction you want to go. That's pretty slow speeds like walking speed. > But at higher speed you countersteer meaning to go to the right you turn > the bars to the left. That would seem to me that the light would head to > the left instead of the right. So a steerable headlight maybe actually > less helpful than a fixed light. > > Anybody with any first hand experience with a steerable headlight? > > My BMW Airhead /6 has a pretty good light that's attached to the forks. > I don't ride at night if I can help it so don't have any recent > experience. But I do remember a few years ago riding with another newer > BMW and a Harley and my /6 light was by far the best of the group. I > didn't have any trouble seeing where I was going. The shoulders of the > road were lit but that's about as wide as the beam of light got. > > Maybe one of the best upgrades a guy could do for lighting is to install > a relay and heavier wiring. I seem to recall that you lose light output > at a dramatic rate with each portion of a volt dropped. So getting every > volt to the headlight would be important for the best light output. > > Best, > > Jeff Saline > ABC # 4412 South Dakota Airmarshal > Airheads Beemer Club www.airheads.org > The Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota > 75 R90/6, 03 KLR650, 79 R100RT >
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- Posts: 5
- Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 6:45 am
off-road lighting
You have a point Jeff, although it's debatable whether pushing on the left
handlebar of a fast going motorcycle or bicycle actually turns the wheel to
the right, the gyroscopic forces may actually lean the bike to the left
instead. I looked at some pictures similar to that one:
http://www.athearoadrace.com/graphics/bikes3.jpg
and it does look like the wheel isn't actually turning much in a turn. So
may be I should go back to the idea of an on-helmet light.
Anyone upgraded their headlight bulbs to higher output H4's - like the PIAA
Xtreme White series, the Sylvania (Osram) Silver Star series, or Philips
Vision Plus series?
Thanks,
Yan
On 10/25/06, Jeff Saline wrote: > > On Tue, 24 Oct 2006 23:24:43 -0700 James W. Flower > writes: > Len, Yan and all- > > Ross's idea (eBay item 180041443226) doesn't trip my trigger, because the > lights don't steer with the bars, they stare straight ahead like the > headlight does. No help at all on really twisty roads. > > SNIP > > <><><><><><> > <><><><><><> > > Listers, > > I don't have a lot of experience in this area but I do wonder about > steerable lighting. At slow speeds you tend to turn the bars the > direction you want to go. That's pretty slow speeds like walking speed. > But at higher speed you countersteer meaning to go to the right you turn > the bars to the left. That would seem to me that the light would head to > the left instead of the right. So a steerable headlight maybe actually > less helpful than a fixed light. > > Anybody with any first hand experience with a steerable headlight? > > My BMW Airhead /6 has a pretty good light that's attached to the forks. > I don't ride at night if I can help it so don't have any recent > experience. But I do remember a few years ago riding with another newer > BMW and a Harley and my /6 light was by far the best of the group. I > didn't have any trouble seeing where I was going. The shoulders of the > road were lit but that's about as wide as the beam of light got. > > Maybe one of the best upgrades a guy could do for lighting is to install > a relay and heavier wiring. I seem to recall that you lose light output > at a dramatic rate with each portion of a volt dropped. So getting every > volt to the headlight would be important for the best light output. > > Best, > > Jeff Saline > ABC # 4412 South Dakota Airmarshal > Airheads Beemer Club www.airheads.org > The Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota > 75 R90/6, 03 KLR650, 79 R100RT > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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- Posts: 77
- Joined: Mon Oct 16, 2006 12:49 pm
off-road lighting
Don't forget, due to counter steering you won't get as much use out of the lights at night as you think you will. Try using a better head light and leave it on high to get the nice spread.
rosslindberg wrote:
In my younger days I used to enjoy riding at night and did so
frequently. Back then I had a Yamaha 400 Special and in later years
a 700 Magna. They both had lights that turned with the forks which
I found annoying as the seems when turning the light was pointed
where I was going to be rather than where the rest of the bike was
at present. I really like the KLR light that points with the bike.
