Tweaking my V-strom # 2
- Thread starter DavidFL
- Start date
With the Givi screen confirmed as the one to use on the bike, the next step was fitting the 3rd set of spotlights, & the main set, the Baja Design lights on the bike - 20W Led Squadron Sport lights.
www.gt-rider.com
The ideal position is always up high so they can shine down the road & give you good vision to where you are heading.
Originally I had thought about trying to mount them on the front of the screen, using the screen brackets, but this turned out to be unrealistic.
So the only other decent spot was up on the side of the fairing.
I had SRC brackets on the spotl;ights that bolted straight onto the 2015 bikes, but the 2017 bike has a different fairing & there is no metal frame under the fairing to bolt mount them onto; so Kong Electrics in Chiang Rai, came up with a satisfactory idea of drilling holes in the plastic & using small "boots"? to bolt them on.
Job done
I now have 3 sets of spotlights on the bike for night riding that I enjoy.
The bottom set of lights are yellow Loboo, that I use as running lights. in the day.
The middle set of lights are Loboo
The top set are Baja Design
The next step, a night time test & setting them up focussed correctly.
Lights & Lighting
Lights & more lights for night riding... Not 100% happy with what I've got on the Vstrom now, I've been researching for some more power to hopefully light up the night sky ++ Denali seem to have the best reputation, but oh man do you ever pay over the top for those lights. The best option I...
www.gt-rider.com
The ideal position is always up high so they can shine down the road & give you good vision to where you are heading.
Originally I had thought about trying to mount them on the front of the screen, using the screen brackets, but this turned out to be unrealistic.
So the only other decent spot was up on the side of the fairing.
I had SRC brackets on the spotl;ights that bolted straight onto the 2015 bikes, but the 2017 bike has a different fairing & there is no metal frame under the fairing to bolt mount them onto; so Kong Electrics in Chiang Rai, came up with a satisfactory idea of drilling holes in the plastic & using small "boots"? to bolt them on.
Job done
I now have 3 sets of spotlights on the bike for night riding that I enjoy.
The bottom set of lights are yellow Loboo, that I use as running lights. in the day.
The middle set of lights are Loboo
The top set are Baja Design
The next step, a night time test & setting them up focussed correctly.
You will look like a Train coming at night! Hope the Battery and Charging system can cope with all those Lights Ha Ha!
Yes the charging system could be loaded up a bit, but let's see how we go.
They don't all have to be on high at the same time, should need be; however that's the aim to light up the night sky & ride clearly.
Kong in Chiang Rai has mentioned some small lithium battey, 600 baht for the best one, that can piggy back onto the main lithium battery to give a few more amps if necessary.
Time & a good test run will tell.
32,710 kms.
Fitted some tank pads, hopefully to stop the scuffing from mounting / dismounting on the bike
Sourced from Lazada as is usual nowadays.
First fitted a clear sticker film on the side of the tank & then put the pads over that.
400 baht at Ting Sticker Chiang Rai.
goo.gl
The bike also has a mesh seat cover now - how did we ever ride without them?
It has transformed my seat yet again!
Fitted some tank pads, hopefully to stop the scuffing from mounting / dismounting on the bike
Sourced from Lazada as is usual nowadays.
First fitted a clear sticker film on the side of the tank & then put the pads over that.
400 baht at Ting Sticker Chiang Rai.
Ting Sticker · 40 à¸à¹à¸²à¸à¸à¹à¸²à¸à¹à¸ 4, Ban Du, à¹à¸¡à¸·à¸à¸ Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand
âââââ · Auto painting
goo.gl
The bike also has a mesh seat cover now - how did we ever ride without them?
It has transformed my seat yet again!
After fitting all the spotlights, multiple people have expressed concern about the electrical & charging system being able to handle it all.
I actually don't think it is an issue, because in practice not all the lights are on high together for long periods of time, as other vehicles are coming & you need to turn off the high beams.
However Kong in Chiang Rai suggested a lithium battery power pack, to piggy back onto the main battery.
The model he suggested I try was only 600 baht so I thought why not. It is cheap enough give it a go.
Slotted in alongside my Fuzeblock where all the accessories are routed.
The big picture & time for a quick clean to get rid of the dust, that accumulates so quickly.
