I have tried several brands of auxiliary lights both halogen and LED. The halogen lights were a help 20 years ago but modern motorcycle lights are much improved and the old PIAA 910s or 1100s don't really add any improvements. The LED lights I have tried do a great job of lighting up the sides of the road and the treetops but do not extend much farther ahead of the motorcycle lights. The manufacturers talk about wide angle lights for lighting up the road sides and narrow angle for long distance projection but the ones I have purchased have been a disappointment for lighting up the road way out in front. PIAA has a "rear facing LED" light light that supposedly projects a long distance without blinding birds and oncoming traffic. But I am "many times bitten" reluctant to fork out a few hundred dollars again for a new solution that doesn't really work. So I am looking for suggestions mainly from the 3 digit IBA number group on what lights you have that give you a longer view of the road ahead without blinding oncoming traffic. Yes this should probably be in the Motorcycle Prep forum but there is no subforum for lights and you have to post in subforums.
Auxiliary lights
- Thread starter Jack D
- Start date
On my K1600GT (in Australia) I use a set of Clearwater Sevinas (with Canopener) These provide a long projected beam well beyond the stock lights.
On my R1200RT (in USA) I have a set of Clearwater Erica’s which provide a wider spread of light, but less throw down the road.
For me the Sevinas are the better setup.A long throw of light down the road.
On my R1200RT (in USA) I have a set of Clearwater Erica’s which provide a wider spread of light, but less throw down the road.
For me the Sevinas are the better setup.A long throw of light down the road.
Jack, these days on my Tenere I run 4 x 4 inch 35W LEDs with a 'spot' pattern and I'm happy with those.
Initially I ran 2 in 'spot' and two in 'wide', but I realised that there was enough spill from the spots to cover the sides of the road adequately, so opted for more down the road punch.
I like the LED set-ups as they are instantly on, as opposed to HID with that slight delay, and it is easier to create an even 3D field of light. HIDs don't like being cycled on and off too much either of course. However, for straight down the road performance this HID set-up I had previously was superior:
On the Nullarbor Plain I was flashed by an oncoming truck and travelled 16km (10miles) before I reached him. Even if he only travelled 14km over the same period I estimate that I was at least 30km away from him when he flashed me. Thats enough down the line punch I reckon.
Unfortunately those el cheapo 35W HIDs are hard to come by these days.
Its a dodgy-looking set-up, but a combination of HID 'spot' and LEDs in a wider pattern both on the same switch can be nice.
Initially I ran 2 in 'spot' and two in 'wide', but I realised that there was enough spill from the spots to cover the sides of the road adequately, so opted for more down the road punch.
I like the LED set-ups as they are instantly on, as opposed to HID with that slight delay, and it is easier to create an even 3D field of light. HIDs don't like being cycled on and off too much either of course. However, for straight down the road performance this HID set-up I had previously was superior:
On the Nullarbor Plain I was flashed by an oncoming truck and travelled 16km (10miles) before I reached him. Even if he only travelled 14km over the same period I estimate that I was at least 30km away from him when he flashed me. Thats enough down the line punch I reckon.
Unfortunately those el cheapo 35W HIDs are hard to come by these days.
Its a dodgy-looking set-up, but a combination of HID 'spot' and LEDs in a wider pattern both on the same switch can be nice.
Hi Martin & Peter,
Thanks for the quick response. As I am putting the lights on my current bike which is a 2012 R1200RT I am curious as to how you have the Clearwater lights mounted. It was an easy job to mount them on my Tenere but the RT is a challenge. The 4" cubes look like a much easier job to mount as they would probably fit under the front cowl while the Clearwaters are too large. I suppose they were a local purchase that is not readily available here although I do see several people on forums have something similar. Do they have any distance? I assume that the 30 km distance was with HIDs? I did those on my last RT but it was with the high beam bulb and it was kind of crowded finding a place for the ballast box. The delay in getting up to brightness was annoying.
Jack
Thanks for the quick response. As I am putting the lights on my current bike which is a 2012 R1200RT I am curious as to how you have the Clearwater lights mounted. It was an easy job to mount them on my Tenere but the RT is a challenge. The 4" cubes look like a much easier job to mount as they would probably fit under the front cowl while the Clearwaters are too large. I suppose they were a local purchase that is not readily available here although I do see several people on forums have something similar. Do they have any distance? I assume that the 30 km distance was with HIDs? I did those on my last RT but it was with the high beam bulb and it was kind of crowded finding a place for the ballast box. The delay in getting up to brightness was annoying.
