R1150R driving light/ switch choices

[kantuckid]

I was just looking @ the WEUDO web site yesterday-it is down today See the BMWMOA Anonymous ad for information on the website that doesn't work. I am seeking a switch for driving lamps. I had the Cycle Gadgets setup thru the headlights on my R1100R. WEUDO sells a switch for the 1150 that mounts on the bars. I am in the middle of pricing with them and seeking info on different ways you have switched the lights on these bikes. Have you tried this switch ? Also wondering if anyones had success with brands other than the PIAA, such as Hella,Optilux and a few other cheaper brands. There are some out there that seem to match up to the pricey ones in build/materials.

[CycleRob]

I use the AutoSwitch electronic unit that utilizes the turnsignal cancel paddle, held for 1.6 seconds, to toggle the driving lites on/off. For fast nitetime switching convience, I added 2 blocking diodes so both the AutoSwitch and highbeam filament are isolated from each other's connection to the driving lite relay while forcing the driving lites go on with the bike's highbeam. Prior to adding the diodes, the 1.6 second delay sometimes meant I blinded oncoming cars for a half second. I do mean blinded - - - the driving lites plus highbeam make daylite in front of the bike. The dramatic contrasting high-2-low lite level means going to lowbeam almost looks like all the lites went off !! Works great and I'm totally satisfied with the way it works. Lowbeam and driving lites during daytime (for courtesy) and instant-on/off driving lites with the highbeam switch at nite. A big plus: if you shut the bike off with the drivinglites ON via the AutoSwitch, they do not come on when you again turn the key on to start the bike.

Using the AutoSwitch (about $27) means you don't have to fiddle with a switch that's too far from the grips -but- it requires a competent electrician to install the switch, relay and blocking diodes. The new & improved model I linked to above is cheaper and works faster - - now only 1 second hold. My Autoswitch did not include the required relay.

[priapismic]

These little guys were about $15. from Wal-Mart. I mounted them by drilling 2 small pilot holes in the bottom of the faired covers over the oil coolers. These are fog lights, which I prefer for the conspicuity it gives me, but if you're looking for more light output, Wally World has those as well, in the same price range. I could also swap out the fog light bulbs for driving light bulbs, if I wanted.



My first switch - which I am still using, 2 and a half years later - was this one from Aerostich, the Doodad switch:



Most of the plastic has cracked and disintegrated away though, and now it's held onto my handlebars by liberal use of some of that vulcanized rubber tape. I plan to replace it soon with one of these, also from Aerostich:



Each of those switches cost around $15. or $20. You could spend a lot more on PIAA's and Hella's and such, and spend a fraction of that for this set-up.

[motorcyclepanzer]

The PIAA 1100X lights come with a fuse-relay-switch harness. I have my lights mounted on the bottom of the oil coolers aimed slightly out toward the ditches (AKA "The critter zone")

[Brooksie]

I was thinking of getting one of these when I mount my 'el cheepo' lights under the oil coolers

http://www.dunesport.net/index.asp?Page ... ProdID=588

[kantuckid]

I have not had the time or weather to explore my bike for light mounting positions but the oil cooler shroud looks good as a possible-on my 1100r I made 3/16" L brackets that were mtd behind the turn signal stalks. I have been watching ebay for hella/optilux and piaa lts-I have found that some piaa's had the lamps listed wrong on wattage-an error or a sales ploy? I still wonder about the life expectancy of the piaa high performance bulbs, also the difference between the housings and lenses of the various lights. There are optilux lights on ebay for less than the wally world versions that have what appear to be better fabrication. The piaa website shows some mountings that they sell for bikes , made from aluminum- but not for the 1150R. I also noticed that the powersports/bikes lamps have different mtg brackets that the same lamp for auto/other use-also more $. Right now I lean toward the optilux lamps from ebay and am undecided about the switching. I like using the turn signal cancel switch idea but lack the "eletcronic" knowhow to do the blocking diodes stuff- but am well capable of installing otherwise. So, if you just use the auto switch and are careful to not turn on the brights with cars coming what is the downside of just using straightforward switch /relay/fuse circutry?

[CycleRob]

kantuckid,
In response to your PM and questions above, the downside to using an extra handlebar mounted switch is the long, hands off the grips reach to access it. If you're cool with that, then go for it. The AutoSwitch eliminates that long reach but there is that 1 second delay (on the new model) before it toggles the driving lites off/on at nite. It doesn't sound like much time but I was repeatedly annoyed with my older version's 1.6 sec delay when the bike's highbeam -and- driving lites had to be cut off quickly for oncoming traffic. I later came up with the blocking diodes in the trigger circuit idea (common sense & logic) and it worked perfectly.

My driving lites were $20 on a half price sale from HaborFreight. I got them at the H-F store in Lilburn, GA, about a 45min ride away. They are not on their website store now. They're 55 Watts each, but the quality of the diecast Aluminum housings isn't impressive on a real close look. I just did the economics 101 math. Is 6 or 7 times their price for a set of PIAA's or other trendy, popular lites worth 1.6 times the quality? Not to me. Fact is the AutoSwitch, a justifiable expense to me, cost about $7 more than the lites it controls. It's been working perfectly with heavy use for over 2 years (knock on wood). I mounted my lites under my 1150R's oil coolers with two 10-32 bolts per lite bracket. The 2 bolts go facing downward thru the plastic with their nuts lightly tightened up to the plastic. Then put the bracket on an tighten the 2 retaining nuts very tight to the nut above the bracket. That way the plastic isn't crushed and the bolts will not come loose. The oil cooler mounted lites, suspended from the heavy mass of the rubber mounted fuel tank have an easy, road shock and vibration-free life. You could also put the brackets flush to the oilcooler bottoms and use red loctite with a single nut, but the plastic surface is slightly curved and you'll need to bend the brackets to match if you do it that way. I opted to suspend the brackets so the entire bracket itself becomes a small heat radiator with air all around it to dump the troubling 55 Watts of heat generated by each bulb.

When you do install your lites, place the relay close to the battery, use a key on power, like the tailite power wire to actuate the relay coil and DO NOT use any of those crappy plastic wire crimpers that cut into the wire thru the insulation when you squeeze the metal plate. Even if they are provided with your big dollar lites, they are a quick-n-dirty, soon to be problematic, dirty bandaid solution to avoiding the time and cost of wire strippers, heatshrink tubing, high power handling soldered connections and semi-professional help.