And we now have 35,494 kms on the clock = 11,836 kms since purchase in February 2021. May the good V-strom times continue to roll on.
I actually don't think it is an issue, because in practice not all the lights are on high together for long periods of time, as other vehicles are coming & you need to turn off the high beams.
However Kong in Chiang Rai suggested a lithium battery power pack, to piggy back onto the main battery.
The model he suggested I try was only 600 baht so I thought why not. It is cheap enough give it a go.
Slotted in alongside my Fuzeblock where all the accessories are routed.
The big picture & time for a quick clean to get rid of the dust, that accumulates so quickly.
And we now have 35,494 kms on the clock = 11,836 kms since purchase in February 2021. May the good V-strom times continue to roll on.
Last edited:
Interesting re the Loboo spotlights fitted.
After some serious riding in torrential rain, I now have 2 spotlight failures on the right hand side.
Yep that's right, both the right hand Loboo lights have failed.
The top Baja Design lights are still working perfectly.
So let's see how a warranty claim on the Loboo lights goes in the coming weeks.
After some serious riding in torrential rain, I now have 2 spotlight failures on the right hand side.
Yep that's right, both the right hand Loboo lights have failed.
The top Baja Design lights are still working perfectly.
So let's see how a warranty claim on the Loboo lights goes in the coming weeks.
Last edited:
50,000 kms showing on the Vstrom now = 27,000 kms since February.
252 days = 107 kms a day.
The only issue so far has been a faulty 02 sensor as detailed here.
www.gt-rider.com
There has been a spotlight issue with the Loboo spotlights, water ingress. Too much riding in heavy rain.
1 set has been replaced under warranty, and the second set is being inspected now & under review.
252 days = 107 kms a day.
The only issue so far has been a faulty 02 sensor as detailed here.
An annoying electrical short - tracking it down
2017 Suzuki Vstrom 65o. The old GTR fellah's bike. Bought second hand with 23,000 kms on the clock & now with 47,000 kms on the clock. You can read how the bike's been tweaked as I go here https://www.gt-rider.com/se-asia-motorcycling/threads/tweaking-my-v-strom-2.15562/ I've enjoyed some epic...
www.gt-rider.com
There has been a spotlight issue with the Loboo spotlights, water ingress. Too much riding in heavy rain.
1 set has been replaced under warranty, and the second set is being inspected now & under review.
November 2021
53,000 kms up on the Vstrom & 30,000 kms since February this year. Loving this bike still. Totally reliable & economical to run...
Playing around with lights & lighting – never ending some of you might say; but I enjoy my night riding & the few issues I’ve had with my Loboo lights failing has got me looking for more (stronger) options.
I had 3 set of spotlights on my bike.
1. The 12,000 baht 40W (2x 20W) Baja Design, which have performed flawlessly.
2. 1 set of yellow Loboo for running lights, purchased via the late Steve Prince. These have been excellent performers for 55,000 kms, but recently one light failed. An examination showed that it was not the light, but the control box. A sealed unit that we failed to open & seek to repair.
3. 1 set of white Loboo lights. One set failed with water ingress & performed badly. These were part of another set purchased by Dave DKT, where he bought a pencil beam set & I bought a wide beam set. Then we swapped one light over, so we both had one wide beam & 1 pencil beam. The pencil beam was installed on the right to focus down the centre of the road & the wide beam on the left to light up the edge of the road. A complication then arose with a warranty claim for my set that the water got into. The dealer wanted a complete set back with matching lights. One complete set was replaced under warranty, & the other set had the seal only replaced. Not quite what I was expecting, but that’s how it goes.
The Loboo Specs
Loboo XHP70.2
1. Max Beam 8,000 lumen (72w)
2. Driving Beam 4,000 lumen (36w)
3. Daylight 1,000 lumen (10w)
The current situation now is that I have only 1 working yellow running light for the day.
Should I sell the set or not? Two working lights, but only 1 good wire harness. Nah you won’t get much for it.
So the new master plan is to mount the one working yellow Loboo light in the centre on the beak, below the headlight. Then I’ve got 1 spare Loboo light when this one fails.
