Hella FF200 Driving Lights Review Chuck DeSantis wrote: > Anyone have any experience with Hella FF200 halogen driving lights? > > I get the idea they may be a relatively new model. A 5" round reflector and > decent light beam pattern (per the Hella site). I'm guessing they take a > 55W H3 bulb, but can find no confirmation. > Well, Chuck, you could have asked the guy who rides this bike last Saturday: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/davidebsmith/cycle/x-Bike-side.jpg The FF200s put out an excellent driving beam pattern. With the two lamps aimed slightly apart I get a nicely lit rectangle of light that illuminates the road and the critters on the roadside. It's not quite the daylight at the end of the tunnel, but it sure looks like it. I have never been in a situation in which I felt like I was overdriving these lights. They take a standard H3 bulb. I'm using PIAA 85=135 bulbs with no sign of heat problems. I would feel probably comfortable with up to a 100 watt bulb. The mount is cheesy looking but it works. My right lamp has a tendency to loosen and tilt upwards a few degrees, probably fixable by tightening, except that it's convenient to tilt one lamp up in twisty roads so that you have a more horizontal beam that become more vertical when you lean. Hella makes several different models and sizes. They also make an HID version of the FF200, which can be found at http://www.hella.com/produktion/HellaPortal/WebSite/Internet_en/ProductsServices/ForDriversAccessories/XenonHeadlamps/CometXenon/CometXenon.jsp Of course, I'm talking to a guy who has aircraft landing lights on his bike... -- David E.B. Smith * Chicago IL ==== also ==== I have a pair of Micro FFs that I love. They're the same free-form design, but in a smaller, rectangular body. I'd match 'em up watt-for-watt with their larger cousins as to brightness and beam pattern. I first mounted them beneath the fairings, but found that with full-fork travel while turning began taking off paint on my fender. I made a pair of mounting brackets and moved them down to my lower forks, using the side reflector mounting holes. I first mounted them on my FYK, put better than 20K on the first pair of 100W H-3 bulbs I found at Wal-Mart, and had from a previous pair of lights. I have since moved them to my K11, changed bulbs to the "stock" 55W Hella bulbs that came with the FFs, and have another 10K on those now. The first thing I noticed when changing back to the Hella bulbs was how much more focused they were. They made a much more distinct pattern on the road. The change was immediately apparent, and quite welcome, as the 55 watters lit up the road much better. Data point for me. Now I think I know how PIAA gets away with their 85=135 bull hockey. A PROPERLY FOCUSED bulb provides more available light in a good reflector than does an out-of-focus one. IMHO, minute differences matter here. Your not getting any more light, just more usable light. That's my $.02 and I'm stickin' to it. Who wants to volunteer to do some bulb testing for focal clarity? ;-) So far, all I've seen is lumens tests, and that's going to vary greatly by reflector design (as would focus). You can see my FFs in several of the pictures on my website.. Cary Stotland Austin Road Warrior ==== also ==== I have 2 sets of Hella lights on my bike. The "driving" lights are Hella FF200 driving pattern beams, mounted above the mirrors. They put out an outstanding beam, well focused without a lot of scatter off to the sides. With PIAA 85=135 H3 bulbs in the FF200s, it's almost like daylight straight ahead. I have no anxiety about night vision with the FF200s. I also have a set of Hella Optilux 1500 lights which I use as my "fog" lights, connected to the low beams, with European Philips All-Weather yellow H3 bulbs. The beam from the 1500s is almost as good as the PIAA 1200s which I had on the bike for about 15 minutes. The 1500s are a driving beam pattern, but with the yellow bulbs, I can use them along with the low beam without offending too many oncoming drivers. They nicely fill in the beam of the anemic RT headlight, and the fluted lens throws enough light to the side of the road to spot deer up to about 80 mph. Plus, they use a standard H3 bulb, rather than a harder-to-find special PIAA lamp. And as you have noticed, the Hellas are significantly cheaper. Like $24.96 for the Optilux 1500s at classicgarage.com, as compared to $147.90 for the PIAA 1200s. Or about $110 for the FF200s, as compared to $235 for PIAA 910s. Construction-wise, they're not as slickly designed as the PIAAs, but the FF200s have held up through 40,000 miles, a Midwest Fest, a Butt Lite, an Iron Butt Rally, some off-road excursions, and a parking lot tipover in fine shape. The Optilux 1500s have only been through an Iron Butt Rally so far, but they're have a metal body, so they should be able to stand up to similar use. The only thing I can find wrong with Hella is that they don't have a clue about marketing, like PIAA does. --- David E.B. Smith * Chicago IL