Auxiliary Lights
 

Can anyone recommend some auxiliary spotlights for the front of my XT600 that I can relay into my high beam switch. The standard headlight is pathetic. I'm thinking along the lines of the lights Ewan McBoorman had on the front of the GS (picture below), but I am guessing those ones are going to be ridiculously expensive, and besides that, they are intended as fog lights, not long range high beam style spotlights.

I don't want to go buy something cheap and find they are rubbish though, hence looking for recommendations.

The headlight is so feeble, that many people coming the other way don't even switch off the full beam, I think in the brightness of their own full beam headlights they just don't even notice that I'm there.

http://bestrest.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...59_77D9A-L.jpg

The stuff used on LWR & LWD are from Touratech, and the main bean lamps are somewhere around £200 each!!!!! Ouch!

The lamps themselves are Hella MicroDe's and cost around £200 a pair for the HID ones. The normal Halogen fogs are much cheaper, and work pretty well if you want to see the road close in front.

The other option you have is the Vision-X stuff from Adventure-Spec -> VisionX Offroad Lighting - VisionX Offroad Lighting - adventure-spec.com: Off-Road Adventure Motorcycling gear,UK,enduro,rally,rallye,touring,rtw,mx

These are LED lights, small and as tough as you like, but agian a tad on the expensive side at £89 each. The good thing about these little lights are they interconnect, so you can add both wide and narrow bean laight isn the same cluster.

Alternatively, Halfords, around £20 will get you a set of cheap driving or fog lamps.

The main problem you have is building a mounting bracket - once you have that licked you can put anything on there (as long as you have enough residual power left after running the bike).

Take a look at the Trail Tech website as they have 12v HID lamps lamps fro Quads/Off-road bikes that look pretty good. Trail Tech Products Limited Trail Tech Single HID and LED Lights - Trail Tech Products Limited

Make sure your alternator is up to it
 

My bike is a 3aj with twin headlights and when they were fitted with 55 watt bulbs in both, the current draw was too much for the alternator and the battery would go flat around town. I've since replaced the reg/rec and only use one headlight at a time and everything is fine. Worth considering how much power you can get out of the alternator.

I run a 100W bulb in my xt600e and its fine, i run i through a relay. But even before that i still like the hi-beam, it was the low that wasnt powerfull enough at night with ongoing cars.

I got a voltmeter to monitor the battery, and the bigger bulb doenst discarge the battery.

I've got a set of these,
 

Check out this link ( LED Auxiliary Lights - ADVrider )to a vendor over at ADVrider. I have a set of his 24watt Spot lights on my DR650se and they are BRIGHT. Read enough of the posts and you'll get the idea of how rugged and brilliant these lights are.

I'd suggest the set of 24watt dimmable spot lights. They can't be beat for the price, light output (lumens) and quality.

--Alex

Hi Ralph,

Check these out on Ebay

Steve

Thanks for all this info guys, a few choices and food for thought there, thanks.

After what Jens said about upgrading his standard lights, what are the options?

Upgrade to HID
 

Hi,

I would recommend changing your current light for HID the difference is incredible.

On my set, the main beam and dipped beam use the same 'bulb' so I have also fitted a cheap pair of fog lamps (bought off ebay) on the crashbars -I want a backup lights.

The main beam is narrrow and long while the dipped beam is broad and short. When riding where there are no street lights, I find the skirts of the lights too dark (the beams are very sharp). So a second use for the foglights are to soften the flanks.

The current for the HID are less than standard beams but you need to make sure your alternator can handle the additional load from the aux lights.

Apparently. there are cheap kits (which may not last longer than a candle, Hong Kong, China and US vendors) and quality kits. I bought mine from a biker guy up North (Sheffield ??) and can recommend him and his gear. I have his details somewhere, PM me if you need them.

I would say that the biggest plus for commuters is that the HIDs are bright and white and are the best way of improving your visiblity to other road users. Throw away the Hi Vis (they don't work anyway, in my opinion) and get HID.

Cheers

ive got 3 sets of these and ther bloody brilliant

the guy who sells them is very poilite and easy to deal with too :)