Fog lights, took the plunge

[MisterB]

Thanks to all the members who've posted their experience with installing and using fog lights. I'll mainly be using them in the daytime as an additional points of light to add to my apparently invisible profile.
Most of the close encounters come from people coming up from side streets, they turn their head to look then pull right out.
Thought about modulator for headlights, but they typically don't look long enough to even catch a cycle of the light.

I've got this awful habit of trying to save money by using things that aren't specifically for an application. In the case of fog lights I've looked at the hundreds of aftermarket LED lights and all the ways to rig up switches and power, I fret and fret over this kind of stuff, have found ways to save much money over the years but I'm throwing in the towel. Many of you have installed other fog lights successfully but working on this bike is about to break me. You won't break a sweat, but damn they couldn't have made it less mod-friendly if they tried. Probably simple for some folks, but a back injury let's me know who's boss after about 5 minutes of fishing around for shit inside the fairing.

Ordered the Big Bike Rectangular Lower Fog Light kit from ValueAccessories. It looks like I won't have to crimp, heat-shrink, nibble, fabricate, mill, rout, drill, solder, or adapt a single thing except for removing the opening covers from the cowl. No trips to Ace, no slow boat for parts from eBay.

Again, thanks to all the forum members who've contributed so much.
My thoughts on additional lighting are similar to installing a motion activated light around your house: you'll never know the trouble that passed you by because of the extra lighting.

[Dave Ritsema]

They are 100% plug and play. I am satisfied with mine.

[Fla_rider]

In case your wondering how good they look!

20498

[coffee_weasle]

Thanks to all the members who've posted their experience with installing and using fog lights. I'll mainly be using them in the daytime as an additional points of light to add to my apparently invisible profile.


i use this technique often, it's worth a look

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqQBubilSXU

[TailGunner]

MisterB, I feel your pain, do you use a bike lift table? It comes in very handy so I don't have to crawl on the ground.

[wjduke]

i use this technique often, it's worth a look

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqQBubilSXU

The crash example shown is exactly what happened to me.

[Penguin]

Thanks to all the members who've posted their experience with installing and using fog lights. I'll mainly be using them in the daytime as an additional points of light to add to my apparently invisible profile.
Most of the close encounters come from people coming up from side streets, they turn their head to look then pull right out.
Thought about modulator for headlights, but they typically don't look long enough to even catch a cycle of the light.

I've got this awful habit of trying to save money by using things that aren't specifically for an application. In the case of fog lights I've looked at the hundreds of aftermarket LED lights and all the ways to rig up switches and power, I fret and fret over this kind of stuff, have found ways to save much money over the years but I'm throwing in the towel. Many of you have installed other fog lights successfully but working on this bike is about to break me. You won't break a sweat, but damn they couldn't have made it less mod-friendly if they tried. Probably simple for some folks, but a back injury let's me know who's boss after about 5 minutes of fishing around for shit inside the fairing.

Ordered the Big Bike Rectangular Lower Fog Light kit from ValueAccessories. It looks like I won't have to crimp, heat-shrink, nibble, fabricate, mill, rout, drill, solder, or adapt a single thing except for removing the opening covers from the cowl. No trips to Ace, no slow boat for parts from eBay.

Again, thanks to all the forum members who've contributed so much.
My thoughts on additional lighting are similar to installing a motion activated light around your house: you'll never know the trouble that passed you by because of the extra lighting.

Could you please post a link for those Fog lamps.

[TailGunner]

Could you please post a link for those Fog lamps.
Don't know if these are the same ones MisterB used but my buddies bought these and are happy with them. The sale is still going on, http://store.valueaccessories.net/LEDRectangularLowerFogLightKitGL1800GoldWing12.asp x

[TailGunner]

The crash example shown is exactly what happened to me.

Great idea, thanks. I have one question though, what is background movement?

[six2go]

I installed those lights 3 days ago. It took me quite awhile because my 'ol 71 yr body protests a bit when bending and stretching and getting up from the floor. After saying that, it's a pretty straight forward process. The part that scared me the most was removing the radio panel. You are supposed to unhook 3 connectors to get it free, but I couldn't get the smallest one to release so I proceeded with that one still connected. Not real easy, but doable.
The hardest part of the whole process was finding the connector to plug the switch into(thanks to a member of the forum) and getting that damn lower cowl back on. But, it's done and I feel good about doing it myself. Now I'm just waiting for the out of stock Lamp Guards to protect these little jewels.
Take your time, when ya get tired or/and sore, take a break.

[wjduke]

Great idea, thanks. I have one question though, what is background movement?

Maybe that's when they suggest to roll the bike back and forth to create movement?

[Bunny]

i am going to get these also today - just shopping around for best price - live in Canuck country so have to see what the best deal is to order from JP or a canadian seller. these lights are really nice - are they quite bright too???

[soberbiker]

i use this technique often, it's worth a look

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqQBubilSXU

After 42 years of piloting motorcycles, I can't say that I have ever seen this method. I do think it is a very useful tool to use and I am going to institute it into my "Bag of Tricks" for my defensive driving techniques.

Thanks for this video and the information Mr. Coffee Weasle :yes:

[coffee_weasle]

glad to share, ya never know, it could make a difference some where/some time

[MisterB]

In case your wondering how good they look!
Indeed! Do you ever turn them off?


MisterB, I feel your pain, do you use a bike lift table? It comes in very handy so I don't have to crawl on the ground.
I've thought about it but my garage is pretty cramped. Also: drops happen, spent too much money on farkles and upgrades, and hopefully this is it except for basic fluid and consumables replacement.


i use this technique often, it's worth a look

Wow, I need to get on the Youtube more! I've read about all of this but was "meh", seeing it drove it home. Thanks for posting that, I"ll be checking out other videos by him.
Also, what I said about motion lights on your house applies to this. You'll never know the cars that DIDN'T pull out in front of you because they saw you and stayed put.
I'm all over it now.

