PIAA LP530 3.5” LED Driving Light Kit Review | Plus BMW 1200 GS Light Bar

October 20, 2016

PIAA LP530 3.5” LED Driving Light Kit Review

Motorcycle adventure riding is a beautiful way to express one’s inner wanderlust, but at its core, it is really a science of contingency planning aimed at adequate preparation across the widest swath of likely travel scenarios.

I use the term “adequate” because “perfect planning” is an unobtainable exercise in clairvoyance and it ignores constraints such as available time, funds, and the physical amount of kit one can reasonably carry on a motorcycle.

Often times, not reaching your destination before nightfall tops the list of likely travel scenarios. In fact, poor contingency planning earlier in the day is usually the culprit, which can quickly be exacerbated by inclement weather.

Although adventure riding through unknown territory at night is less than desirable, preparation is the key to ensuring a safe arrival and navigating over un-improved roads, around wandering livestock, and through unmarked obstacles.

I enlisted the help of PIAA—a global leader in aftermarket motorsports lighting solutions—to help illuminate the way. The stock 55-watt halogen auxiliary lights on my BMW GS Adventure were replaced with the PIAA LP530 3.5” LED Driving Light Kit and PIAA BMW 1200 GS Light Bar pairing.

Removal of the stock lights, mounting bar, and wiring harness was a few hours of effort. However, once removed, the PIAA kit installation was straightforward and only took about 90 minutes—even with a little extra detail taken to shrink wrap all the connections and aesthetically route the wiring.

The PIAA BMW 1200 GS Light Bar is high quality, manufactured from 6061-T6 aluminum that is powdercoated black. The Light Bar mounts solidly to the frame and uses a common 10mm bolt for easy installation.

The result was the solution I was seeking. Not only are PIAA LP530 driving lights infinitely more durable than stock and incredibly bright, but they consume a mere three watts per light, which is an unbelievable 95 percent less than the juice-devouring stock halogen setup.

In addition to the High Intensity LED technology, the PIAA LP530 differentiator is the backward facing bulb. The LED bulb is aimed rearward toward the specially designed reflector, which provides far better beam control resulting in sharp, long-throw lighting and much improved visibility.

The cobalt-blue light is rated at 6000 Kelvin—about the same color as daylight at noon—and is claimed to illuminate nearly 200 yards ahead on flat terrain. I’m not sure I can see that far ahead of me during normal daylight hours, but I do know that I’m much more comfortable navigating sketchy terrain at night with the PIAA LP530 LED kit.

With only six watts of total draw, I can leave them on with my engine turned off to illuminate camp while I setup my tent! That alone is a game changer.