Night riding

[Teach]

I'm thinking about adding these http://wingstuff.com/products/34416-...electrical-f6b
To my F6. I do a lot of riding and much of it after dark. I've already noticed the headlight loses the road in sharp sweepers. Anyone run these on their bike or have any experience with them???

[MichaelG]

Anyone run these on their bike or have any experience with them???

Teach, I did mount those exact lights...originally...but had to send them back due to very poor brackets. After several others complained, I do believe that BikeMP3 has redesigned the brackets, and improved on them. I have not seen the new brackets, so I cannot state if they are better or not. The 960 dual LED lights do put out a ton of light...BUT...if your plan is to add light for nighttime riding...it is NOT a good idea to make your lower cowling lights the additional lights for nighttime riding.

Here is why: Most serious LD riders that install additional lighting to help "Light Up The Road" for seeing longer distances and for more usable light at night...mount their lights as HIGH on the bike as possible. Mounting the aux. lighting as HIGH as possible allows the lights to look further down the road, and to look DOWN into potholes and dips of the road. Whereas lights that are mounted LOW on the bike...i.e., the lower cowling area...cause a shadow effect on those same potholes and dips in the road, and the lights SKIM the surface of the road, not looking INTO the potholes or dips. They also do not shine as far down the road as lights that are mounted up high.

The lower cowling lights should be used for only two purposes...to get the attention of drivers in front of you, and to see better through foggy conditions. Both of those situations require the need for a color of light that is NOT a white light. I.E., the EC Single Shooter LED lights that a few of us have, with the YELLOW tinted lens, will seriously get the attention of all drivers in front of you, but will NOT be distracting to oncoming cars...and the color of the light will also help in foggy conditions. where...you never want to use your high beams, or any high mounted aux, lighting, as it reflects in the fog.

Ask those that saw my YELLOW lens LED Single Shooter lights in Auburn, CA last weekend...they work.

If you want to really see far down the road at night...do what I just finished doing today, and that is install 4 new HID headlights on the front of the bike, in place of the 2 low beams, and the 2 high beams, and WOW...does it light up the road.

[edgeman55]

Those will be my next order as soon as the Visa cools off in a month or soFrom what I have read they put out a lot of light which I need out east of Carson City where I live.It is dark at night up here with lots of wild horses to contend with.Video of install looks straight foward and I like the idea of 4 lights down there.If you get them post what ya think after install.

[Steve 0080]

H.I.D. is the only way to go!!! Once you go you will wonder why it took you so long!!!

For those who want to up-grade to H.I.D. on the F6B, you should install the Electrical Connection Part# 02116...This part will put an end to the igniter going bad from being started and stopped and started again each time you start the bike...

The directions are straight forward,
Remove the seat...
Remove the lid from the relays by removing the two screws and then remove the relays in the bottom tray.
Remove the relay marked Head Light LO and place it in the new holder ( #02116)
Plug the wires from the #02116 into the ports where you just removed the relay..
Connect the Red wire to the TOP accessory screw inside the fuse box...
Remove the front cowling, and either the oil filter OR the horn to gain access to the oil pressure sending switch
Run the Black wire up to the front and down the face of the motor to the oil filter area, remove the boot from the oil pressure sending unit, loosen the screw and place this wire behind the screw and tighten, replace the boot and replace either the horn or the oil filter
Test unit by turning on the key...the headlight should NOT come on, start bike and then the H.I.D. will fire and come on...replace seat
Happy riding...great product and HID are well worth the time and effort!!!

[GiddyupF6B]

Teach, I did mount those exact lights...originally...but had to send them back due to very poor brackets. After several others complained, I do believe that BikeMP3 has redesigned the brackets, and improved on them. I have not seen the new brackets, so I cannot state if they are better or not. The 960 dual LED lights do put out a ton of light...BUT...if your plan is to add light for nighttime riding...it is NOT a good idea to make your lower cowling lights the additional lights for nighttime riding.

Here is why: Most serious LD riders that install additional lighting to help "Light Up The Road" for seeing longer distances and for more usable light at night...mount their lights as HIGH on the bike as possible. Mounting the aux. lighting as HIGH as possible allows the lights to look further down the road, and to look DOWN into potholes and dips of the road. Whereas lights that are mounted LOW on the bike...i.e., the lower cowling area...cause a shadow effect on those same potholes and dips in the road, and the lights SKIM the surface of the road, not looking INTO the potholes or dips. They also do not shine as far down the road as lights that are mounted up high.