Maybe for off-road use a fork mounted light may be of some use. I
raced cross-country snowmobiles for years and the headlight doen't
turn with the bars on most models. I guess it's all what you're
used to. Ross
--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Jeff Saline wrote: > > On Tue, 24 Oct 2006 23:24:43 -0700 James W. Flower > writes: > Len, Yan and all- > > Ross's idea (eBay item 180041443226) doesn't trip my trigger, because the > lights don't steer with the bars, they stare straight ahead like the > headlight does. No help at all on really twisty roads. > > SNIP > > <><><><><><> > <><><><><><> > > Listers, > > I don't have a lot of experience in this area but I do wonder about > steerable lighting. At slow speeds you tend to turn the bars the > direction you want to go. That's pretty slow speeds like walking speed. > But at higher speed you countersteer meaning to go to the right you turn > the bars to the left. That would seem to me that the light would head to > the left instead of the right. So a steerable headlight maybe actually > less helpful than a fixed light. > > Anybody with any first hand experience with a steerable headlight? > > My BMW Airhead /6 has a pretty good light that's attached to the forks. > I don't ride at night if I can help it so don't have any recent > experience. But I do remember a few years ago riding with another newer > BMW and a Harley and my /6 light was by far the best of the group. I > didn't have any trouble seeing where I was going. The shoulders of the > road were lit but that's about as wide as the beam of light got. > > Maybe one of the best upgrades a guy could do for lighting is to install > a relay and heavier wiring. I seem to recall that you lose light output > at a dramatic rate with each portion of a volt dropped. So getting every > volt to the headlight would be important for the best light output. > > Best, > > Jeff Saline > ABC # 4412 South Dakota Airmarshal > Airheads Beemer Club www.airheads.org > The Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota > 75 R90/6, 03 KLR650, 79 R100RT > --------------------------------- Get your own web address for just $1.99/1st yr. We'll help. Yahoo! Small Business. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
off-road lighting
The PIAA extreme white are a great improvement IMO. Interestingly, it is the daylight visibility which is most enhanced with the PIAA lights as my KLR is far more visible than others with stock headlights.
Night vision is far better than the stock light however I have yet to check voltage drop to see if the light might benefit from wiring improvement.
Maybe tonight....
Norm
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
off-road lighting
OK, so it was time to look to see what the voltage drops are in the head light circuit. I'm running a PIAA 80/110 watt H4 headlight bulb. Voltage drops with engine rev'ed up (system voltage 14.2 volts):
1) High beam right hand terminal (battery + to high beam terminal on headlight socket) = 1.5 volts
2) Ground terminal (left hand on head light socket) to cylinder head = 0.1 volts.
3) Low beam (top terminal on head light socket) to battery + = 1.2 volts.
Obviously both low & high beam need attention since there is a loss of 1.5 volts! If this is localized to an area such as the dimmer switch contacts, heating and failure is likely. 100 watts divided by 14 volts = 7 amps. 7 amps times 1.5 volts = 10.5 watts. This will make enough heat to melt dimmer switch contacts and will diminish headlight power supply by 10%. A 10% drop in headlight power supply will drop output noticeably.
Now, back to the garage to install a couple of head light relays.
If anyone doesn't understand voltage drop testing, email and I'll run you through the (easy) procedure.
Norm
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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off-road lighting
On Wed, 25 Oct 2006 18:15:08 -0700 "Norm Keller"
writes:
SNIP> OK, so it was time to look to see what the voltage drops are in the > head light circuit.
SNIP <><><><><><> <><><><><><> Norm, There you have it. I bet the relays and better wiring will make a huge difference in light output. That's the same reason I don't think folks should use the city lights wiring for anything but controlling a relay. I'm looking forward to hearing about how you do wiring and the outcome. Best, Jeff Saline ABC # 4412 South Dakota Airmarshal Airheads Beemer Club www.airheads.org The Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota 75 R90/6, 03 KLR650, 79 R100RT> Obviously both low & high beam need attention since there is a loss > of 1.5 volts!
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