Jack
Hi Jack
My RT is a 2005 model so similar to yours. The Clearwaters are mounted under the mirror pods using the proprietary brackets supplied by Clearwater. I can post some photos tonight after work but you can see them here on this forum thread.
https://forum.ironbutt.org/index.php?threads/butt-lite-ix-8-14-july-2018.1889/page-4
My RT is a 2005 model so similar to yours. The Clearwaters are mounted under the mirror pods using the proprietary brackets supplied by Clearwater. I can post some photos tonight after work but you can see them here on this forum thread.
https://forum.ironbutt.org/index.php?threads/butt-lite-ix-8-14-july-2018.1889/page-4
Being as how I have a set of Kristas I will call Clearwater today and try to get their brackets. I could not find the brackets on their website but I did find the installation instructions. But while the Kristas throw out a lot of light they are guilty of lighting up the treetops and offending oncoming vehicles. I was experimenting with blocking part of the beam and will keep doing so. I am surprised that you guys can run so many lights in Oz. I thought the government was extremely restrictive on modifications.
1/4 mile would be good but I am also hoping for a light that has a cutoff at the top of the beam pattern so I can use them without blinding oncoming traffic. I am not sure that anyone makes an LED light for a motorcycle that can provide a cutoff on the top of the beam pattern like projector lights do. i.e. the single filament lights that have a shield that cuts off part of the beam when using low beam.
Jack, we riders on Oz don't have as much oncoming traffic - just millions of wild animals on the roads.
Australia is the same size as the lower 48, but with less population than just the state of Texas alone, so once we're out of the cities and towns it can be a long night with nobody around. One night I was out on the Stuart Highway (a north/south road of 2700km that cuts Australia in half, with no tarred parallel road for 1000km in either direction) and didn't see another vehicle for over 3 hours. A lesser highway in South Australia - the Flinders Highway - I rode 400km without seeing anyone during last year's Memorial Ride.
We do have rules on lights. Primarily that auxiliary spot/driving lights can only be wired with the high beam and fog lights can only be wired with low beam. There are also rules on how many extra lights can be added, though only IBA member Frans has been booked for too many lights as far as I am aware.
Consequently most of us Aussie LD riders have pretty serious aux light set-ups.
Australia is the same size as the lower 48, but with less population than just the state of Texas alone, so once we're out of the cities and towns it can be a long night with nobody around. One night I was out on the Stuart Highway (a north/south road of 2700km that cuts Australia in half, with no tarred parallel road for 1000km in either direction) and didn't see another vehicle for over 3 hours. A lesser highway in South Australia - the Flinders Highway - I rode 400km without seeing anyone during last year's Memorial Ride.
We do have rules on lights. Primarily that auxiliary spot/driving lights can only be wired with the high beam and fog lights can only be wired with low beam. There are also rules on how many extra lights can be added, though only IBA member Frans has been booked for too many lights as far as I am aware.
Consequently most of us Aussie LD riders have pretty serious aux light set-ups.
I'm running these now Jack.
https://ledrider.com/shop/?model_number=LX5&manufacturer=17
They're great. However, no cut-off. For how I use them it's not needed. They're mounted the same as you've seen the WARN's I was running over the mirrors.
https://ledrider.com/shop/?model_number=LX5&manufacturer=17
They're great. However, no cut-off. For how I use them it's not needed. They're mounted the same as you've seen the WARN's I was running over the mirrors.
Attachments
Jack it seems that car lights would fit that criteria.
Like those old oval shaped Hella F50s. I think they are still available.
https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&...FjAKegQIBBAB&usg=AOvVaw3fUzijyLXeX73lRiHMT4qB
Like those old oval shaped Hella F50s. I think they are still available.
https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&...FjAKegQIBBAB&usg=AOvVaw3fUzijyLXeX73lRiHMT4qB
Ive used LED's for almost a decade now which sort of brackets the introduction and develpoment of LEDs for motorvehicles of all sorts.
A long lasting campainer in the history has been Clearwater. But along with Clearwater has been Cyclops and NightForce and one or two other brands out of a restricted group of manufacturers.
Those lights on OX34 s10 in the first photo are quite good value.
Recently I purchased 50w 6000lumen LEDs by GoldRunway. They produce light the equal of the Erica.
Total mileage... Kilometre based thus far 17600K's and one has fogged. Thats only 5 or six rides of any noteworthy distance. Perhaps only that many night rides.
Not good enough as they are made by the same manufacturer as those brands mentioned above. Seller is not operational so doing s replacement is not going to happen.
JackD go buy the Clearwater brands. Get the Ericas...but have a chat with Ox about dimming and switching setup and mounting.
Light Cannon by Cyclops is my second option.
A long lasting campainer in the history has been Clearwater. But along with Clearwater has been Cyclops and NightForce and one or two other brands out of a restricted group of manufacturers.
Those lights on OX34 s10 in the first photo are quite good value.
Recently I purchased 50w 6000lumen LEDs by GoldRunway. They produce light the equal of the Erica.
Total mileage... Kilometre based thus far 17600K's and one has fogged. Thats only 5 or six rides of any noteworthy distance. Perhaps only that many night rides.
Not good enough as they are made by the same manufacturer as those brands mentioned above. Seller is not operational so doing s replacement is not going to happen.
JackD go buy the Clearwater brands. Get the Ericas...but have a chat with Ox about dimming and switching setup and mounting.
Light Cannon by Cyclops is my second option.