This is probably TMI about my inner workings, but I've been hesitant to use the technique in the past because I always see kids on sport bikes "warming up" their tires for the big race on Isle of Man, oops I mean I of 255 East. Big swooping overpass, one lane, one direction, sweeping back and forth getting ready for the big race to nowhere. They get an opening and punch it, only to have to slow down 1/2 mile later so they ride along at 60mph in what sounds like 2nd gear and punch it as soon as another tiny opening appears. I just don't want to be....er.... like that.
Additionally (this doesn't deserve it's own thread so right here will do) why do so many riders ride around with their feet down? They'll take off at a left in a big intersection and won't have their feet up until they're well on their way after the turn. It's crazy! Is it an STL thing? Did I miss that page in the manual?


Don't know if these are the same ones MisterB used but my buddies bought these and are happy with them. The sale is still going on, http://store.valueaccessories.net/LEDRectangularLowerFogLightKitGL1800GoldWing12.asp x
Those are the ones!


Great idea, thanks. I have one question though, what is background movement?
When you can see the background behind the car move relative to the car then you know that they also see you moving across their field of vision instead of relatively static if you're moving directly at them. Or you've had one to many.


I installed those lights 3 days ago. It took me quite awhile because my 'ol 71 yr body protests a bit when bending and stretching and getting up from the floor. After saying that, it's a pretty straight forward process. The part that scared me the most was removing the radio panel. You are supposed to unhook 3 connectors to get it free, but I couldn't get the smallest one to release so I proceeded with that one still connected. Not real easy, but doable.
The hardest part of the whole process was finding the connector to plug the switch into(thanks to a member of the forum) and getting that damn lower cowl back on. But, it's done and I feel good about doing it myself. Now I'm just waiting for the out of stock Lamp Guards to protect these little jewels.
Take your time, when ya get tired or/and sore, take a break.
Oh the cowl. Flushed my clutch fluid a few weeks ago, seemed easy enough coming off. Should've taken a closeup picture of how things are attached. Got it back on, won't make that mistake again.
I'm 20 years your junior but probably no faster for it. Screwed up my back about 10 years ago, couldn't afford to take off work for back surgery, shop would be hurting if I was gone for months. Have built up new muscles and there's a lot of moaning and groaning but I can still get down and work. Just have to REMEMBER TO BRING EVERYTHING I NEED DOWN THE FIRST TIME. "OMG where's the 5mm Allen?

Ooh, one last idea on fog lights. As much as I worry about mounting things solidly it suddenly dawned on me that the one thing that always gets my attention, day or night, is a wiggly headlight. What about fog lights, or conspicuity lights, that were mounted on a bobble-head type assembly? It would only allow a few degrees movement in any direction, but they'd always be moving, bouncing, shaking. Would be annoying as Hell but would certainly get noticed. Could be considered legal since they wouldn't be flashing in the literal interpretation?

No results found for "bobblehead fog lights".

[MisterB]

Here are some pics of the lights with the scowl off. Great hardware and the lights seem pretty heavy duty. Instructions were decent.
Screwing the stuff to the bike took less time than getting the grommets inserted. What a JOY it was to install the lights and then simply plug them into an existing plug that was made for this purpose.
Leave your wire strippers and crimpers on the bench, you won't need much more than a 5mm Allen wrench, 8mm socket, Phillips and flat head screwdrivers, and the instructions suggest thread locking compound. All I had handy was red Loctite which has too much hold IMHO and am having trouble imagining a future that has the bolts backing out without Loctite, if I can dig up my blue I may put a drop of that on the screws.
It's all back together except for the scowl, something is just not right and I make stupid mistakes when I work too late. ( I know it's called a cowl but I've got an attitude towards that thing tonight).
I thought I had read somewhere that the tint was 4500K, I guess they were talking about something else. These are 5500K easily. Compared them to my Zebralight SC62d (5000K) and they're not even close.
Was hoping for something less blue but the good news is I won't be looking at them! The cool emitters are fine for conspicuity and when compared to emitters of the same series but warmer, the cool are considerably brighter. I'm a tint snob, but not so much that it will ruin these lights for me.
You probably all know it by now but you really have to dig in to get that plug out of the clear-ish boot down below the radio controls. Worth it, just plug this stuff in!

http://i68.tinypic.com/25rjt43.jpg

http://i63.tinypic.com/23hm9tl.jpg

http://i67.tinypic.com/2cntkbb.jpg

http://i63.tinypic.com/2jg5e95.jpg

http://i67.tinypic.com/2hxlv13.jpg

[cueman]

Are your fog light adjusters on the bottom of the light? I can't tell on the pics. "coffee"cueman

[MisterB]

Are your fog light adjusters on the bottom of the light? I can't tell on the pics. "coffee"cueman
Sorry, missed that angle, will post a pic tonight.
Yes, there is a single screw that adjusts the output up or down.
I don't see anything for left/right but I don't think that would be a problem.

[cueman]

I meant to say adj. on bottom inside.

[MisterB]

Adjustment screw is at bottom right.
20634

[cueman]

Looks good to me. What exactly is the problem that the cowl won't fit? The only issue I can think of at the moment is that the openings in the cowl my need the tabs filed a little more. cueman

[MisterB]

Looks good to me. What exactly is the problem that the cowl won't fit? The only issue I can think of at the moment is that the openings in the cowl my need the tabs filed a little more. cueman
Nah, I had the layers of plastic wrong. Noob move.
Its back together now and the fit is great.