In your message dated: Sun, 20 Aug 2000 09:34:43 EDT,
your pithy ruminations on <RE: Aux lights> were:
=> > I have spent the last year perfecting a suitable set of mounting
=> > brackets for a set of Piaa 1200 to go on my gts.
=> > I've done it. Well really I found someone to do it. I wanted something
=> > to come out from under the mirrors and my craftsman did the rest. They
=> > are perfect. And the 1200's make night - day!!!!!!
=> > I hope to have pictures up soon and I hope to have some of these for
=> > sale if there is interest.
=> > Once you have some real lights like the Piaa's you wonder how you ever
=> > rode in the dark before.
I've also got PIAA's on my bike, and I've mounted them without the use of any
brackets at all! I replaced the headlight with a genuine HID unit. It gives
much more light than the previous 80/100W bulb, only draws 35W, requires no
modification to the wiring harness, and is a very "cold" white color. The
drawbacks: it's expensive, a bit of a pain to install, and it's low-beam ONLY.
Also, the intensity and location of the HID lamp exacerbates existing problems
with the GTS headlight reflector & lens assembly. The light has a single narrow
shaft that angles up and to the left, into on-coming traffic. I've diffused it
with some contact paper on the lens itself, but it's a crude hack.
To make up for the last problem, I installed a pair of PIAA 1100 series lights,
using a slightly longer bolt through the fairing mounting point just below the
turn signals. These lights are powered directly from the battery, using a relay
that's connected the stock H4 socket, and switched on the high beam.
In a crude electrical diagram:
PIAA driving lamps:
===[stock H4 female socket]<==[male H4 plug]==+==[H4 socket]
|
|
[high beam only]
|
|
+ from battery ----------------------------[relay]---{PIAA lamps}
HID low beam:
[tap to running lights]
|
|
+ from battery -----[relay]---{HID lamp}
This way, the HID lamp is always on as a low beam, whenever the running lights
are on. The PIAA lamps are only on as driving (high beams) lights when the
stock headlight switch is in the highbeam position. To go back to a stock
setup (such as for inspection):
remove the HID bulb (not the whole kit)
unplug the stock female H4 socket from the relay leading to the PIAA
lamps
connect the stock H4 socket to the headlight bulb
remove the fuse for the HID igniter
[optional] physically remove the non-functioning PIAA lamps
This is about a 10-minute procedure.
For some details, see:
http://www.panix.com/~bergman/motorcycling.shtml
The picture of the GTS is a image-map...click on the part (the headlight, the
PIAA lamps, the ScottOiler, etc. that you want to see in detail). Clicking
within the image, but off the bike (such as the sky) will bring up a picture
showing where you can click to get more detail...
=>
=> I'll be interested in seeing your set up and perhaps purchasing one of your
=> brackets. About the only thing I really dislike on the GTS is the lousy
=> headlight. Like you, I was very spoiled by the Concours' headlight which
=> put lots of light where it was needed.
=>
=> Regards,
=>
=> Henry S. Winokur
=> 94 GTS1000, AMA, MRF, MD/MSF Certified Instructor
=> West Bethesda, MD
Want to see the setup in person? I'm in the northern-Virginia area. Get in
touch off the list.
Mark
------
Mark Bergman Biker, IATSE #1 Stagehand, Rock Climber, Unix mechanic
'94 Yamaha GTS1000A
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
I want a newsgroup with a infinite S/N ratio! Now taking CFV on:
rec.motorcycles.stagehands.pet-bird-owners.pinballers.unix-supporters
5+ So Far--Want to join? Check out: http://www.panix.com/~bergman
