light up.

[Jeff0308]

I haven't yet tried the LED headlight  globe as yet.
I have heard a lot of negatives though.
I'm looking for people's opinions again.
My question is.
WHO USES WHAT GLOBES? 
LED HEADLIGHTS and why?
HID HEADLIGHTS and why?
HALOGEN HEADLIGHTS and why?
DRiving lights / light bars. Do you use them if so which type and is it for safety or extra lighting.
Does any of these have any adverse effects on the bike / wiring or electrical system and if so what? 
In Melbourne Australia HIDs are illegal so I have been advised due to ADR compliance but people still use them
Not certain on the legalities regarding the use of LEDs.
I never asked.
Thanks again. Jeff
If the LED isn't up to scratch I'm not certain which way is next.

[Arnie]

Jeff,

I have some DRL (daytime running lights) cheap 8 led strip in my cooling scoops that are ON with the ignition.
IOW, all the time.  This is probably illegal as they are supposed to not be ON when the headlights are.

I also have 2 x 10W LED (Cree XML) bicycle lights mounted near the top of my windscreen.  They are wired as "driving lights" with a switch to disable them if needed, and otherwise they come ON & OFF with the mainbeam (H4 100W).

Still, with all that fire power, I am very careful in Roo country at night.

 

[ribbert]

I haven't yet tried the LED headlight  globe as yet.
I have heard a lot of negatives though.
I'm looking for people's opinions again.
My question is.
WHO USES WHAT GLOBES? 
LED HEADLIGHTS and why?
HID HEADLIGHTS and why?
HALOGEN HEADLIGHTS and why?
DRiving lights / light bars. Do you use them if so which type and is it for safety or extra lighting.
Does any of these have any adverse effects on the bike / wiring or electrical system and if so what? 
In Melbourne Australia HIDs are illegal so I have been advised due to ADR compliance but people still use them
Not certain on the legalities regarding the use of LEDs.
I never asked.
Thanks again. Jeff
If the LED isn't up to scratch I'm not certain which way is next.

Jeff, unless you ride a lot at night lot in the country (and I strongly recommend you don't in our part of the world) I would just fit one of the new bright halogen globes with a relay to get full power to it.

If being seen is your priority, ride around with it on high beam through the day.

Even with all the trips I do I rarely wish for better lights (I have the bright halogen globe and relay) because I avoid riding after dark unless it's on the freeway and even then, only a couple of them and even then, only if I have to. However, what I do need is reliability! Riding at night in the bush, or the traffic, with no light sucks. A halogen globe has 2 filiments and will only blow one beam at a time so you always have light.
They are also compatible with the headlight reflector to throw a proper beam and are readily available should you need one when travelling.

I love LED lights but not sure how good a beam they throw in existing headlights (reflector).

It has been my experience that the 'roo that takes you out is not the one you are carefully watching up the road in the beam of your super lights but the one that comes out of nowhere and lands right in front of you a nano second before you hit it. When a 'roo comes out of the bush at right angles to the road, no light on earth is going stop you hitting it. Even in the daylight you don't get near the brake before you hit it.

That's my 2 cents worth.

Sure, add extra/brighter lights, no downside, but what is it you want to achieve with them?

Noel

[FJmonkey]

Jeff, I currently use the 55W, 5000K HID from DDM. I have had it on my 86' then switched it over to my 89' I use it due to the brighter (white) light it produces. I don't have Roos to worry about, just stupid SoCal drivers. When they see a single bright light behind them they worry that I might be law enforcement, until I am past them. At night the extra light is just that, more light to see the road. I was very happy I made the switch just before Klavdy decided to try and move a mountain with his FJ. I rode home that night with my dark tinted visor in the canyons. Every car (two or three) pulled over to let me pass, I guess I could see farther and or just blinded them with my headlamp. The HID is direct to the battery and uses the H4 connector only for signal so it knows when to be on and in High or Low beam. This gives the option to switch back to a standard H4 bulb if the HID system fails on the road away from home. So far the HID has been trouble free, the LEDs seem like the way to go as they should be very reliable and easy on the power for the light they produce.

[mr blackstock]

G'day,
Awhile ago I was faced with the same sort of dilemma, I went out and bought a CREE LED spot light from AutoPro for $150, and was so impressed that I went and bought another.  I did a little research, which is difficult in the world of LED lighting, but I also wanted deep spot lights so I could see into the bush and paddocks either side of the road.  I was under the impression that lightbars are great for the initial 50 meters, but not good at long distance, IMO.  Check out the pics, do some research, and buy local so if you hate the lights you buy, you can exchange them for better ones.
Cheers, Gareth


Using my normal highbeams:

with the spot lights also on:

[gumby302ho]

 You guys have dangerous Roo's, the area I live in is dangerous for white tail deer, day or night, the girlfriend hit two last season, one we went back to pick up when she showed up balling cause she clensed this deer, in 30 minutes the heart was on the BBQ! So yummy. Was talking to some old family friends that went on vacation to Down Under and sampled some Roo, said it was good and was not very game'E'. Wicked lights on your J was my main point! That is some serious beams for seeing lateral.

