Seaking Posted April 27, 2011 #1 Posted April 27, 2011 (edited) Now, pity the fool who says "sorry, I didn't see you".. He'll deserve the beating he'll get.. 6000k single bulb double action HID kit from http://canadiancruisercustomizing.com/ (35W only) The 4.5" LED highway lights are from Custom Dynamics. (12w each) the super bright LED 'always on, signal off' signal lights also Custom Dynamics and the little bullet lights at the bottom are also from http://canadiancruisercustomizing.com/ (4w each) This is what I meant by presenting a large blob of light at oncoming traffic.. this is much more noticeable and attention getting than a single 55W headlight.. When seen sideways, there is a big glow of white in front of the bike and front wheel plus the side marker lights and the wrap around glow of the super bright tail lights... Will this prevent me from getting into an accident? Will this ensure I'll never get hit by an inattentive driver? Hell no.. but it should help justify the beating I'll give him when standing before the Magistrate (just kidding... a little) Your mileage may differ, this set up is gosh awesome bright and illuminates the highway like no one else's business.. AWESOME!! Edited April 27, 2011 by Seaking
99silver Posted April 27, 2011 #3 Posted April 27, 2011 Looks like you my get a call from the air traffic controllers if your traveling near an airport "that is , if they are not catching their nap"
Seaking Posted April 27, 2011 Author #4 Posted April 27, 2011 Your thread is what then? did you not see the image attached to the post?
Motorcycle Mike Posted April 27, 2011 #5 Posted April 27, 2011 Your thread is what then? did you not see the image attached to the post? Looks like there still not bright enough.
Flyinfool Posted April 27, 2011 #6 Posted April 27, 2011 Your thread is what then? did you not see the image attached to the post? When I first opened the link all that was there was the first line. Its much better now.
LilBeaver Posted April 27, 2011 #7 Posted April 27, 2011 Now, pity the fool who says "sorry, I didn't see you".. He'll deserve the beating he'll get.. ... You may need to worry about the 'I was blinded by oncoming traffic so I accidentally drifted into the other lane' though... Regardless, nice setup! I bet night riding visibility is amazing!!
Yeah, Just Dale Posted April 27, 2011 #8 Posted April 27, 2011 The 4.5" LED highway lights are from Custom Dynamics. (12w each) Been looking at these lights as well. How easy/difficult were these to install? From CD website can't tell if lights are plug n play or if they are have wires to splice. I have yamaha driving lights and it looks like the bulbs can be removed but not sure what I would find once I "open" them. Thanks
Marcarl Posted April 27, 2011 #9 Posted April 27, 2011 So what do they look like on a bright sunny day. At night there seems to be very little problem seeing a scoot,,, but during the daytime is a different story.
Seaking Posted April 28, 2011 Author #11 Posted April 28, 2011 Keep in mind that a lot of cameras have difficulties capturing LED lighting properly in a way that we can translate in a photo. We also have the problem that the ambient light, camera settings etc also affect how the photo looks. In this case, the photo and camera are adjusted to show more of the 'whiteness' of the light than it's brightness. A normal headlight and highway lights look downright AMBER compared to the lights on mine. Installation of the 4.5" highway lights from Custom Dynamics is relatively plug and play whereas you do have to cut and crimp/solder new connectors to make it work. Not hard at all. I took the added steps of taping metal duct tape over the inside of the light to reduce the minimal amount of RF interference heard.. But installation is super simple.. As for blinding the oncoming traffic.. like all lights you have to take care and aim your lights properly. The HID is brilliantly bright and you don't need to aim it too wildly and blind on coming traffic. I have mine set properly and I don't get flashed by oncoming traffic.. The LED highway lights are brilliant as well but you have to see them to understand what I mean.. they will cast a good light on the road but they do not project blinding light into oncoming traffic.. what you mostly see is a bright disc of light. Same for day time.. Again, this is hard to capture on camera but as soon as the East coast Monsoon season abates enough to allow us to ride again, I'll endeavour to get some photos and video clips of it.. When I switch off the highway lights and the little bullet lights, running only with the 35W HID headlight, the road ahead is brilliantly lit up.. you simply cannot get that same effect with a traditional bulb.. Just simply impressed. As I mentioned before, the HID does so much illumination that it floods out the other lights.. but the combination of all the lights together make for a large blob of something coming towards you to capture a driver's attention that something is there.. Dunno if that makes sense or if I explained it well enough but soon enough I'll try some footage.. Cheers
