Additional Lighting Ideas

[Sarge1961]

Ok guys I'm looking for additional lighting ideas for my 92 Voyager XII. I'm mainly looking for lights to mount to the light bar I found and bought. So if anyone out here has ideas could you please send them my way? Also if you would be so kind as to send a link or pictures of your lights and bike if you have the light bar also.

Thank you so much and I'm looking for to reading your replies. John

[SgtSlag]

I mounted an inexpensive set of 3W LED's, waterproof, onto my engine guard bars. I cut some rectangular aluminum stock to fashion mounting brackets, and I used C-clamps, to secure them. I plan to do a write-up on the project soon, with photo's, but here is a link to the LED's: e-Bay link; here is a link to some 10W LED's, similar, only higher power, e-Bay link-2. I painted my silver lights, gloss black, as well as the aluminum bar stock, to blend them into the bike.

There are many LED's made for bicycle riding at night, which can easily be adapted to M/C use. They typically have battery packs, which are close to 12 VDC. Some go up to 1,000+ Lumens, and a car headlight clocks in at 700 Lumens (total light output, so it can be a little misleading). Anyway, there are many LED's to choose from, and they all are vibration resistant -- no filament to break; a very high power-to-light output ratio; and LED's have a lifetime measured in the 10's of thousands of hours (typically 20,000-50,000 hours of burn time before they fail), where filament bulbs usually last 7,000 hours, or less.

There are LED's made specifically for M/C use, but they tend to cost hundreds of dollars. I cannot see how to justify the cost, except they have the M/C label on them. Mounting them is no different than mounting bicycle LED's -- you will still end up fabricating unless you have a new bike they actually make a bracket for... Cheers!

[OldKawDrvr]

Ok guys I'm looking for additional lighting ideas for my 92 Voyager XII. I'm mainly looking for lights to mount to the light bar I found and bought. So if anyone out here has ideas could you please send them my way? Also if you would be so kind as to send a link or pictures of your lights and bike if you have the light bar also.

Thank you so much and I'm looking for to reading your replies. John

Here are a few pics of the lights I installed on my '91 V XII.
Hope this works.
[img][IMG]http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s446/OldKawDrvr/IMAG0028_zps891d518b.jpg[/img][/img]

[Sarge1961]

OldKawDrvr. I wanted to thank you but the links you sent didn't work so I was unable to view your pictures.

[OldKawDrvr]

OldKawDrvr. I wanted to thank you but the links you sent didn't work so I was unable to view your pictures.

OK, here's one. I got it to work!
I'll try to put the other 2 up now.
[img][IMG]http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s446/OldKawDrvr/IMAG0029_zpseef5d79f.jpg[/img][/img]

[img][IMG]http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s446/OldKawDrvr/IMAG0032_zpsfb965048.jpg[/img][/img]

I made the light bar from a piece of steamline tubing to improve the gas milage over round tubing. The lights are 10 watt LED's from Fee-Bay. I used a relay and powered them off the accessory connection behind the headlamp. They go on with the high beam, and a switch will de-activate the relay if I don't want them on with the high beam. These babies are BRIGHT! 900 lumens with a narrow 8 degree beam. I'm very pleased with the outcome.

[Sarge1961]

Looks real good do you remember where you found the lights and could you send me a link?

[OldKawDrvr]

Looks real good do you remember where you found the lights and could you send me a link?

Here's a link to the lights. Not the seller I purchased from, but the same lights. Less than I paid too.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-X10W-Cree-LED ... 63&vxp=mtr

[SgtSlag]

Those are nice lights for night driving! Thanks for sharing.

The decision to make is whether you want driving lights for all the time, or high-powered lights to supplement your hi-beams. Or you could go with both.

The lower wattage LED's can be used as 'on-all-the-time' running lights (what I did, for increased visibility; forms a triangle of lights, LED's low, and headlight high). The current draw on all of these is so low, you could run both, without straining your alternator/battery. Relays, for switched power, are the only way to go. I'd recommend a sub-fuse box to handle the extra circuits, and fuses needed. Most folks mount the sub-fuse box under the false gas tank, on the right side (perfect, open space for it). Cheers!

[OldKawDrvr]

Those are nice lights for night driving! Thanks for sharing.

The decision to make is whether you want driving lights for all the time, or high-powered lights to supplement your hi-beams. Or you could go with both.

