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Auxiliary light recommendations

8K views 34 replies 20 participants last post by  mikesova 
#1 ·
What's everyone running?
 
#7 ·
Is anyone running Cree LED lights? Super cheap but you get what you pay for. I see them on Ebay whenever I search motorcycle riding lights. I was wondering if anyone has tried them.
 
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#10 ·
I recently purchased a set off of Amazon from NiLight- 18w cree lights. I'll let you know how's they work when I get them installed
 
#11 ·
I've got Admore lights on my panniers. Gives a wider light stance than just the central light on the bike. Has running/brake/signal all in one. I did Clearwaters on my front at fender attach bolts. They're nice because they have an adjustment dial so I can make them as bright as I want. Also have them wired following the Clearwater instructions so that when I hit high beam they go to max. Really, really bright. Not cheap by any means, but high quality machining and electrical work that's made in USA.
 
#14 · (Edited)
I was running the 10w Cree lights from amazon on my forks for about a year. They're great for daytime visibility aimed at the eyes of oncoming traffic. They don't do much for night time projection.

I recently got some LEDrider LD5s. Made a custom bracket for under the headlights, but they are too heavy and was getting a lot of vibration. My main fear was weakening and eventual failure of the front mask tubular frame. $$$$
I now have them mounted via KC HiLites brackets to my crash bars. No vibration. Yeah, they're the first to go if I lay the bike down, but it's either an easily replaceable $130 light or the multi hundred dollar fairing frame. Adult choices......

These things are BRIGHT. Like Moses-parting-the-Red-Sea tier brightness. Traffic moves over out of the left lane like never before.

60 watts each. I had to get a Skene IQ-275 dimmer to run them at 10% during the day. I have a SPDT switch connected to the dimmer for 3 programmable modes, each customizable from 0-100% output. I have mine at 0, 10, and 40%. There is also a high beam trigger which sends the lights to 100% with the bike high beams.

I researched for days and looked at Clearwater, ADVmonster, Denali, etc... and the LEDriders were the best for the money. Still pricey though but well worth it. These have a pencil beam, but still give good side throw. These will light up the road 1-1.5 miles downrange. I am 100% satisfied with my choice and needed a light that actually threw down the road instead of flooding 50 feet ahead of me and washing out at distance.

I have this lighting superiority complex, as demonstrated by the triple 30" LED bars mounted on my truck.......





I just got back from a week of AZBDR and Utah riding and these lights have already paid for themselves.

If you end up going with LEDrider anything, there are 5% off codes all over the web.
 
#16 ·
I've had Cree lights on the front of my Vee for about 2 years now. Work great. No problems. However, before I installed them, I sealed them up with clear silicone in an effort to keep water out. Must be working as I've been in some nasty weather a few times and they still shine bright.
 
#19 ·
I bought a set of those clamps and was only provided one set of rubber inserts. I couldn't get them to mount on my crash bars with the inserts and the seller refused to do anything. $12 so i gave them away to someone who can hopefully use them.
 
#28 · (Edited)
I don't know yet. I just mocked it up last night. I need to get shorter bolts for the pegs or other pegs.

Edit: Decided to go play in the garage some more.

Mounted both lights, looks sweet, not wired yet.

Untitled by mikesova, on Flickr

Here's the pegs. The clamps will move, unless you tighten the crap out of them. Then come with lock washers, but I think I'll hit them with some lock-tite, too.

Untitled by mikesova, on Flickr
 
#29 ·
I've been running a pair of Denali D2's fro Twsited throttle. I love them!

The big thing i like is the switching.... they are tied in and synchronized with the bike headlights. When the bike is running low beams, these are running about 30% or so. When I switch to high beams, they switch to 100%. They are fantastic conspicuity lighting, and really work well to 'fill in' the headlights. The difference is quite noticeable. I've had these for about 5 years... I am selling the BMW these are on (just bought a 15 Vstrom) and the only accessory I'l taking off the BMW to mount on the Vee is this pair of denali's.

LED too. Only 10W each....
 
#30 ·
LED lighting has come a long, long way over the past couple of years.What used to cost $500 can now be purchased for under 100. The only thing more important to riding survival than common sense is good visibility. Adding a couple of small LED driving lights to my forks has made me very visible to other drivers. I'm convinced that they make my riding safer. When you only have 2 wheels and a tiny contact patch good equipment is essential. Consider LED brake and rear lights as well. Way too many of us get rear ended at a stop light and it just has to be lack of visibility.
 
#31 ·
My setup:

AdventureTech Aux Light Bracket with NiLight Flood LED Lights with NiLight 12v/40A relay wiring and KiWav Handlebar Light Switch.

I also used these waterproof 2-pin electrical connectors.

I also added a front Go-Pro mount. All told, ~$75 for the lights, wiring and relays, excluding the Blue Sea distro block which is also relayed into switched 12v. The entire system (and heated grips) turns off with the key so I don't inadvertantly drain the battery.



Handlebar light switch:



Relays tied back to a Blue Sea Systems Electrical block.



All wiring is zip tied to fairings and out of the way.



 
#32 ·
Nice pictures. I've done a lot of research and reading over the years on auxiliary lighting and I'd like to share what I've learned. First off you have to ask yourself what you are trying to achieve. The first things that come to mind are better road lighting, second is visibility for safety. The v strom has excellent lighting in its stock form. I found it far superior to my BMW F650, my KLR and even my Concours 10. The standard halogen bulbs and headlights are great. For additional lighting you want nice bright, white light. 6000k is about the highest in color you want. Any higher and its blue, which looks cool but does not do anything for visibility. 5000 is probably better as the 6000 is getting bluish but most aftermarket LED lights are 6000. I just put a pair of MicTuning LED bulbs in my wee. I have not evaluated them yet except to say they are much whiter, but I'm not sure they are much brighter. It looks like the throw down the road is about the same as stock but the scatter, or the amount of roadside lit up, is much greater. I also have a pair of Mondomoto mm10's. I love these things for overall lighting. But to my second point; lighting for safety and visibility to other motorists. Experts refer to mounting the lights as far from the headlights as possible. This creates the "light triangle" which researchers claim makes you far more visible to other motorists and gives them a better approximation of your distance from them. You know, so they don't pull out right in front of you as you bear down on them. Mounting at the same height as the headlights can give a better lighting distance but to other drivers you appear as a single headlight. For safety best to mount on the axle or to the top fender brace. I've found is exceptional easy to attach mine to the fender bracket. From a distance you see 3 distinct light sources and a very high degree of visibility. Good luck, ride safe.
 
#33 ·
Just replying to a thread I forgot about- I have had the nilight cheapos from Amazon for a few months now, riding mostly the curvy roads in CO and on gravel roads and a some more off-road oriented roads (Rollins pass and Yankee Hill) and I'd rate the lights a 6/10. Very cheap, they are amazing for daytime visibility but only so-so at night. Definitelt noticeable helping around corners and seeing the sides of the road, but the light only travels maybe 200 feet. One of the brackets also keeps on angling down going on the rocky roads so I'll throw some loctite on and torque it down a little more, they are mounted to the front fender fairing bolt.
 
#34 ·
After several weeks with the LED replacement bulbs in the stock H4 sockets. DO IT!!! While the throw, or projection isn't much greater than the stock halogens the brightness and color are exceptional. The MicTuning LEDs with H4 base are $50 on amazon. Well worth it. Not to mention the decrease in wattage. Combined with my Mondomoto's my 650 wee has the best lighting system of all my vehicles.
 
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