[W3JNP]

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I've read through the message base and have found much good advice on adding driving lights to the 1000's and 1100's.

I do want to increase myvisibilityfor safety and do not want to install a modulator. My 86 Gl-1200 does have a volt meter so I will be able to watch the load the lights place on the charging system.

My question is can the 86 GL-1200 handle 55 watt bulbs or should I drop down to 35 watt? I'm not that handy with a solder gun and can't do the LED route myself and do not know of anyone selling ready made bulbs that I could use.

Thanks in advance for any advice and thanks to all the vets out there for having given of themselves to serve our country!

 

[RedWinger]

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[exavid]

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One thing to keep in mind is that you want to be careful loading up the stator of the 1200s, they are hinky enough running a stock electrical load, the more power drawn, the hotter they get.

 

[Jason]

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55's will definitely cause problems. Even a new battery won't hold out too long like this.

 

[jsmith24]

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Does anyone have a source for 35W H3s?

Jack

 

[GWNorman]

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I have a source on my work PC, I'll check it out Friday (I'm off work tomorrow), unless someone else beats me to it, which is very likely as the forum is always busy.

 

[RedWinger]

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[W3JNP]

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Update - 6/13/05

Got a set of 35 watt H3's from a local shop that are actually brighter then the 55 watt that came with the fog lights. The volt meter tells me that in stop and go city riding I am drawing off the battery when stopped for a traffic light. Once moving it recovers to showing 14+ volts in about .2 mile.

I've noticed the brake lights seem to pull things down quite a bit and will order a set of LED's to replace them.

THANKS for all the feedback and suggestions!

 

[TJ859]

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MR1200 looking at picture of front end of your bike posted May 30th/05 can you tell mewhere you got those spot lights from? Very nice Ride .

 

[Murgie]

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I too, would be interested in those lights. I have the foglight rectangle looking ones that the housing is starting to rust. I think they look a lot classier and gives the bike a newer look to it. Thanks! :cheeky1:

 

[RedWinger]

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[GLester]

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I built my own taillights using LED trailer lights and marker lights, I have been running a set of 35W Walmart driving lights for a week, no problems at all with charging or battery. I posted a couple of pictures of the lights on at night on the forum @

http://www.goldwingfacts.com/forums/forum1/5304.html

I'll get around to posting the daytime pictures so you can see what my homemade taillights look like. Bike puts out minimum of 12.5 volts at idle even with the driving lights on. So you can see that the old tailights used a lot of power, and would had been hard pressed to run even 35w lights on the front without keeping in the high rpm range.

Gene:waving::11red::11red::11red::cooler:

 

[TJ859]

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Mr 1200 on May 30/05 you posted a picture of your spot light set up I would like to mount mine in the same location can't tell if they are mounted on the forks or fairing can you please let me know which it is?Thanks again very much.

 

[exavid]

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Hey Rocky, with the visors on your riding lights and the fender bars your bike has a real personality! Kinda reminds me somehow of Herby, the love bug.

 

[sanfelice]

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I have been wanting much the same butI have a GL1000 and I'm sure my stator cannot handle even twin 35w bulbs. The solution I have been looking for but have yet to find, is an LED headlight (of sorts). This would certainly solve the wattage dilemma and the color of the LED would also look pretty distinctive. (aside: I would love it even more if I could find yellow LED lights:cheeky1

 

[GLester]

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sanfelice wrote:

I have been wanting much the same butI have a GL1000 and I'm sure my stator cannot handle even twin 35w bulbs. The solution I have been looking for but have yet to find, is an LED headlight (of sorts). This would certainly solve the wattage dilemma and the color of the LED would also look pretty distinctive. (aside: I would love it even more if I could find yellow LED lights:cheeky1

Sanfelice, the gl1000 and 1100 use the same size stator, so do like I did and you will have more than enough wattage to run 35 or even 55 watt driving lights. BTW, I have now run for 2 weeks with my driving lights on all the time going back and forth to work and running around short distances while at work and have not had any problems with my battery or anything.

Gene:waving::11red::11red::11red::cooler:

 

[sanfelice]

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GLester, do you mean regular 35w lights (as opposed to LEDs?) on the front? I see pics of the rear of your bike but not the front.


Thanks for any advice you can offer!

 

[GLester]

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Yes I run regular 35 watt driving lights that I bought at Wal-Mart. See, one of the biggest problems with the electrical system on our older bikes besides the low wattage stators, is the brake-tailight assy is on of the biggest power hogs on our bikes. Just the tailight part alone is pulling 42 watts, when you hit the brakes, your pulling another 70 watts for a total of 112 watts! Putting LEDS in the rear takes that down to milawatts, leaving you plenty of wattage in reserve for running driving lights. I could had put 55 watt driving lights on the front, but I plan on a few more LEDs along each side of the saddle bags and around the fairing at the front. Here is a picture of the front driving lights mounted on the engine guards.

Gene:waving::11red::11red::11red::cooler:

 

[SilverDave]

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Walmart makes several types of 35 watt driving lights... so you can pick your style.. I installed two small round ones (like Pias, only much cheaper ) and watched the combo of brake ,and 70 watt  of Driving lights pull the voltage right down./forums/images/emoticons/shock.gif.   Before I pulled the stator,and replaced it with an alternator, I added up all the powers ,and felt that the original stator should be able to handle all this ,if it was working properly ../forums/images/emoticons/cool.gif                                                                                       So I started with a small brass wire brush, and cleaned every single  post, ground strap,  battery connection,Voltmeter connection, even the hidden ground strap, and several of the accessory light sockets... I found a lot of corrosion in all those spots...  Now the bike can pull a well lit trailer, and run with the twin 35 watts, and all  and still  show about 13.5 volts  at cruise... and ... bonus../forums/images/emoticons/cool.gif. the charging voltage comes  back to 14  after starting in about 2 blocks, not 42 blocks          SilverDave /forums/images/emoticons/emoticonsxtra/cooldj.gif

 

[Hawker22]

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I have yet to find a wire brush small enough to get into those enclosed electrical connectors and do a decent job. Can you post a pic of the one you use, SilverDave?