BigDawg Posted April 28, 2011 #12 Posted April 28, 2011 Now, pity the fool who says "sorry, I didn't see you".. He'll deserve the beating he'll get.. 6000k single bulb double action HID kit from http://canadiancruisercustomizing.com/ (35W only) The 4.5" LED highway lights are from Custom Dynamics. (12w each) the super bright LED 'always on, signal off' signal lights also Custom Dynamics and the little bullet lights at the bottom are also from http://canadiancruisercustomizing.com/ (4w each) This is what I meant by presenting a large blob of light at oncoming traffic.. this is much more noticeable and attention getting than a single 55W headlight.. When seen sideways, there is a big glow of white in front of the bike and front wheel plus the side marker lights and the wrap around glow of the super bright tail lights... Will this prevent me from getting into an accident? Will this ensure I'll never get hit by an inattentive driver? Hell no.. but it should help justify the beating I'll give him when standing before the Magistrate (just kidding... a little) Your mileage may differ, this set up is gosh awesome bright and illuminates the highway like no one else's business.. AWESOME!! Very bright Seaking! I'm curious how you mounted the little bullets on the highway pegs? Do they get in your way when you prop your feet up there? thanks for the help! as always this site is a great help to us wanna be DIY garage mechs... Brian
LilBeaver Posted April 28, 2011 #13 Posted April 28, 2011 ... As for blinding the oncoming traffic.. like all lights you have to take care and aim your lights properly. The HID is brilliantly bright and you don't need to aim it too wildly and blind on coming traffic. I have mine set properly and I don't get flashed by oncoming traffic.. The LED highway lights are brilliant as well but you have to see them to understand what I mean.. they will cast a good light on the road but they do not project blinding light into oncoming traffic.. what you mostly see is a bright disc of light. Same for day time.. ... Absolutely! Sounds like you've got it figured out!
Seaking Posted April 28, 2011 Author #14 Posted April 28, 2011 Very bright Seaking! I'm curious how you mounted the little bullets on the highway pegs? Do they get in your way when you prop your feet up there? thanks for the help! as always this site is a great help to us wanna be DIY garage mechs... Brian They are mounted on the engine guards with P-Clamps offered by the same source. I don't have the P-Clamp on mine but I used them when installing the lights on my buddy's bike. We both have forward highway pegs on those bars and the lights can fit ahead and below and not come close to your feet nor be in the way in the unlikeliness of dropping the bike down on the guards. I've gotten SO much help from the learned folks here that I am more than happy the help others in return when possible.. knowing fully well one of those learned types will steer me back on path if I deviate from the norms
Condor Posted April 28, 2011 #15 Posted April 28, 2011 Devils advocate here. It's one thing to be noticed, and another to blind oncoming traffic. Even LED headlights in a car hurt my eyes. Try looking directly into an LED flashlight sometime. That kind of a display will sure mess up my driving ability. Thump...Thump.... Oooops, what was that?? Didn't see the motorcycle officer, I was blinded by a UFO.....
Eddie Posted April 28, 2011 #16 Posted April 28, 2011 I would like to do this, but like my tunes a lot. If a no interference product comes along I'm in.
Flyinfool Posted April 28, 2011 #17 Posted April 28, 2011 Devils advocate here. It's one thing to be noticed, and another to blind oncoming traffic. Even LED headlights in a car hurt my eyes. Try looking directly into an LED flashlight sometime. That kind of a display will sure mess up my driving ability. Thump...Thump.... Oooops, what was that?? Didn't see the motorcycle officer, I was blinded by a UFO..... I kind of have to agree with Condor here and join the devils advocate side. It is possible to have to much light. The headlights on a train are incredibly powerful, when all you see is a blob of light you have no perception of distance to that light. Most of the cars that get hit by trains say that they saw the light but thought it was a lot farther away. To an oncoming car if they can not identify your blob of light as a MC they may think it is a car with its Hi beams on that is very far away and turn right in front of you thinking they have plenty of time. Once you get more than about 30 yards away from something, you no longer have actual depth perception. Beyond 30 yards it is just your brain doing the math of, object A is about B big and it looks to be about C big therefore it must be D far away.