To compliment this 1 centre light I’ve now ordered a set of Kirin 60W (2 x 30W) Cree Spotlights, that have a yellow filter.
www.lazada.co.th
These will be mounted down low, where the original yellow Loboos were, to form a yellow triangle running light for the day time. At night I can remove the yellow filters & run them as white spotlights & @ 60W they will be impressive.
Apart from the yellow running lights that are plugged into the ignition switch, all the white spotlights are plugged into the high beam switch only.
The total lighting power at the moment is
1. Vstrom high beam = 65W
2. Baja Design High Beam = 40W (2 x 20)
3. Loboo Design High Beam = 72 W (2 x 36)
4. Kirin Cree = 60W (2 x 30)
Total = 237 W.
That would be enough you’d think, & I can ride comfortably on the highway at 120KPH+ at night, but now I’ve seen these babies & might have another play around.
3"4"5" 70w 130w 156w Spotlight LED Light Bar Work Light Yellow White Off Road for Driving Truck Motorcycle Fog Lamp Headlight | Lazada.co.th
3inch 70w:16pcs+1LED (two-color white and yellow)
4inch 130w:30pcs+2LED (two-color white and yellow)
5inch 156w:24pcs+3LED (two-color white and yellow)
Too good to be true?
There’s also these
เเพค 2 ชิ้น สว่างตาเเตก! LED SPOT BEAM US 200W ไฟสปอร์ตไลท์ รถยนต์ ไฟหน้ารถ ไฟท้าย ไฟช่วยตัดหมอก สว่างมาก 12V-24V เเสงขาว | Lazada.co.th
but they can’t be any good for the price?
On another note I’ve also turned up these
SercoMoto Technology Co., Ltd., - Motorcycle parts,motorycycle switch, led headlights
They have some 65W Led lights.
Sercomoto releases large size motorcycle auxiliary lights SM7121S
Lets see how it all ends up.
See also
www.gt-rider.com
53,000 kms up on the Vstrom & 30,000 kms since February this year. Loving this bike still. Totally reliable & economical to run...
Playing around with lights & lighting – never ending some of you might say; but I enjoy my night riding & the few issues I’ve had with my Loboo lights failing has got me looking for more (stronger) options.
I had 3 set of spotlights on my bike.
1. The 12,000 baht 40W (2x 20W) Baja Design, which have performed flawlessly.
2. 1 set of yellow Loboo for running lights, purchased via the late Steve Prince. These have been excellent performers for 55,000 kms, but recently one light failed. An examination showed that it was not the light, but the control box. A sealed unit that we failed to open & seek to repair.
3. 1 set of white Loboo lights. One set failed with water ingress & performed badly. These were part of another set purchased by Dave DKT, where he bought a pencil beam set & I bought a wide beam set. Then we swapped one light over, so we both had one wide beam & 1 pencil beam. The pencil beam was installed on the right to focus down the centre of the road & the wide beam on the left to light up the edge of the road. A complication then arose with a warranty claim for my set that the water got into. The dealer wanted a complete set back with matching lights. One complete set was replaced under warranty, & the other set had the seal only replaced. Not quite what I was expecting, but that’s how it goes.
The Loboo Specs
Loboo XHP70.2
1. Max Beam 8,000 lumen (72w)
2. Driving Beam 4,000 lumen (36w)
3. Daylight 1,000 lumen (10w)
The current situation now is that I have only 1 working yellow running light for the day.
Should I sell the set or not? Two working lights, but only 1 good wire harness. Nah you won’t get much for it.
So the new master plan is to mount the one working yellow Loboo light in the centre on the beak, below the headlight. Then I’ve got 1 spare Loboo light when this one fails.
To compliment this 1 centre light I’ve now ordered a set of Kirin 60W (2 x 30W) Cree Spotlights, that have a yellow filter.
