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Auxiliary Light Mounting - Opinions?

6K views 43 replies 17 participants last post by  RestoRider2017 
#1 ·
So I bought some cheap LED aux lights, which I'm going to mount to my Givi crash bars. Looking for opinions...horizontal or vertical. Yeah, I know that either way, they're vulnerable if the bike takes a nap, but I'm not all that concerned about that. They were cheap.

Disregard the wiring mess...I'm in the mock-up stage.
 

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#4 ·
In case anyone is interested...

Lights:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MU0JH5P/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Mounts:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0791NB4FM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Wiring Harness:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0155W7EDS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
(but this was a mistake. I don't want to drill any holes to mount the switch)

So I subsequently ordered this switch to mount on the handlebars:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ELLJYGY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I don't have all of this installed yet, but I think it's going to work out ok.
 
#6 ·
I vote vertical. Might help to see them turned on, though.

I also have cheap (but different) lights mounted to the outside of my Givi bars. The bike has taken 3 naps so far, and I just re-align the lights and they keep on going.

Have you considered wiring them to come on with the low beams & turn off with the high, or stay on with both low / high beams and off with a switch?
 
#12 ·
Have you considered wiring them to come on with the low beams & turn off with the high, or stay on with both low / high beams and off with a switch?
I did consider that, but it seems a bit complicated. I think I'm going to opt for simplicity, and just wire them to a switch.

I don't do a lot of night riding. I mainly wanted these for daytime conspicuity (spell check doesn't like that word, but I'm sticking with it).
 
#22 ·
Is the beam pattern of the floodlight variety- spraying photons up-down-left-right more or less equally? Or are they designed to spread light like the headlight -more horizontally and forward than vertically?
 
#13 ·
BTW, does anyone care to chime in on preferred connection methods? I'm comfortable with soldering. Is soldering + shrink tube the way to go? That doesn't seem like it would be all that watertight.

Should I go get some automotive type waterproof connectors? Do most auto parts stores carry such connectors?

Geez, I'm full of questions :grin2:
 
#14 ·
I used the Spade connectors that came on the lights and harness. The connection is tucked up behind the radiator plastic panels. Seems waterproof.

Why use a switch if you are using the lights for conspicuousness? I wired the relay trigger to the rear brake power.

Those light are really bright and the beam not well defined. I have mine aimed down quite a bit. I wouldn't use them for supplemental lighting they would blind oncoming drivers.
 
#20 ·
Apparently solder is bad on motorcycles due to the vibration, the connections do not last long. That is why all motorcycles have crimp connectors.

I vote vertical as well, I think it looks better on the bike and maybe won't jamb into the engine block on a tip over.
 
#21 ·
Thanks for all the input and advice. The consensus opinion on orientation seems to be vertical, which is good because that's the way I was leaning.

I'll probably just use the Posi-lock connectors + shrink tube for now and see how they hold up.
 
#28 ·
How well do they work?

I am curious just how well these "cheap" led aux lights work.

Maybe ScottKY will take some pictures on a really dark road when he gets them installed. One picture with just the bike's high beam then the other with the aux lights on as well...

Just curious if these cheaps lights are worth the effort install them.
 
#29 ·
I didn't read every post but as always mount the lights so the crash bars protect them if the bike is laid over. :wink2:

 
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#30 ·
From what I saw most of the LED lights designed to work on most bikes or crash bars were well over $200
for a set. Yes they are nice. I get that. Mine even though they came from Yitamotor on ebay they
were $20 total harness, switch, fuse holder, Relay. The only thing I had to reinvent was the mounts.
So I can replace these 10 times for the same cost as some of the other sets from parts houses.
I have an identical pair on my monte carlo and they are 2 years old and still work great.

This guys stuff is decent unlike some others I have purchased from on ebay.
My 2000 Altima has a bigger set than this on the front end and they came from the same
vendor and they are at least a year old and are like brand new, no issues at all.
And they are exposed to all the elements.
 
