Auxiliary Lights - when do you have yours on?

[Walküre]

Several searches left me more confused than ever.

I recently added the Cobra Light Bars. I'm in the middle of doing some serious wiring - led turn/markers in the saddlebags, headlight "switch-saver", etc, etc.

I've never had aux lights before. These are 55W 4 1/2" lamps. From what I've seen, it is illegal in most, if not all, states, to have them on with the brights. Yet, from the searches, it appears a LOT of folks have them on, with the brights. Some have them on the dims. Some have them on all the time. Some have them independently switched, so they can have them on whenever they want.

I'll admit that I don't see any sense in them NOT being on with the brights - seems that when they would do the most good. I can see them on during the day, making them DLR lights, which I swear by. But also seems to me, if they are AT ALL out of adjustment, they would be MUCH more irritating at night, turned on everytime the dims are on, which is when anyone else is around. Is it just me??

Anyway, I'm the guy who goes the speed limit, 99% of the time, stops at the stop sign, even if there is no one within 5 miles of me, and generally follow the law. But I'll admit in over half a million miles on bikes, there have been MANY times, I would have liked them with my brights. And I'm currently setting up a set of front signals, to give me amber running lights. I guess I'll be trolling for LEO's...

I know all about crossing them, using relays, wire size, how to wire them, etc, etc, what everyone seems inclined to stress whenever lighting (and powered accessories in general) gets mentioned. Those things have been covered enough. Mostly, I'm wondering, WHEN do you have yours on, and WHY. And, if you've hooked them up to use them WITH the brights, if you've ever been stopped or had problems as a direct result of that choice.

Thanks,

R

[Russell Rice]

IMHO, one can never have to many lights on. I have 2 -4" driving lights with 100 watt halogen lights in each one. It seems that no matter what head light bulb I use the headlight is never bright enough. My halogen lights are way brighter than the headlight. I have the halogen lights aimed low but not so low that they are of no use but low enough that I do not have on coming cars flash there lights at me. I made a very bright red LED bar that is below my tag that comes on when I hit the brakes so it lights up very well. I have also taken a set of front blinkers and swapped them out with the rear blinkers so I have running lights on the back side of the bike along with the stock tail light.I have LED lights mounted in out of the way places for looks. I know that there are laws about what color of lights you can and can not use, when you can and can not have them on. I have never been pulled over because of the lights I have on or off.Loud pipes save lives but being seen at night does too. I ride with my driving lights on at all times 

[ILcruiser]

I run mine with my low beams pretty much all the time, but I also have them on a switch.  They're on a separate, fused circuit with a relay triggered by the headlight wire, so they go off when the starter button is pressed.  I don't use them so much to see as to be seen.

[sandy]

I too have the Cobra light bar. I switched the bulbs for 36 watt halogen flood lights and if the engine is running, my lights are on. Your 55 watters are very bright. If you use a relay and switch them off with high beams, you can toggle between high and low beam as you approach a crowded intersection. My old 1100 shadow was wired this way and that's how I used them. The switching attracts a lot of attention.

[Chillerman]

I don't have Cobra's, but I run my lightbar off of a separate relay and switch.  They are only on when I want them to be.  I usually only run them during the day.

[Brad]

Mine are on any time the key is on, except for when the starter button is depressed.

[scoot]

I run my all the time. I run them mostly for safety though. I guess if I need my brights on there most likely isn't any other cars around to be bothered by them.

[ricoman]

Mine are on all the time.
55 watt mounted on the engine guards, switched/relayed using the accy. circuit. Key goes off so do the lights.
Motolights makes some pricey add on lights (favored by BMW riders) that mount to the front calipers. They heavily promote "three points of light" as a safety measure. I have to agree. Lightbar lights blend with the headlight and at any distance they look like one light, larger maybe, but one.
Having extra lights spaced apart and below the headlight makes for way more visibility (as in being seen). Being seen in the daytime is as, actually-more, important as seeing at night. I would guess most here ride more in the daytime than at night.

[Ken Tarver]

I have these. I know it's not the same set up you have, but to answer your real question ~ I run them in the day almost all the time, and night when I think I need to. They are 55w bullets from big bike parts.

[tank_post142]

run mine pretty much all the time. i use the engine kill swt to control a relay. switch power comes from the headlight  circuit so the are off during start.

[Walküre]

thanks, all!

Figure I'll run them all the time, as I'm in the same boat - I work midnights, so most of my "daily" driving is 10 at night, and 7 in the morning. And going the opposite direction than everyone else. Of course, with OUR daylight savings time, it's light out, until 9:30, almost 10:00, in the summer. I like the switch in the front side cover! I have my relay for my horn there, I'm sure I can get a switch. I WOULD like to be able to shut them off, when I want/need to. Mostly, I was worried about being stopped, but it sounds like one of those "don't worry about it" things. I'm hoping the amber running lights are the same. If I do have trouble, I'll make some LED's like electricalconnection's, but I really don't like the looks of LED's mixed with incandescents. I guess it's because of the Christmas lights. I run a computerized Christmas light display, like the one that was on the Bud commercial, and I just can't bring myself to mix the two types of lights, and it carries over into the motorcycle.

Thanks again, now back to work. I plan to get it together soon, because we hit 30+ degrees today, and the snow melted off the roads entirely. Won't be long, before I can take a ride or two!

[Jack B]

I have 2 55 watts from Big Bikes they are on all the time yes they are bright and yes some cars let me know they are too bright but then I know they can see me. I have never been pulled over.