ไฟสปอร์ตไลท์ มอเตอร์ไซค์ หลอด CREE รุ่น L6X LED 6ชิป กำลังไฟ 60watt มาพร้อม ครอบเหลือง 2 ชิ้น และ ขาจับ 2 ชิ้น ในราคาสุดพิเศษ+ส่งชุดสายไฟ | Lazada.co.th
ไฟสปอร์ตไลท์ติดมอเตอร์ไซค์: สามารถตัดหรือปรับแต่งได้ตามความต้องการที่แท้จริงของคุณ สปอร์ตไลท์ติดมอเตอร์ไซค์: ง่ายต่อการติดตั้งและใช้งานง่ายต่อการติดตั้งและถอดออก led light for motorcycle: ง่ายต่อการติดตั้งและใช้งานปรับปรุงประสิทธิภาพการทํางานได้อย่างมีประสิทธิภาพ ไฟสปอร์ตไลท์มอเตอร์ไซค์...
www.lazada.co.th
These will be mounted down low, where the original yellow Loboos were, to form a yellow triangle running light for the day time. At night I can remove the yellow filters & run them as white spotlights & @ 60W they will be impressive.
Apart from the yellow running lights that are plugged into the ignition switch, all the white spotlights are plugged into the high beam switch only.
The total lighting power at the moment is
1. Vstrom high beam = 65W
2. Baja Design High Beam = 40W (2 x 20)
3. Loboo Design High Beam = 72 W (2 x 36)
4. Kirin Cree = 60W (2 x 30)
Total = 237 W.
That would be enough you’d think, & I can ride comfortably on the highway at 120KPH+ at night, but now I’ve seen these babies & might have another play around.
3"4"5" 70w 130w 156w Spotlight LED Light Bar Work Light Yellow White Off Road for Driving Truck Motorcycle Fog Lamp Headlight | Lazada.co.th
3inch 70w:16pcs+1LED (two-color white and yellow)
4inch 130w:30pcs+2LED (two-color white and yellow)
5inch 156w:24pcs+3LED (two-color white and yellow)
Too good to be true?
There’s also these
เเพค 2 ชิ้น สว่างตาเเตก! LED SPOT BEAM US 200W ไฟสปอร์ตไลท์ รถยนต์ ไฟหน้ารถ ไฟท้าย ไฟช่วยตัดหมอก สว่างมาก 12V-24V เเสงขาว | Lazada.co.th
but they can’t be any good for the price?
On another note I’ve also turned up these
SercoMoto Technology Co., Ltd., - Motorcycle parts,motorycycle switch, led headlights
They have some 65W Led lights.
Sercomoto releases large size motorcycle auxiliary lights SM7121S
Lets see how it all ends up.
See also
Lights & Lighting
Lights & more lights for night riding... Not 100% happy with what I've got on the Vstrom now, I've been researching for some more power to hopefully light up the night sky ++ Denali seem to have the best reputation, but oh man do you ever pay over the top for those lights. The best option I...
www.gt-rider.com
Last edited:
The first link to lazada looks like a new seller from China; the letter number combo gives that away so I'd be a bit careful with that one. The last Lazada link looks like the ones I have on my bike, generic set of LED lights. I think I bought them for 350thb per set and to be honest, after an initial wiring hiccup the do perform relatively decent. I use them to increase my visibility and they help out a bit at night. Anything beyond that would be a stretch.
Ha Ha! Wow You will be lit up like a Christmas Tree! For sure You will be seen!November 2021
53,000 kms up on the Vstrom & 30,000 kms since February this year. Loving this bike still. Totally reliable & economical to run...
Playing around with lights & lighting – never ending some of you might say; but I enjoy my night riding & the few issues I’ve had with my Loboo lights failing has got me looking for more (stronger) options.
I had 3 set of spotlights on my bike.
1. The 12,000 baht 40W (2x 20W) Baja Design, which have performed flawlessly.
2. 1 set of yellow Loboo for running lights, purchased via the late Steve Prince. These have been excellent performers for 55,000 kms, but recently one light failed. An examination showed that it was not the light, but the control box. A sealed unit that we failed to open & seek to repair.
3. 1 set of white Loboo lights. One set failed with water ingress & performed badly. These were part of another set purchased by Dave DKT, where he bought a pencil beam set & I bought a wide beam set. Then we swapped one light over, so we both had one wide beam & 1 pencil beam. The pencil beam was installed on the right to focus down the centre of the road & the wide beam on the left to light up the edge of the road. A complication then arose with a warranty claim for my set that the water got into. The dealer wanted a complete set back with matching lights. One complete set was replaced under warranty, & the other set had the seal only replaced. Not quite what I was expecting, but that’s how it goes.