The lower cowling lights should be used for only two purposes...to get the attention of drivers in front of you, and to see better through foggy conditions. Both of those situations require the need for a color of light that is NOT a white light. I.E., the EC Single Shooter LED lights that a few of us have, with the YELLOW tinted lens, will seriously get the attention of all drivers in front of you, but will NOT be distracting to oncoming cars...and the color of the light will also help in foggy conditions. where...you never want to use your high beams, or any high mounted aux, lighting, as it reflects in the fog.

Ask those that saw my YELLOW lens LED Single Shooter lights in Auburn, CA last weekend...they work.

If you want to really see far down the road at night...do what I just finished doing today, and that is install 4 new HID headlights on the front of the bike, in place of the 2 low beams, and the 2 high beams, and WOW...does it light up the road.

Hey Miles, which hid's did you use? This is always one of the first mods I like to do for safety.

[MichaelG]

Hey Miles, which hid's did you use? This is always one of the first mods I like to do for safety.

I installed the GoldWingHIDs that were purchased through:

I got all this from SoCalMotoGear, @... www.socalmotogear.com

Here is the direct link to their website, with the Goldwing lighting products http://www.socalmotogear.com/category_s/33.htm

They have two different ones for the GL-1800 Wings, or...F6Bs. There is the low beams HIDs, for $ 165.00, and then there is the low beam & high beam HIDs, so you get all four lights with HIDs, for $ 299.00. That is the one I got.

It truly is Plug N' Play...not splicing or cutting at all. It is not an EASY job to do, especially the high beam lights, but...it is well worth it.

Remember, it is VERY important to first install the Electrical Connection (EC) part # 02116 wiring harness, which is the low beam cutout harness.

[Teach]

Miles, thanks for the reply. Actually I'm not having any issue seeing down the road as the highs do a good job lighting up the road when needed. The issue I noticed is that the wings headlights track to the outside and off the road, thus preventing a good look through the turn. This struck me as a bit odd since I run mostly fixed fairing bikes and have never experienced this blind area. As a rule I do not run additional lighting, but thought these lights might fill that GAP in the bikes stock pattern. More specifically from the bike out to about 15-20 yards but more of a wide pattern if you know what I mean.
I had an HID on my Vision and rarely found a need for using it, although they do put out a nice broad pattern. Is this the result you've experienced with the HID kit you installed??
Obviously It doesn't sound like I'm up to your annual mileage as I only manage about 5500 a month, last year being an exception due to a short ride to AK and 27k ... If I only carried me I wouldn't be too worried about this but I carry my Mrs with me a lot and I'd really hate parking the bike in a field with her on board, lol...

[MichaelG]

Miles, thanks for the reply. Actually I'm not having any issue seeing down the road as the highs do a good job lighting up the road when needed. The issue I noticed is that the wings headlights track to the outside and off the road, thus preventing a good look through the turn. This struck me as a bit odd since I run mostly fixed fairing bikes and have never experienced this blind area. As a rule I do not run additional lighting, but thought these lights might fill that GAP in the bikes stock pattern. More specifically from the bike out to about 15-20 yards but more of a wide pattern if you know what I mean.
I had an HID on my Vision and rarely found a need for using it, although they do put out a nice broad pattern. Is this the result you've experienced with the HID kit you installed??
Obviously It doesn't sound like I'm up to your annual mileage as I only manage about 5500 a month, last year being an exception due to a short ride to AK and 27k ... If I only carried me I wouldn't be too worried about this but I carry my Mrs with me a lot and I'd really hate parking the bike in a field with her on board, lol...

Teach, after a futher explanation, the BikeMP3 lights...the 960 Dual LED lights, should work very wel for you. They do put outr a LOT of light within the 15 to 30 yards area.

If you are riding 5500 miles per month, as you stated above, then you are doing 66,000 miles a year, and that is pretty good.

[Teach]

Miles, thanks for the reply. We have a short riding season here so most of my riding gets done between May and October and as you probably know, one has real high mileage months and lows. Still I get a respectable amount of miles ridden each summer.
Thanks for the input on the lamps and I am considering the HID option as well.

Anyone know how the F6 headlights are adjusted? I haven't really looked but I did notice a couple white wheels inside the fairing behind the headlights?

[MichaelG]

Anyone know how the F6 headlights are adjusted? I haven't really looked but I did notice a couple white wheels inside the fairing behind the headlights?

Eureka...you found it.