[markmartin]

Jeff, I'm running a halogen bulb with a dedicated harness and relay from Eastern Beaver.  It provides a pretty good light.  I can look up the bulb wattage and make of the bulb tonight. The dedicated harness does make a difference and I would recommend that if you're going to stay with a halogen bulb.
I had mounted two 35w halogen driving lights on a dedicated harness, but found that while they provided a decent amount of extra light for the first 25 yards or so, it did little to help the 'down road' visibility. I upped the bulbs to 50w and it helped a bit, but at this wattage I found it was draining my battery, even with a lithium battery and an upgraded regulator. I was also running a gps, charging a phone, charging a Gopro, and had my wife's heated jacket plugged in also, so  I probably reached  critical mass for the alternator. I  have since removed the driving lights.  Long story short, any driving lights I would mount in the future would be LED or HID as they have much less draw per lumen on the electrical system .

[Arnie]

Mark,

You'd probably have been fine if you just unplugged your wife's jacket :-)
Of course, they you might have had 'other' problems.

[Jeff0308]

Mark,

You'd probably have been fine if you just unplugged your wife's jacket :-)
Of course, they you might have had 'other' problems.

Mark,

You'd probably have been fine if you just unplugged your wife's jacket :-)
Of course, they you might have had 'other' problems.

Funny about that hey? Arnie.... Hot water bottle maybe ..... Not.
Mark. I tried the light but wasn't completely dark. I have ordered a set of LED lights and am considering going back to the halogen globe if I'm not satisfied. High beam on the LED appeared to struggle. Low beam superb.  I am also thinking HID. To many possibilities at present. On a different note though.
I went with a mate on a 260km ride last week. Bike started out really well. Smooth as.  An hour in to the trip it started misfiring then the smell of fuel.  Oh so familiar.  I so just wanted to set fire to it. Would have been an easy fix and problem solved. A needle and seat jammed open.  Side covers off of the side of the road and tapped the carbi. Seemed to help a little. We were in the middle of nowhere to. Thought of bypassing the fuel pump but no spare hose. So 3rd gear at high revs seemed the way to go. Got to the destination. Let it sit and it seemed fine. On way home. It Started again. Haven't had a chance to look at it yet. Annoying part is I have a new fuel filter on it as well. Thinking of putting on 2 now. Tank was thoroughly cleaned 2 tanks of fuel previously to this.  The funny part is last time I went with this mate 12 mths ago the same thing happened. Can't trust the bike anymore. Just had the Carbis done to. Very annoyed now.

[oldktmdude]

   Jeff, when you had the carries "done" were the needle seat "o rings" replaced? High float level could also be the culprit. A 10" piece of 5mm clear hose attached to the bottom of the offending carbie will soon tell you.   Pete.

[Bones]

Thought of bypassing the fuel pump but no spare hose.

Jeff, just a little side note, you don't need a spare bit of hose to bypass your fuel pump. When my pump died a while ago I just took the hose from the inlet side of the fuel pump and hooked it straight to the inlet at the carbs, after turning fuel off and removing carb hose of course.

I don't have the airbox btw, but it shouldn't matter. If the hose is long enough to reach the pump, it should be long enough to reach the carbs.

[Pat Conlon]

+1 float needle seat O rings. When "the carbies were done", what was done? Fresh needle seats?

If you smell gas, it 'aint coming from the fuel pump, it's coming from the carbs.

With a fresh fuel filter your tank would have to have a lot of crap in it, to overwhelm the fuel filter.
That's an advantage you have, a fuel pump and a real fuel filter, unlike the gravity flow bikes.

[markmartin]

Mark,

You'd probably have been fine if you just unplugged your wife's jacket :-)
Of course, they you might have had 'other' problems.

Yup, don't think it didn't cross my mind!  However, I would have been riding alone if I suggested that....maybe sleeping alone as well. :-)

[markmartin]

Gareth, Wow!  What a difference with the LED's.  You're making me reconsider auxiliary lighting.  Nice find!

[mr blackstock]

G'day,
yeah the Cree LEDs changed the way I see the darkness, only a few issues: I have to be really quick to dip the lights at oncoming vehicles because they are quite blinding, and when I do, my eyes take ages to adjust to my dismal (in comparison) low beam.  but hell, they is wicked and riding at night is a pleasure...

just gotta get the bike back on the road again to enjoy the spots....

cheers, Gareth