The Loboo Specs
Loboo XHP70.2
1. Max Beam 8,000 lumen (72w)
2. Driving Beam 4,000 lumen (36w)
3. Daylight 1,000 lumen (10w)
The current situation now is that I have only 1 working yellow running light for the day.
Should I sell the set or not? Two working lights, but only 1 good wire harness. Nah you won’t get much for it.
So the new master plan is to mount the one working yellow Loboo light in the centre on the beak, below the headlight. Then I’ve got 1 spare Loboo light when this one fails.
To compliment this 1 centre light I’ve now ordered a set of Kirin 60W (2 x 30W) Cree Spotlights, that have a yellow filter.
ไฟสปอร์ตไลท์ มอเตอร์ไซค์ หลอด CREE รุ่น L6X LED 6ชิป กำลังไฟ 60watt มาพร้อม ครอบเหลือง 2 ชิ้น และ ขาจับ 2 ชิ้น ในราคาสุดพิเศษ+ส่งชุดสายไฟ | Lazada.co.th
ไฟสปอร์ตไลท์ติดมอเตอร์ไซค์: สามารถตัดหรือปรับแต่งได้ตามความต้องการที่แท้จริงของคุณ สปอร์ตไลท์ติดมอเตอร์ไซค์: ง่ายต่อการติดตั้งและใช้งานง่ายต่อการติดตั้งและถอดออก led light for motorcycle: ง่ายต่อการติดตั้งและใช้งานปรับปรุงประสิทธิภาพการทํางานได้อย่างมีประสิทธิภาพ ไฟสปอร์ตไลท์มอเตอร์ไซค์...
These will be mounted down low, where the original yellow Loboos were, to form a yellow triangle running light for the day time. At night I can remove the yellow filters & run them as white spotlights & @ 60W they will be impressive.
Apart from the yellow running lights that are plugged into the ignition switch, all the white spotlights are plugged into the high beam switch only.
The total lighting power at the moment is
1. Vstrom high beam = 65W
2. Baja Design High Beam = 40W (2 x 20)
3. Loboo Design High Beam = 72 W (2 x 36)
4. Kirin Cree = 60W (2 x 30)
Total = 237 W.
That would be enough you’d think, & I can ride comfortably on the highway at 120KPH+ at night, but now I’ve seen these babies & might have another play around.
3"4"5" 70w 130w 156w Spotlight LED Light Bar Work Light Yellow White Off Road for Driving Truck Motorcycle Fog Lamp Headlight | Lazada.co.th
3inch 70w:16pcs+1LED (two-color white and yellow)
4inch 130w:30pcs+2LED (two-color white and yellow)
5inch 156w:24pcs+3LED (two-color white and yellow)
Too good to be true?
View attachment 144114
There’s also these
เเพค 2 ชิ้น สว่างตาเเตก! LED SPOT BEAM US 200W ไฟสปอร์ตไลท์ รถยนต์ ไฟหน้ารถ ไฟท้าย ไฟช่วยตัดหมอก สว่างมาก 12V-24V เเสงขาว | Lazada.co.th
but they can’t be any good for the price?
On another note I’ve also turned up these
SercoMoto Technology Co., Ltd., - Motorcycle parts,motorycycle switch, led headlights
They have some 65W Led lights.
Sercomoto releases large size motorcycle auxiliary lights SM7121S
Lets see how it all ends up.
See also
Lights & Lighting
Lights & more lights for night riding... Not 100% happy with what I've got on the Vstrom now, I've been researching for some more power to hopefully light up the night sky ++ Denali seem to have the best reputation, but oh man do you ever pay over the top for those lights. The best option I...
Lights are on. 2 days of rewiring & fitting. Kong is a genius getting it set up properly.
A test run in Kong's workshop.
www.gt-rider.com
Standby for a test run & some more detailed photos.
A test run in Kong's workshop.
Chiang Rai Big Bike Repair - Service
Hi, I broke the brackets for my extra lights and need to get some new ones made out of steel. Any recommended shops in Chaing Rai that could do simple fabrication quickly?
www.gt-rider.com
Standby for a test run & some more detailed photos.
Update testing lights at night
1 centre yellow running light for day time use around.
This single light is from the 1st set of Loboos I bought via Steve Prince, but after 50,000 kms 1 control box failed (no complaints after 50,000 kms), so I ended up with 2 working lights.
