Running lights for R1200RT

[Runnor]

I'm a new RT owner. Just bought a 2010 R1200RT, my first RT, and I want to put running lights on the front. In 2007 I put PIAA running lights on my K1200RS (which will be for sale shortly). What is the current thinking these days regarding the better light choice? Motolights or PIAA? Are there other choices? Does anyone have any recommendations?

 

Thanks in advance.

John

[BerndM]

Welcome John

I have the Motolights mounted to my lower forks. They are the 35 watt halogen type. They look great and do a great job of increasing the bike's visibility because they are very bright and as far from the headlights as physically possible. This makes for a very noticeable pattern of lights that are hard not to see. (I was going to say "hard to miss" but thought better of it LOL).

They're not cheap, but IMHO, worth it. I have 30K miles on the bike and STILL using the ORIGINAL bulbs in them.

I'd try to find a used set if possible.

Good luck!

 

[Pletch]

Bernd,

Any pics of your lights? I am looking to do something similar to John, and always open to placement ideas. I was thinking of putting my running/fog lightes on the IllumWorks highway pegs mounts on my 06 RT. That would drop them down and just in front and below the jugs, and help to keep the light out of my periferal vision.

I was looking at the Solsitce Solos for running/fog lights as well as a set for hi-beam augmentation.

Dan

[Matts_12GS]

The Solstice lights are sweet, have seen them on a couple bikes and they are quite bright.

 

Lots of folks mount them on caliper bolts up front. On my first RT, I had some simple cheapie foglights mounted to the plastic engine guards and that worked pretty well.

[DiggerJim]

I have a set of 44 watt LED floods from ADV Monster mounted under the mirrors on BMR brackets to provide a wider spread of light than just the headlights. Easy installs & great service from both companies. Down below on the forks just above the axles I have a set of Photon Blasters from Skene Design . The setup (along with HIDs for headlights) provides tons of light as well as visibility enhancement thru wider light patterns & the "triangle" of light that's supposed to be more noticeable. The LEDs can be dimmed with their dimmer switch if you want to run them during the day at say 50% and pop them to full bright when you're running your high beams.

[marcopolo]

I'd say you should definitely check out Clearwater LED lights, If you're interested in being seen. They are also dimmable with a rheostat-type control. They're well made and LEDs draw less power than regular bulbs. I've got a set of Glendas on my RT, and a friend has a set on his GS Adventure (he bought his after riding with me out to California and being constantly amazed at how noticeable they were in daylight, even at long distances). Ours are also wired into our hi-beams, so they go to full power when we flash-to-pass, or switch on our hi-beams. They have mounting brackets custom designed for each model of bike. On my RT, and my friend's GSA, they sit roughly where Motolights would. My independent tech recommended them after I had mentioned Motolights.

 

 

http://www.clearwaterlights.com/

[EddyQ]

I want to put running lights on the front.

 

What sort of use would these be for? For conspicuousy, I have Motolights and I would second clearwater or a LED installed in Motolights.

 

But, for casting a lot of light down the road a HID is hard to beat. Replacing the stock H7's with HID will do a fine job at casting a lot of light. Another option for serious light is adding Police RT brackets and mounting large PIAA or HID lamps just below or above the mirrors.

[BerndM]

Bernd,

Any pics of your lights? I am looking to do something similar to John, and always open to placement ideas. I was thinking of putting my running/fog lightes on the IllumWorks highway pegs mounts on my 06 RT. That would drop them down and just in front and below the jugs, and help to keep the light out of my periferal vision.

I was looking at the Solsitce Solos for running/fog lights as well as a set for hi-beam augmentation.

Dan

 

Hey Dan

I didn't have a great shot of the front of my bike but here is the best view I could crop out od a much bigger picture. I think it's good enough to give you a good idea.

[NCStephen]

I have motolights mounted on the front calipers. They do provide a lot of light for visibility, their purpose, and some fill in light to add to the head light. They have gotten me home at night when the headlight failed. The light is sufficient for perhaps 35-45mph.

