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Click on
any picture to enlarge
Little video of the PIAAs in
hazard flash mode. |
These are the PIAA
1100 X PLATINUM
that you hear
so much about and most people rave about. Hummmp. Whatever. The the money I
paid so these I really can't say they are great but, they aren't bad either.
I think it is important to manage ones expectations about these and in this
case, mine. Now keep in mind these replaced my Hella FF50s which are
hands down night burning monsters which I do rave about. However, a lot of
light isn't a good thing. Too much light can actually cut down you night
vision from the bright illumination in front of you and therefore decreasing
your night time off road vision or peripheral night vision if you will.
While your pupils are growing smaller to regulate the stream of light in
front of you, you will actually see less to the sides, like that deer
running 30 MPH at your 9:00 towards the road.
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Available In |
Super White Driving |
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Bulb Type |
12V - Dichroic 55watt=85watt
Super White |
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Features |
Silver PPS housing and
chrome plated aluminum trim ring |
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Kit Includes |
Two lamps, wiring harness,
relay, and switch |
Now having said I wasn't
knocked out about these I will try to relay what I do like.
I am not really sure what
I expected but I think I equated the dollar amount with a perceived high
amount of light output somehow refined into a pleasing flow of light
resembling the sun at high noon. That isn't what these are about.
Since these light have a
35 degree Dichroic output pattern, (like the Silver Bullet lights that have
the MR-16 bulbs), they project a round pattern so you get a larger pool of
light on the road compared with the driving light blast of the long range,
down the road Hellas. This makes the PIAAs much better suited to roads with
curves and hills as the larger light pool is not reproducible with the
Hellas. On the highway they fan out to gently light a broad area to the
sides. This is particularly affective in REBR, or rodent eyeball reflection,
at speed. The 70/65w Osram bulbs in the headlight assembly are the main
light source on the bike and are strong in their own right. The PIAAs help
to supplement those lights rather than over power them. The Osram bulbs
punch light out and are not coated with any blue tint which is marketed as
being popular these days. The PIAAs are coated to an extent and that is
apparent when all lights are engaged. Used in unison with the high beam,
these seem to be acceptable in performance. I guess it is best to say that
running the PIAAs, with the high beams, creates and even larger high beam.
Not in output, so to speak, but in the size of the pattern. I have them
wired to come on with the high beams only as per state law. I do not use
these as day time running lights but I can see why so many people use them
in that mode as well. A front view of the lights is painful head on. They
would not be suited to night time driving in traffic and that's ok because I
have my Whellen TIR3 lights mounted on the sides of the front fender for
that purpose. Obviously I didn't dislike these enough to return them. Once I
got over the initial shock of, Hey!!! these don't emulate the sun!!! and
managed my expectations they seem fine.
I did not use the
supplied harness or relay which comes with the kit. I cut the wires and
added the crimp on connectors like I did the Hellas.
I mounted these directly
to the under side of the mirror covers. They looked like warts on the bike
when I used the BLM mounts and I just really don't like the under the mirror
mounts from Turbo City. I drilled a hole under the mirrors and with the
doubled sided tape supplied with the mounting bases for additional support,
added a bolt into the equation and tightened them down. They don't have
enough weight to pop the mirrors off when you hit a good sided bump in the
road.
All in all they are not
bad for what they are but PIAA should offer a lamp only option to reduce the
cost for those of us who make their own harnesses and have extra relays
sitting around. EBAY was the best price at $153 that I saw.
UPDATE - I sold the PIAAs as they
just didn't perform like I wanted. It hard to explain but I think of they
were more of a spot instead of a flood, I would have been happier.
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