I had thought of selling them, but realized I would not get much for them, so decided to keep them & put one on the front centre for day time, a running light for use around town; & so now have a spare back up light.
Then for day time running lights on tour, out of town I bought a set of 60W Crees @ 1200 baht.
www.lazada.co.th
These are placed low down, where the original yellow Loboos where.
At 60W they are too bright for use around town, but will certainly get you noticed out on tour.
I'm a fan of yellow running lights, as they are more obvious, stand out more when there are so many vehicles - bikes & cars - with white running lights on the road. Yellow is the way to go.
These spots also have yellow lens can also be removed to have a bright white light.
However I don't feel I need to do that with the other spotlights I have on the bike.
So the real deal spotlights = Loboo.
Both the white sets I bought from Jamie at JJ Enginering.
I had some trouble with these lights in the wet season with water ingress, but Jamie saw that the warranty was honoured & the lights replaced (1 set) & repaired (1 set). Nice work Jamie, your efforts were much appreciated - excellent work.
The question was where to mount the 2 sets?
I had 1 spot already mounted mid level.
Where to put the other - as high as possible. Kong came up with a perfect solution, with the result the set was piggy-backed onto the original Baja Design bracket, with the Baja Design lights.
The Loboo spotlights have 3 levels
Low - 10 Watts / 800 Lumens
Medium - 36 Watts / 4000 Lumens
High - 76 Watts / 8000 Lumens
With the all spotlights all on low
With all spotlights on high.
Blinding light, & exactly what I was seeking for safe riding at night.
A couple of poor shots out on the road, facing up an incline.
I need to go back out a 2nd time with a riding shot, after I get my rebuilt Ohlins reinstalled early next week.
Some readjusting of the spotlights maybe necessary.
It was not easy setting these lights up. Each set of lights has a manual override switch, that has to be turned on first.
The Baja Design lights are wired into the high beam switch only.
The Yellow Cree running lights are turned on / off manually.
The Loboo lights have separate control box & switches with 3 levels each. I would prefer the two white spotlight sets to be wired direct into the high beam switch, but this more complicated because of the separate control box each set has. However we will have a go at this in the coming weeks.
If anyone needs any spotlight or electrical work I can highly recommend Kong in Chiang Rai.
www.gt-rider.com
Can the alternator runs these lights for any length of time, is a valid question?
Well they are not all on for any great length of time, because as a respectable rider / driver, you are constantly dipping your lights onto low beam.
I have yet to run with lights on full high beam for 20 minutes+, that will be the long test 45 minutes on full high; however with the 3 sets of spotlights having manual over ride switches, you can turn off some as you go.
Or that's the theory, let's see what happens in practice coming back from a Mekong Pizza in a few days.
I hope some of you riders find this info helpful.
1 centre yellow running light for day time use around.
This single light is from the 1st set of Loboos I bought via Steve Prince, but after 50,000 kms 1 control box failed (no complaints after 50,000 kms), so I ended up with 2 working lights.
I had thought of selling them, but realized I would not get much for them, so decided to keep them & put one on the front centre for day time, a running light for use around town; & so now have a spare back up light.
Then for day time running lights on tour, out of town I bought a set of 60W Crees @ 1200 baht.
ไฟสปอร์ตไลท์ มอเตอร์ไซค์ หลอด CREE รุ่น L6X LED 6ชิป กำลังไฟ 60watt มาพร้อม ครอบเหลือง 2 ชิ้น และ ขาจับ 2 ชิ้น ในราคาสุดพิเศษ+ส่งชุดสายไฟ | Lazada.co.th
ไฟสปอร์ตไลท์ติดมอเตอร์ไซค์: สามารถตัดหรือปรับแต่งได้ตามความต้องการที่แท้จริงของคุณ สปอร์ตไลท์ติดมอเตอร์ไซค์: ง่ายต่อการติดตั้งและใช้งานง่ายต่อการติดตั้งและถอดออก led light for motorcycle: ง่ายต่อการติดตั้งและใช้งานปรับปรุงประสิทธิภาพการทํางานได้อย่างมีประสิทธิภาพ ไฟสปอร์ตไลท์มอเตอร์ไซค์...
