Driving lights recommendation for 1200 Sport

[willowstreetguzziguy]

I’m looking to add driving lights to my 2008 1200 sport. The stock high and low beams are the worst of any bike I’ve ever owned. I’d like to find a set that I could mount on my forks that would be on all the time and provide both great nighttime lighting as well as daytime visibility to other drivers. Any recommendations?

[73 sport]

     Check out Denali D3, D7 lights @ Denali Electronics.

[ridingron]

     Check out Denali D3, D7 lights @ Denali Electronics.

Just a fore warning. They're pretty proud of their products!

[guzzi ride]

I have Motolights on my Norge which are basically the same forks.

[bigbikerrick]

The Denalis are great, but pricey. Has anyone got any "budget friendly" recommendations?
Rick

[frozengoose]

The Denalis are great, but pricey. Has anyone got any "budget friendly" recommendations?
Rick

These look pretty good, cheap anyway!

https://www.superbrightleds.com/led-light-pods-3-5-round-mini-led-work-lights-22w-1-600-lumens-2-pack?utm_campaign=300_tROAS-Pmax&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=N/A&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD_v0v_BVPOGanJKVnbfrNXqDoDC3&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjYy3vZneigMVthatBh2AAhJWEAQYAyABEgJPy_D_BwE

[kingoffleece]

I've moved the same set of Denali D2 that are 10 years old to three different bikes-still going strong.
I'd say that's great value for the money.

[johnwesley]

 

The Denalis are great, but pricey. Has anyone got any "budget friendly" recommendations?
Rick

What size are you looking for? Any special mounts you need the light to come with?

I’ve run several cheap leds on my bike and my fave is a 4” set that are high and low beam with a good cut off.  I wire the included relay into the headlight harness so that the high beam switch works the aux lights.

https://a.co/d/j2DNgvu

[Bulldog9]

I’m looking to add driving lights to my 2008 1200 sport. The stock high and low beams are the worst of any bike I’ve ever owned. I’d like to find a set that I could mount on my forks that would be on all the time and provide both great nighttime lighting as well as daytime visibility to other drivers. Any recommendations?

I've had these mounted to my Fork for 3 or 4 years. I used a
 3/4" aluminum spacer and longer bolt to attach the bracket to
one of the fender Mount bolts on the fork. They are helpful to light
up the driving area, but also helps with being seen.

I wired them directly into the GPS power lead.

$30 from Amazon.

[bigbikerrick]

Bulldog9, I currently have a pair that look like the ones you mounted. The light output is OK, but the wires that come with the lights are so thin ,with such few filaments, that is hard to attach connector/solder. Thanks Guys for the other suggestions. Those 3.5" for 40 bucks seem pretty nice for the $. those with high/low beam seem pretty darn cool, I like those for my Convert. They are a bit too "modern" for my eldo.
Thank you all,
Rick

[Huzo]

I put these Denali’s on my V85.
They are superb, first time they save your ass you’ll forget the price.

[Perazzimx14]

Between me and a couple of friends we have used 15 or 20 sets of these  dual color LED on various motorcycles with excellent performance and very cost effective. Currnetly they are about $22 a set on Amazon but I have gotten them as inexpensively as a couple of dallars each on AliExpress. While I'm sure theyare not as good as a $1,200 set of Clear Waters at 50x less costly they are not 50x less effective.

https://www.amazon.com/Zmoon-Motorcycle-Projector-Spotlight-Compatible/dp/B08GS4QTZN/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2UCQPPE87QQYK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wwSiv3yg_T9OFtI6A6AdKKfAx2c-aE0A24Mzds2Yw51QEcZTo8Je40wa8PYuy7szJv3GoYNFbn72ESNC1pOj0bNm5bcIdj-w735lK8J9DKA3ZeaaTVJJ1JLKwY8lLRIsNJwq95jPiiee95Bg0hkRydZ_lCrkJrrAp_5bc3vzq3E6gVMjuO0U8Ev5hxuhZoHhnRTdicfVDuxYdDmuS4PpmcBWI_TUPe2urzBRT9c1qeNtGwworLnlEfO27C_OVMDQMAzivPe6pPxEg25ZlaxNyy_D29tUM-L7Vqc3ZsY_U7XAakRVbksBFXPjTG48XXrrKyJiWA6g8Dyb9OXtOCqlXrTRX0OFvjSE6FJF-2BCb6pwA1ylzJKln3jB9CistbRWgOop4C3D15ROy2oKP2WSzo2QutCagORlXrQW3qUoADCePYOCz84_EurlWsgicvmz.sMbF37E1WmZNwiSXztgIdTGEYTNMSgLasj3cJFfugbk&dib_tag=se&keywords=1%22+MIni+LED+dual+color+driving+lights&qid=1736114966&sprefix=1+mini+led+dual+color+driving+lights%2Caps%2C185&sr=8-5


Here is a set I recently put on my another GS with a on/off/on switch going form white to yellow is as easy as toggling the switch.

