[anotherbiker]

Ok, because my Africa Twin hasn't been delivered yet, what with me being in the US (I might have mentioned this a couple of times on the forum already I believe? :wink2: ), and because I'll be heading off on a trip very shortly after it does arrive (if it ever does!), I want to figure out my farkling ahead of time so I'm ready to fit stuff when the bike gets here...

I'll definitely be getting 3rd party foglights to add to the bike, to improve my visibility to the sides. But I'm wondering whether I should also get driving lights/spot lights to improve long distance visibility at night...

So my question is to those lucky forum members who already have the bike: what's the stock headlight like? Do you feel like you need a longer 'throw' than the stock headlight gives you, or is it good enough?

 

[D_H]

I think the headlight is great. The full beam perfectly fills the void left by the dipped beam (so there's no overwhelming bright spots) and both have decent reach for their respective uses with good colour rendering.

 

[Chris G]

I went out for the first time in the pitch black a few days ago. Travelled 60 miles on twisty country roads and the headlights are absolutely outstanding. Very bright and with a good wide and long 'throw.'

Chris

 

[anotherbiker]

Thanks! Sounds like I may not even need foglights then, maybe I'll just get small 'marker lights' (if I do get the bike after all, having second thoughts now... see other thread... lol)

 

[True Ad Venture]

Have to say I had my doubts about the headlights given their small size but they throw out an amazing amount of white light. Low beam is nice and broad and high beam goes way out into the distance. It's probably the first bike I've had where I'm not thinking about implementing the lighting.

If I was going to add anything, it would probably be just a couple small leds high up to help light up corners when leaned over on small mountain roads, but even then that's not absolutely necessary.

 

[D_H]

maybe I'll just get small 'marker lights'

When the indicators aren't being used, they're always on.

 

[anotherbiker]

When the indicators aren't being used, they're always on.

Look, come on guys... Can't you see I'm just looking for an excuse to add auxiliary lights because I think they look cool and I'm a poser?? :grin2:

Help me out here... The stock headlight takes every 2nd Thursday off? There's got to be some reason to get extra lights?? Haha

 

[Yromulus]

You don't need an excuse - get farkling!!

 

[D_H]

Look, come on guys... Can't you see I'm just looking for an excuse to add auxiliary lights because I think they look cool and I'm a poser?? :grin2:

Help me out here... The stock headlight takes every 2nd Thursday off? There's got to be some reason to get extra lights?? Haha

They're like candles in jam jars. Painted black. You should buy some sort of collapsed sun-brightness LED strip.

 

[anotherbiker]

They're like candles in jam jars. Painted black. You should buy some sort of collapsed sun-brightness LED strip.

Now we're talking! I think I'll probably get the PIAA LP530 LED Fog Lights in order to gain better visibility to the sides / look cooler parked next to that GS in the Starbucks parking lot (delete depending on which you find most believable) :grin2:

 

[Yromulus]

From a UK perspective, and even a US and European one too, is it actually legal to ride with fog lights on? I thought there had to be fog - strangely!

By the way anotherbiker - the PIAAs are only tested to 10g... Is that enough to handle the kerbs at Starbucks?! Probably not enough to deal with UK potholes!

 

[anotherbiker]

From a UK perspective, and even a US and European one too, is it actually legal to ride with fog lights on? I thought there had to be fog - strangely!

By the way anotherbiker - the PIAAs are only tested to 10g... Is that enough to handle the kerbs at Starbucks?! Probably not enough to deal with UK potholes!

It's a good question, and never having had auxiliary lighting on a bike before one where I don't have first hand experience, so maybe someone else on here does? I'm not sure I've ever seen a big adventure bike that's sold with fog lights where the owner keeps them turned off though, so my guess is that if they're properly aimed and not actually dazzling other road users then the police just treat them as being running lights. Though going by the actual letter of the law you're probably right.

Re: Starbucks kerbs - most of them have been flattened over time by all the giant GS Adventures riding over them, so I'm sure it'll be ok :grin2:

 

[True Ad Venture]

It's a good question, and never having had auxiliary lighting on a bike before one where I don't have first hand experience, so maybe someone else on here does? I'm not sure I've ever seen a big adventure bike that's sold with fog lights where the owner keeps them turned off though, so my guess is that if they're properly aimed and not actually dazzling other road users then the police just treat them as being running lights. Though going by the actual letter of the law you're probably right.

Re: Starbucks kerbs - most of them have been flattened over time by all the giant GS Adventures riding over them, so I'm sure it'll be ok :grin2:

I've had Piaa LP530s on my Super Tenere for the past 3 years. They're great lights for supplementing the low beam as they produce a focused beam (leds are faced rearward into a multireflector) but the AT doesn't really need this as its low beam is excellent. They're also relatively large. If anything, I'd add a couple of small led spots mounted high up to light up corners better when the bike is leaned over and they'd also turn with the handlebar.

 

[stephenat]

My experience from last night, pitch black uk single country lanes was not so good. Straight ahead main and dipped were perfect but i got a shock under moderate braking. Fork dive resulted in very little side coverage in tighter bends. Some side lighting that covers 20-20 meters needs to be added.

 

[anotherbiker]

Just heard my bike won't be available to collect until August so I suspect they'll have invented some kind of laser lighting system by then, and we'll all be wearing tin foil space suits.........

 

[AT-Rider]

Is there a way to adjust the lights? My high beam is aimed very high. Thanks!

 

[eltel62]

Is there a way to adjust the lights? My high beam is aimed very high. Thanks!

Yes there is, see the manual page 127, very simple. You might setup your preload front and rear first before adjusting the light.

 

[presi13]

I think the lights of the AT are splendid. Obviosly with the fog lights your vision will improve.

 

[JohnG]

Hi guys.

I came across this topic and if you don't mind I would like to add my piece. My previous bikes had terrible bright lights, so I am used to having aux lights. When I got the AT the lights stayed with me.

When I rode the AT in proper dark conditions the first time I was blown away by the brights. So when my rockfox crash bars came, and they had a spot to mount lights, I fitted the aux lights anyway. My feeling is that you don't really "need" them, but they are handy.

The pic shows how mine turned out.

 

[Roman Sem 2]

Hi there,

just one question.

Did someone tryed to have two low beam lights?

By having low beam on looks sometime AT like Carribean Pirate ... one eyed