Auxiliary lighting

[Cheesehead]

Greeting Brickheads and Happy New Year..!

I am contemplating the addition of auxiliary lighting/fog lamps for my '85 K100LT. After my close encounter of the white tailed deer kind, I would like to add lamps, most likely on or near the engine crash bars. The idea is to have then low and scanning slightly to the side in the hopes of identifying said deer when they first appear from the ditch line.  I had a pair on my old R1100RT, and it certainly helped brighten things.

I am asking for suggestions on regarding type, such as halogen vs LED, and also suggestions on a good solid cost effective product.

As always, thanks in advance.

Cheesy

[The Mighty Gryphon]

I would look at LED lights.  The output is getting pretty amazing and the current draw is low.

Only downside I see is that the beams have more scatter and aren't as  focused as halogens can be.  This will get the occasional flash from an oncoming driver.  They will do a good job of lighting up the side of the road, though.

Only issue I have with them is that they are so bright that they really illuminate well up to about 150 yards.  The problem is that they make the area beyond appear not as bright.  It is only a problem on my RT which has a tinted windscreen which doesn't really help at night anyway.  The other bikes have low screens, and the visibility is much better.

I have them on all three of my bikes.  I have been getting them off of eBay for about $30 a pair with free shipping.   The ones I use are 10w and a pair draws less than 2A. so they don't load down the alternator.

[johnny]

greetings...

lotts of motobrickers have hit deers while riding with auxiliary lights on their motos...

i know of not a single motobricker that have hit a deer while riding with the xp3hornet on their motos...

j o

[WayneDW]

I hit a deer while i had a deer whistle on the fairing of my SilverWing.  Don't know if it was that brand, exactly.

Here is a picture of the lights I put on my MotoBrick.

I don't have any expectations that it will keep deer away but it sure has made me a whole lot more visible to other drivers/riders:

The lights are CREE style LED flood lights.

[F14CRAZY]

Have you upgraded your headlight bulb to like a Silverstar Ultra? I have one of those or something similar in my bike but I've read the Hella H4 lens that my Pichler has is much better than what's in BMW fairings.

[Martin]

First thing to do on any K100 K75 is to fit relays with heavy gauge wire from the battery to relays. The standard wire is barely adequate, there is a post on how to do this.
Second step is to upgrade globe there are is a lot of information on what globe is best per dollar. You have more choices in the US. After you have done the first two then go for spotlights, in whatever format suits you, I have fitted one 6" LED light bar under my headlight. It works best in daylight but also night, to draw attention to my bike, since the installation it has definitely reduced close encounters of the car kind. We don't have deer here but we do have Roos where I live, and they would have to be one of the dumbest animals known to man. The only saving grace with them is they can't jump backwards, I have run over a Roos tail at over 110 Kph, and dodged a few more. Never hit one, although a girl I used to work with, had one come through her windscreen on the passenger side and kick her to death. We also have Emus & Wombats equally deadly but maybe not as dumb. Don't rely on deer whistles ( sold here as Roo whistles ) waste of money.
Regards Martin