[Huzo]

I always felt that lights are like helmets and tyres.
If you have a $10 head…?
Get a $10 helmet.

[bronzestar1]

I'd get LED driving lights that have just a single bulb.  I've seen LED headlights that have so many bulbs in them they look like bug eyes.  If you want driving lights, you'll want the highest number K rating you can find, maybe 6500K.  They don't need to be any higher wattage than 55, although there are some out there that are 65w and 100w.  Mounting them shouldn't be a challenge, if you have some aluminum flat stock and mounting hardware available.  I think the most challenging part will be wiring them up.  If it was me, I'd wire them to a switch that's easy to reach, some source that's hot only when the key is on.  Probably good to mount a relay as well, just in case.  I used to have an MV Agusta F4 750 that would overheat, so part of my attempts to fix that was to wire a bypass switch for the radiator fans, so I could turn them on earlier than the t-stat would.  Found a small toggle switch that I mounted on the side fairing, worked wonders (along with a new water pump, metal radiator fan blades, and using Engine Ice coolant).



 

[Perazzimx14]

I always felt that lights are like helmets and tyres.
If you have a $10 head…?
Get a $10 helmet.

I've always felt like paying more doesn't not automatically equal getting more. YMMV.

[Bulldog9]

I've always felt like paying more doesn't not automatically equal getting more. YMMV.

All depends on "WHY" you are mounting the additional lights. I mount them more to 'be seen' than to see better at night. Even the
cheapo Chinesium LED's I have been mounting on my bikes the last 3-4 years do a decent job, especially lighting the 10-15' in front of the
bike when I am forced to ride after the sun goes down. YMMV....

Oh, and comparing lights to helmets is a non sequitur. 

Random story.......... I mounted a pair of 50W halogen lights to the bottom of my Rifle Fairing with a switch and relay to my XS1100 back in the
late 80's-90's.  I had to watch the voltmeter and be judicious with their use because these things would suck the life out of the battery, even when running at speed.
They were as bright as all get out though, and my riding buddies joked they were like lasers and vaporized traffic from in front of me, chase wildlife and small
children from the road, etc etc..... Came in VERY handy on my almost monthly IBA runs. But the ancient charging system of the Yamaha couldn't handle the draw.

[Huzo]

I've always felt like paying more doesn't not automatically equal getting more. YMMV.

Correct P.
I can buy two bowls of soup from the same chef, paying $5 for one and $50 for the other.
But when you said (correctly) that it’s not an automatic guarantee that you’ll get a better product I’m bound to agree.
But if I asked you are your BMW’s better than Kwong Chi Phang bikes from China because the Beemer is more expensive ? Answer is no.
The BMW is not better because it’s more expensive….
It’s more expensive because it’s better…

[bigbikerrick]

Perazzimx14, excellent recomendation,  look nice,and very inexpensive. I have got to give those a try.
thanks
Rick.

[Guzzistajohn]

These look pretty good, cheap anyway!

https://www.superbrightleds.com/led-light-pods-3-5-round-mini-led-work-lights-22w-1-600-lumens-2-pack?utm_campaign=300_tROAS-Pmax&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=N/A&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD_v0v_BVPOGanJKVnbfrNXqDoDC3&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjYy3vZneigMVthatBh2AAhJWEAQYAyABEgJPy_D_BwE

I have a couple of pairs of those on a shelf in the garage if anyone is interested

[Perazzimx14]

Perazzimx14, excellent recomendation,  look nice,and very inexpensive. I have got to give those a try.
thanks
Rick.

You will not be disappointed. I would also suggest you get a couple red Posi-Tap couplings saves from soldering and makes connecting the wires from the LED to the power and ground wires a breeze.

I've also been liking these switches off Amazon. They are on/off/on and mount to the handlebars.
 
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Z7PN34P?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

[bigbikerrick]

Thank you Perrazimx14. thats a nice, clean looking switch, and for a good price. I cant remember how many times I have searched for a  simpleclean looking handlebar switch like that, +1 on the posi taps.Thank you Sir!
Rick D

[Perazzimx14]

Thank you Perrazimx14. thats a nice, clean looking switch, and for a good price. I cant remember how many times I have searched for a  simpleclean looking handlebar switch like that, +1 on the posi taps.Thank you Sir!
Rick D

I have used several of these switches and they have been flawless. The last one I purchsed I got everything wired up and found the switch to be faulty and would only work on one circuit. It was a great reminder if possible to bench test to verify operation prior to assembly. I got in the habit of bench tesing LED's prior to installation as one time I had one (1) dual color LED that would only light the white circuit and not the amber. Taking 10 seconds to touch the leads to the battery terminals to verify both colors work can save lots of rework. Same with switchs.  A continiuty meter a few seconds can save a lot of headache.

[bigbikerrick]

Good advice! Thank you
Rick