Guest Posted April 28, 2011 #18 Posted April 28, 2011 Devils advocate here. It's one thing to be noticed, and another to blind oncoming traffic. Even LED headlights in a car hurt my eyes. Try looking directly into an LED flashlight sometime. That kind of a display will sure mess up my driving ability. Thump...Thump.... Oooops, what was that?? Didn't see the motorcycle officer, I was blinded by a UFO..... Seakings set-up isnt much different than mine with the exception of the smaller lights. Im running the Greenboat suck blow leds and they are just fine for me.().... The Leds do brighten up the landscape quite a bit but I noticed a strange phenomenon. when I was running the stock set-up and regular driving lights I would constantly get lights flashed at me from oncoming traffic. Now with the HID/LED combo I have been only flashed once. (ok, no raincoat comments either) So, either it really doesnt bother oncoming traffic or they are just too blinded to see their controls to flash their lights. Maybe some scientists will chime in on the correlation between the retinal/anal light absorbing connections within our own bodies that tell us what is too bright vs what is really annoying.
Yeah, Just Dale Posted April 28, 2011 #19 Posted April 28, 2011 Have you calculated the total wattage that you saved by going with LEDs/HID?
Seaking Posted April 29, 2011 Author #20 Posted April 29, 2011 Devils advocate here. It's one thing to be noticed, and another to blind oncoming traffic. Even LED headlights in a car hurt my eyes. Try looking directly into an LED flashlight sometime. That kind of a display will sure mess up my driving ability. Thump...Thump.... Oooops, what was that?? Didn't see the motorcycle officer, I was blinded by a UFO..... erhm this is why you take the time to "AIM" your headlights and highways, no??? Same as with any vehicle..
Seaking Posted April 29, 2011 Author #21 Posted April 29, 2011 I would like to do this, but like my tunes a lot. If a no interference product comes along I'm in. The lights I have from Custom Dynamics are more expensive than the BS ones from the marine green boat rip off people.. BUT the Custom Dynamics work and do not interfere with your radios. I added the metal duct tape as an added precaution.. Radios, MP3 and CB work excellent on my 2006 and on my buddy's 2008 bike. So yeah, they work well.
Seaking Posted April 29, 2011 Author #22 Posted April 29, 2011 Have you calculated the total wattage that you saved by going with LEDs/HID? Typical bike: Headlight 55/65W Highway lights 35W + 35W TOTAL WATTS 125 Watts HID LED bike: HID Headlight 35 W Highway Lights 12W + 12W TOTAL WATTS 59 Watts Difference of 66 Watts (I'm not sure where I got the info that the highway lights are 12W each.. I'd have to contact CD to find out for sure..)
Eddie Posted April 29, 2011 #23 Posted April 29, 2011 The lights I have from Custom Dynamics are more expensive than the BS ones from the marine green boat rip off people.. BUT the Custom Dynamics work and do not interfere with your radios. I added the metal duct tape as an added precaution.. Radios, MP3 and CB work excellent on my 2006 and on my buddy's 2008 bike. So yeah, they work well. Well I guess I'm in then, I thought I've done all I could do to the bike then you put this up here.I will have to find out what part numbers you used.
Sideoftheroad Posted April 29, 2011 #24 Posted April 29, 2011 Wasn't there a thread recently about people switching their headlights to LED. At first it all seemed good, but then their lights starting going out or something like that.
CaptainJoe Posted April 29, 2011 #25 Posted April 29, 2011 LED's LED'S are you talkin to me? http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/teledynelandinglight.php Thi is just a joke of course please do not install on your bikes...
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