#31 ·
If you twist the wires when soldering not just lap solder then your solder joint is much firmer.
To water proof all you have to do . Is put a piece of heat shrink over one of the wires , twist the wires together ,
solder, then put a dab of silicone sealant on the solder, slide the heat shrink back over the connection and heat
with hair dryer on high or heat gun from Harbor freight for like $8. Water proof and vibration proof seal.
Been doing this for years without issue.
 
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#32 ·
I wired my hot and ground right to the Pig tail on the battery tender. The quick disconnect can unhook the lights
for battery charging and hook back to the lights in seconds. I found all the room I needed in the battery area.
And because all the harness was added I never needed to cut into the factory harness for any of it.
So except for the hidden switch I added, I literally can remove ever bit of the auxillary lights and you would
never know they had been installed.
 
#37 ·
Why can't we be friends - why can't we be friends - why can't we be friends - Wars greatest hits 1978 :smile2: :var_5:
 
#38 · (Edited)
I don't have any specific experience with handlebar-mounted switches, but am pretty sure AdventureTech sells one, or the Amazon link from JAD I imagine has plenty of options. Maybe others will chime in with specific recommendations.

jeeves -- That's a neat little switch! Adding it to my list for when I need one. Safe to assume it's not a momentary switch, and when pressed it toggles on or off until switched again?

SECoda -- Am I correct in seeing that your larger aux lights are Denali?

Resto -- Like you, I went cheapo...for my conspicuity lights. But for my 2nd set, I want a pair of driving lights with tight beam and long throw to run with my high beams. Trying to find a suitable set of cheapos might require buying many pairs, and even then might work out only if I get lucky. I'm still trying to figure out if there are any cheap options that have a suitably tight beam with long throw.

hoggdoc -- The biggest differences in the more expensive aux lights:

  • Known beam pattern. Typically, communicated truthfully and accurately. The tighter the pattern, the higher the price, generally speaking. (The cheapos are typically hit or miss, and from what I've seen the tighter the advertised beam, the (much) higher the miss rate.)
  • Customer Service.

For conspicuity, the beam pattern isn't of particular concern and just about any will work just fine. Different animal if one wants to use the lights to SEE something. Still trying to figure out my best value for tight beam, long throw LED lights.
 
#40 ·
Ok, my cheap LEDs are installed. I still need to aim them, but I’m thinking they’re going to serve the intended purpose.

I ended up mounting them vertically on the crash bars. Yes, they’re definitely vulnerable if the bike tips over, but I can live with that.

After all was said and done, I did not wire them to a handlebar switch. The switch I bought was quite cheap, and most certainly wasn’t waterproof. So i didn’t want to leave it exposed to the elements. I used the switch, but left it in the compartment under the seat. So I can disable the lights should I ever need to, but they’ll be wired to come on with the ignition.

Now we’ll see how these cheap-o lights hold up.

(No idea why my pic is sideways, and I don’t know how to fix it...sorry)
 

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#41 ·
I do know the lights I purchased from Yitamotor on Ebay had the same lights in spot beam or wide beam.
One set came with the harness and the others did not. I got the ones with the harness which are spot beams.
They are 16 Watts each with 6 LED bulbs per light. I adjusted mine so the beams sit about a foot lower than
my headlight on low beam. This is from a 20 foot distance back from a vertical wall.
The width is right around 4 feet apart at the same distance back.

This aluminates the road well at night and so far no flashing of the high beams from oncoming drivers so I think
I'm not blinding anyone at approach. For $20 total even though they are cheap I think they are just fine
and save my money for other items of noteworthy cause. I'll post back later with any issues that may come up.
But all the other lights I've purchased from this vendor are good to go . www.yitamotor.com
 
#43 ·
Unless they are Euro style lens beams, in my experience the beams of all the LEDs I have tested have been spherical and not sensitive to orientation. So for all practical purposes two flood or spot or pencil beams would provide the same shape illumination whether stacked or turned sideways. Euron beams are orientation sensitive.
 
#44 ·
That sounds good. All I know is they work just fine and the road ahead is lit up brighter and wider than with
just the headlight. So it is definately an improvement over nothing at all. For $20 I cannot go wrong.
 
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