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These are placed low down, where the original yellow Loboos where.
At 60W they are too bright for use around town, but will certainly get you noticed out on tour.
I'm a fan of yellow running lights, as they are more obvious, stand out more when there are so many vehicles - bikes & cars - with white running lights on the road. Yellow is the way to go.
These spots also have yellow lens can also be removed to have a bright white light.
However I don't feel I need to do that with the other spotlights I have on the bike.
So the real deal spotlights = Loboo.
Both the white sets I bought from Jamie at JJ Enginering.
I had some trouble with these lights in the wet season with water ingress, but Jamie saw that the warranty was honoured & the lights replaced (1 set) & repaired (1 set). Nice work Jamie, your efforts were much appreciated - excellent work.
The question was where to mount the 2 sets?
I had 1 spot already mounted mid level.
Where to put the other - as high as possible. Kong came up with a perfect solution, with the result the set was piggy-backed onto the original Baja Design bracket, with the Baja Design lights.
The Loboo spotlights have 3 levels
Low - 10 Watts / 800 Lumens
Medium - 36 Watts / 4000 Lumens
High - 76 Watts / 8000 Lumens
With the all spotlights all on low
With all spotlights on high.
Blinding light, & exactly what I was seeking for safe riding at night.
A couple of poor shots out on the road, facing up an incline.
I need to go back out a 2nd time with a riding shot, after I get my rebuilt Ohlins reinstalled early next week.
Some readjusting of the spotlights maybe necessary.
It was not easy setting these lights up. Each set of lights has a manual override switch, that has to be turned on first.
The Baja Design lights are wired into the high beam switch only.
The Yellow Cree running lights are turned on / off manually.
The Loboo lights have separate control box & switches with 3 levels each. I would prefer the two white spotlight sets to be wired direct into the high beam switch, but this more complicated because of the separate control box each set has. However we will have a go at this in the coming weeks.
If anyone needs any spotlight or electrical work I can highly recommend Kong in Chiang Rai.
Chiang Rai Big Bike Repair - Service
Hi, I broke the brackets for my extra lights and need to get some new ones made out of steel. Any recommended shops in Chaing Rai that could do simple fabrication quickly?
www.gt-rider.com
Can the alternator runs these lights for any length of time, is a valid question?
Well they are not all on for any great length of time, because as a respectable rider / driver, you are constantly dipping your lights onto low beam.
I have yet to run with lights on full high beam for 20 minutes+, that will be the long test 45 minutes on full high; however with the 3 sets of spotlights having manual over ride switches, you can turn off some as you go.
Or that's the theory, let's see what happens in practice coming back from a Mekong Pizza in a few days.
I hope some of you riders find this info helpful.
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The most useful accessory on my two Vstroms has been the dolly bag / beauty case, pouch on the handle bars.
The original one was purchased from Canada & marketed by Gears
It lasted for 160,000 kms before it started to fall apart.
I couldn't be bothered going through the hassle of importing a 2nd one, so tried the cheap charlie way & got a copy made by the zip & boot magician in Chiang Mai.
1,000 baht & hey presto
44,000 kms later it was knackered. Cheap material & stitching coming apart. Not up to the rugged job on the old GTR fellah's bike.
So let's test the skills of the new Chiang Rai leatherman / bootmaker.
Tough cowhide leather & double stitched
2,000 baht & let's how tough it is on the yellow GTR machine.
The original one was purchased from Canada & marketed by Gears
It lasted for 160,000 kms before it started to fall apart.
I couldn't be bothered going through the hassle of importing a 2nd one, so tried the cheap charlie way & got a copy made by the zip & boot magician in Chiang Mai.
1,000 baht & hey presto
44,000 kms later it was knackered. Cheap material & stitching coming apart. Not up to the rugged job on the old GTR fellah's bike.
So let's test the skills of the new Chiang Rai leatherman / bootmaker.
Tough cowhide leather & double stitched
2,000 baht & let's how tough it is on the yellow GTR machine.
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Good question & definitely not 100% the same as the original.
It will be interesting to see how it goes.
I always have a couple of zip lock bags inside there for the heavy rain, but how quickly any water drains out & / or the leather dries will be an issue. It should not be too difficult to rig up some plastic bag cover for it when the time comes.