The lower wattage LED's can be used as 'on-all-the-time' running lights (what I did, for increased visibility; forms a triangle of lights, LED's low, and headlight high). The current draw on all of these is so low, you could run both, without straining your alternator/battery. Relays, for switched power, are the only way to go. I'd recommend a sub-fuse box to handle the extra circuits, and fuses needed. Most folks mount the sub-fuse box under the false gas tank, on the right side (perfect, open space for it). Cheers!

I mounted my lights up high because I didn't want them in the path of anything kicked up by the front wheel.

I leave my driving lights on all day. They are real attention getters. I just completed a 5 state 1400 mile trip and got a lot of gawkers on bikes going in the opposite direction. I wondered why they were staring at me. Later when I got home I figured it had to be the lights.

I have a power port on the left side next to the fader. It has an inline fuse where the wire comes directly off the battery. It's hot all the time. The led driving lights are on the accessory circuit which has its own fuse (I think) They only draw 1.6 amps for both. I've got a trailer with all led lights. That just taps off the existing circuits, there is so little current draw. I'm installing a ham radio that will draw about 8 amps. That will get another inline fuse near the battery, as that will always be hot too. So only 2 extra fuses beyond stock. Hardly seems worth the trouble of a whole fuse block. YMMV.

[ekap1200]

We all love pic's. Here is my version. These are designed for bicycle or hardhat install and come with a 8.4volt dc battery, However if wired in ( series ) and wired to 12vdc, they work just fine and have been working on my bike for quite some time.
6.5 volt verses 8.4volt does drop the lumens a bit, but as you see these pups are very bright. Mounted to the bars using stainless steel hose clamps with heat shrink tubing over them. Gene Kap


IF YOU CANT SEE ME YOUR LEGALLY BLIND !!!!!!!!!!


CREE XML T6 LED Bicycle Headlamp & 8.4V 6400mAh Battery

[Sarge1961]

They look nice and yes ekap1200 they are very bright. Do you remember where you found them? If so could you please send me the information or a link? Thank you.

[SgtSlag]

They're available on e-Bay: 1,800 Lumen LED Headlights. They're available in lower/dimmer Lumen lights, as well. To put it into perspective, an automotive headlight is rated at 700 Lumens. Cheers!

[Lucasind]

GENE, If ur going to the rally, we should go for a evening/night ride.... you can lead the way with those lights !

[ekap1200]

Tony, its been years since I have gone for a ride at night. Seems the older I get the more I worry about hitting a deer. I used to visit my grandparents in Inverness FLA. and I would leave NJ at about 9:00 at night and run I-95 all night long and not worry about a thing. Drove all over at night here in southern NJ running the back roads, when I was young and dumb. I do have deer whistles and have been out at night but you never know.
These lights are probably illegal to run, and are wired off a relay to the acc bullet connector behind the headlamp. The relay is not needed but was installed to power the old set of incandecent lamps I had prior the these. They have come down in price greatlly since I have installed mine and SGTSLAG found a link for them at a very good price. Im sure there are now a wide selection of LED driving lamps out there now for bikes and these are just my choice. Took them for payment on a small welding job I done for someone here in NJ. They do have a narrow beam but I have been told that I can be seem coming at you from a very good distance away. LED's are the way to go if you want to conserve amperage. See ya'll soon at the rally. Gene and Marie Kap.

[Lucasind]

hello gene,, I too put L.E.D. lights on my bike shortly after the "DENALI" post....... I won't go into details, but my choice of location took a tremendous amount of time ! but , when we are in the grip of winter, ...we can justify many hours of labor to install a set of lights, in a place where no-one else would even consider due to difficulty ! but....... once again....... that's what we do ! ,,as I've heard "gearhead" state,, it's a disease ..! tony

[tinsailor]

Check these out. Denali D-1 from twisted throttle. They work.http://i.imgur.com/LWu3Qu9.jpg

[Chris near Kansas City]

GENE, If ur going to the rally, we should go for a evening/night ride....

Tony, its been years since I have gone for a ride at night.

One of the neatest organized rally rides we've been on, was the night ride in 2004 in Asheville, NC. on a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Pam and I were right in the middle with about 15 bikes in front and 15 bikes behind. Something cool seeing all those Voyager tail lights lit up!

[HMB Don]

Maybe we can do a night ride in Logan. Just a short one, any takers, good way to showoff those lights.

Don Medina
President
NorCal Voyagers Club

[Lucasind]

...sounds like a plan is forming to me ......

[garry]

In my opin, light on safe bars good for seeing at night, But to be seen those light need to be up higher and thats the proabem

yes I know theres spell checker hey I cant spell take care