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Hella FF50 Driving Lights

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Duke

Duke

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Duke
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I installed a pair of these after a very long debate on upgrading to HID headlights. I know that the cheapest thing on a BMW is the rider, but less than 1 hundred dollars spent versus my other plan which would have cost close to 8 hundred for HID.

I am pleasently surprised and very impressed with the light that they put out. These are 55w halogen, and I have read where people swap the bulb with a 100w. I can't imagine how bright that would be, as these are very, very, very bright already.

I ordered them from Autobarn.com , but they are available from many different retailers, brick and mortar and on the net alike.

Here is my finished install, my next task is to slave them to my High Beam with the relay supplied in the box.

137967765-L.jpg


137967819-L.jpg


I recommend these lights to all looking for a compact, inexpensive, high quaility auxillary driving light.

Thanks,
 
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I love the FF50's. There's a retailer on Ebay that sells them for ~$30 shipped and I've ordered several sets over the last couple of years. I just installed a set on my R1100GS and I'm trying to find a way to put a pair on my F650 as well.

Best bargain in aux lighting I've ever found.
 
TexBiker said:
I love the FF50's. There's a retailer on Ebay that sells them for ~$30 shipped and I've ordered several sets over the last couple of years. I just installed a set on my R1100GS and I'm trying to find a way to put a pair on my F650 as well.

Best bargain in aux lighting I've ever found.
Click to expand...

I had read about him in my searches but I could not find any adds on ebay in the last month or so as cheap as Autobarn. I just did another search to confirm I did not spend 40 bucks for no reason, and the same lights are listed from 128 with free shipping to 85 dollars + shipping. Autobarn was 79 I think.
 
I had a set of PIAA 1100x's and the FF50's... for the money, you can't beat the Hella's for aux lighting! :clap:
 
I put a set on my Quota a couple years ago and have been quite happy with them ever since. I even managed to wire them so I can choose to have them always on (HI or LO beam) or to go on and off with the high beam.

7650122-M.jpg
 
:tab I have a set sitting in a box in my garage, never even installed. I sold the GS shortly after I got them and they were not part of the deal. They won't fit nicely on the KLR and it really lacks the power for running much in the way of effective auxiliary lighting. I had the FF100's on the GS. They put out great light but were not real durable in terms of their construction. The FF50's seem better in that regard. It still kills me that BMW sells an "adventure" bike with such pathetic stock lighting :roll: Everyone knows adventure riding inevitably includes unplanned night riding in places where you need every bit of lighting you can power! No excuse on their part...
 
T-man,
I've considered getting another set for my truck. Any interest in selling yours? How much?
 
Pay the shipping and they are yours.
 
Tourmeister said:
Pay the shipping and they are yours.
Click to expand...
That's a great deal. I have a set of the FF50 along with a set of Hella Optilux driving lights mounted behind teh grill of my truck.
I have another set of the Hella FF's (the retangular ones) still in the box and I am wondering about mounting them on the DR650. Anybody know if the DR can handle the extra draw?
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Old Thread Resurrection... I know, but want to share my HID upgrade I did to my lights. Well, a upgrade to an old upgrade I guess as I went to HID Low Beam back in 2007.

I just replaced my High beam and Hella FF50s with this kit.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320588241206&viewitem=#ht_5039wt_1167

He accepted a best offer of $37.00 ea, free shipping and I had them in 3 days.

Anyway. I have had my low beam VVME kit (same as this ADV thread) installed since Nov. 2007. One of the ballasts was bad, is why I only did my low beam.

So on a whim, well, after reading elsewhere where someone upgraded their Hella FF50's to HID, I wanted to do the same.

The Ballast is REALLY SMALL, and its still plug and play. My high beam does not throw any Canbus faults, yet anyway.

I cut the plugs off the end of the bulb wire and utilized the existing grommets on the back of the FF50s, no drilling, no mess.

The only complaint so far is that there are no grommets included with this kit. Not a deal breaker though.

Anyway for comparison. Here is my bike back in Mar 2007 with OEM bulbs in all lights.

137967819_EA2bf-L.jpg


Now for what I played with tonight.

1164892742_soESn-L.jpg


How the material was packaged.... Not very well to be honest, but everything is serviceable, and I bench tested all 4 bulbs and Ballasts prior to installing.

1164892925_Wdq79-L.jpg


The size of the ballast.

1164893078_7FwMf-L.jpg


1164893208_qRoTo-L.jpg


1 light assembly.

1165301172_SPyH6-L.jpg


And what 4 35w HIDs look like from the front.... Low Beam is still the VVME 4300k bulb and ballast from 2007, the 2 Hella FF50's and High Beam are all 5000k, but I cant tell a difference in color or intensity.

1164893355_88RNb-L.jpg


My Hellas are still slaved via relay from the High Beam, and powered from a Blue Seas fuse block. That way when I hit the high beams, they come on too.

Again, after a brief shake down ride, no canbus faults... More miles will tell the full story though. And yes, H11 Bulbs are on their way to me so I can upgrade my factory fog lights to HID as well. Over kill, yes, but I am ok with that.
 
Very nice. I like the way the ballasts are going. I had one of the early model HID kits for my GSXR600 way back in the day and the ballasts were the size of a brick, only half as thick. Nice to see it's getting easier to install them.
 
Again, after a brief shake down ride, no canbus faults... More miles will tell the full story though. And yes, H11 Bulbs are on their way to me so I can upgrade my factory fog lights to HID as well. Over kill, yes, but I am ok with that.[/QUOTE]

Dixonduke, I was just checking to see if you were still happy with your lights. I have the same problem with our KTM's. The lack of light is criminal. The low beam is a 194 bulb! :giveup: Anyway, I have the problem of low alternator output as well. I think the FF50's with your HID upgrade at 35 watts, even Shirley's 530 could handle that. Fall is coming and evening riding will be done. We got caught out after dark a couple times last year and it was not pretty. Well, it was dark, so who knows what it looked like. :eek2: Sam
 
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