 

For the intended design they do great. I have had people ask me about them when stopped as they said they noticed and could easily see me coming up on them in traffic during the day.

 

NCS

[DiggerJim]

I'd say you should definitely check out Clearwater LED lights, If you're interested in being seen. They are also dimmable with a rheostat-type control. They're well made and LEDs draw less power than regular bulbs.

I've got all that with the ADV Monster 44W LEDs that I mentioned. I looked at the Clearwater options (Glenda & Krista) and they're not as bright (from folks I talked to who have had both) and they're hundreds of $ cheaper. Same solid construction, big heat sink area on the finned rear housing, dimmable, plastic overlays for the lenses to protect from rocks & stuff, 4 LEDs vs. 3 (for the Krista) and less than 2A draw. They're perfect additions to the 3 HIDs I have for my main lights. Mounted high up under the mirrors & with the Skene Photon Blaster I'm probably as light conspicuous as reasonably possible.

[Runnor]

Jim, the lights are for visibility. I'll check out the monster lights. Thanks for the idea.

[Runnor]

Bernd, thanks for the reply. Do you havenektonnect your motolights through a fuse block and relay?

John

[Runnor]

Thanks Matt. Did you use a fuse block?

[Runnor]

Thanks for the link Mark. I'll check them out.

[Runnor]

Thanks Eddy. I already have HID for the main low beam. I'm wanting to add lights to be more visible. So I can install LED bulbs in a motolite?

[Runnor]

Thanks NCS. I appreciate the ideas.

John

[BerndM]

Bernd, thanks for the reply. Do you havenektonnect your motolights through a fuse block and relay?

John

 

There is a relay activated by the ignition key but that is fed from the battery terminal thru a fuse.

[Pletch]

Bernd,

Very nice, are those also provided mounts or did you make them? Are they wired dierctly to a switch or automatic, i.e. hooked to the hi-beam?

 

Dan

[Runnor]

Jim

Do you monster lights come with all the required hardware and mounting pieces, or did you have to conjure up the parts to basically fit these off road lights to your R bike? Do you have pics of your installation you could share with me? where did you put the dimmer? do you really need it? Seems like they are a good value if the install is easy. How does the switch mount?

Thank for your help.

 

John

[BerndM]

Bernd,

Very nice, are those also provided mounts or did you make them? Are they wired dierctly to a switch or automatic, i.e. hooked to the hi-beam?

 

Dan

 

Hey Dan

Those mounts came with the lights. They also make the caliper mounted variety. The strap type gives you more options as far as mounting height goes and the strap type doesn't interfere with your calipers when/if you need to remove them for any reason.

The light's relay is wired to the ignition switch but has it's own on/off switch mounted on top of the clutch fluid reservoir.

[DiggerJim]

Do you monster lights come with all the required hardware and mounting pieces, or did you have to conjure up the parts to basically fit these off road lights to your R bike?

They come with the bolts/nuts needed & a U bracket. I bolted the U bracket to a BMR ( linky ) under mirror light mount. I've seen them mounted under the nose as well & even down on the forks but I wanted the light up high.

 

Do you have pics of your installation you could share with me? where did you put the dimmer? do you really need it? Seems like they are a good value if the install is easy. How does the switch mount?

PM me & I'll send a couple of pics. I ended up not using the dimmer - just a waterproof pushbutton. Some people use the dimmer to do 50% during the day & 100% at night. I just run them 100% all the time & have them properly aimed. You can also run the switch power off your high beam so that triggers them if you'd like & skip the switch altogether & use them only when your high beam is on.

 

I mounted the switch on the left panel. Easy install running the wiring (plenty supplied) up thru the body work behind the mirror and then over to the side panel. I added molex connectors to the wires & the switch so I can just unplug them when I pull the side panel off the bike.

 

If you get them I can open up the mirrors/panels and get some pics of the detail wiring too.