Lighting!?!

[Jalopyshoppe]

Without getting into brand loyalty, I'm curious what everyone's preference for upgraded lighting is. I've been experimenting with yellow and Amber aux LED's. I have a low wattage fog beam that I use in combination with my low beam for day use, and I have anecdotally noticed less quick lane changes in front of me while splitting. Perhaps a few more turn signals as well.

I have another 40 watt yellow flood light that works pretty awesome when doing late night runs on Mines and Redwood. Getting a light to spend far enough while leaning is tricky.

This is a hell of a departure from the shitty lights I grew up with on my magneto equipped bikes.

 

[ST Guy]

Never, ever, put LED's in lights designed for a different type of bulb, like halogen.

That said.....

Clearwater!!!!

 

[auditude]

Hey fish!

I’ve been successfully using ADVmonster led spots as auxiliary lighting on my hyper.

Since installing them about 4 years ago I’ve experienced similar results to yours.

They’re unobtrusive, easy to wire and add the extra visibility for seeing and being seen that I’d been seeking.

Doing it again, I might have mixed a spot with a flood and maybe one yellow/amber as well. As a recent, dark, late and wet ride through Calaveras had me creeping through the corners. The mix of spot and flood would’ve allowed greater distance sighting and the flood would have lit up the dirty and slippery corners much better.

They’re currently wired as aux to my low beam and turn off when the high beam is fully engaged but will stay on with my high beam flash is used.

 

[Jalopyshoppe]

That's more my question, spot vs flood vs mixed. Baja Designs uses a spot and defracted lens on the squadron and S2 lights, and I like that pattern. Saw them mounted on the handlebars. My lights are below the headlight, similar to what you're mentioning on the Hyper.

Anyone experiment with lower mounts for off road? What about helmet mounted lights for night time Twisties?

 

[Junkie]

if you have a 7" round headlight, I'd highly recommend a JW Speaker Adaptive. I have the original (which only leans over on low), the 2 leans over on high as well. It's amazing.

 

[Jalopyshoppe]

My Buell doesn't have enough room upfront for a 7" light. The older ones did, and I miss that bike. The Uly has the cool looking and better than it should be dual 4" lights. I don't hate it, but I would prefer some wider beam pattens, without looking like a mall crawler Jeep.

 

[Junkie]

They also do a 5 3/4", but I'm guessing you don't have room for that either.

https://motodemic.com/shop/5-75-inch-led-headlight-pedestal-mount/ you can get it with a pedestal mount. I'm awfully tempted to do that and add it (somewhere) on the NC700X, even though it'll be UGLY.

 

[R3DS!X]

I'm a big fan of the sun. The hours in which it's operational are a bit finicky though. Praise be to the sun

 

[Jalopyshoppe]

They also do a 5 3/4", but I'm guessing you don't have room for that either.

https://motodemic.com/shop/5-75-inch-led-headlight-pedestal-mount/ you can get it with a pedestal mount. I'm awfully tempted to do that and add it (somewhere) on the NC700X, even though it'll be UGLY.

I like that light a lot. I rode a Grom equipped with one.

I'm torn on design vs function. I'm adding a set of white LED flood lights to my bike soon, specifically for night cornering. That means they'll point to the sky when going straight. I'm not cool enough to set up an IMU for lighting, yet.

 

[Jalopyshoppe]

I'm a big fan of the sun. The hours in which it's operational are a bit finicky though. Praise be to the sun

The problem with the sun is that there are other riders who also use it for lighting. I am a selfish person who dislikes sharing, and I also dislike people, so I am relegated to riding when the sun is not operational.

 

[bikeama]

Never, ever, put LED's in lights designed for a different type of bulb, like halogen. ........

THIS ^^^

Anyone with lights that can blind oncoming traffic needs to shut the lights down when traffic is coming. Yes nice to see forever and you can with the large Clearwaters. But be ready for what I call "Shut Down Blindness" happened to me when I ran PIAA 910's on my ST1300. Go to low bean and you think you don't have lights.

 

[flying_hun]

I just want something that will melt the car in front of me, day or night. :devil

 

[bikeama]

I just want something that will melt the car in front of me, day or night. :devil

These will do it.

Dixi incorporates two different beam patterns that can be used. There are three LEDs in the center and seven LEDs around the outside. The outside group is basically a Sevina pin spotlight using seven 8 degree optics. The center three LEDs use a Darla optic which provides a driving beam. But, the center light is more powerful than a Darla as we use the control circuit from a Krista!

When combined on full power, Dixi produces over 10,000 lumens each, that's over 20,000 lumens per pair!

 

[flying_hun]

I like it!

 

[nakedape]

I'm a big fan of the sun. The hours in which it's operational are a bit finicky though. Praise be to the sun

I got away with driving three times at night over five years. It’s just not worth it. People in cages misjudge distance at high noon. At dusk, fried from work and with a van full of kids, it’s a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[FXCLM5]

oh thought this was about buell lightning

 

[Enchanter]

These will do it.

Dixi incorporates two different beam patterns that can be used. There are three LEDs in the center and seven LEDs around the outside. The outside group is basically a Sevina pin spotlight using seven 8 degree optics. The center three LEDs use a Darla optic which provides a driving beam. But, the center light is more powerful than a Darla as we use the control circuit from a Krista!

When combined on full power, Dixi produces over 10,000 lumens each, that's over 20,000 lumens per pair!

I'm this close --> <-- to pulling the trigger on the Dixi's.

 

[kurth83]

Clearwaters for me. Based on an old internet evaluation of conspicuity effectiveness of lights - which concluded that surface area was as important as wattage because it makes them look bigger - I ride the big (wide beam) Clearwaters at minimum brightness (and angled downwards per CVC). And a second pair of the smaller ones (also wider beam pattern) to make a light pentangle (not quite CVC compliant there).

Even at minimum brightness, with the yellow lenses, I stand out both at night and in daylight, without blinding anyone.

I've had many lighting rigs over the years, and this is the best one so far based on low incidence of being cut off. Here are the pics (before I switched to yellow on the big ones), it is nowhere near as bright as it looks, the camera washes it out.

https://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=528608

Don't know the DIXI beam pattern, but they are big, so I like them. In my other life as a cager I would probably like them best at low brightness with yellow lenses (especially to stand out in night traffic).

Great thing about those huge lights is if you are alone you can turn them up, waay up, my rig goes pretty bright too, but I generally never ride alone on country roads so I never get to use it that way.

 

[ST Guy]

Clearwater makes awesome lights. And I love that you can dim them and also wire them into the horn circuit so they go full bright when the horn is used.