Headlight
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 11,448
Likes: 2,299
From: NW Ohio
Daymaker is the Harley-branded LED light. It's an old JW Speaker or Trucklite unit that was just rebranded. JW Speaker is the way to go, IMO. Expensive but that's the way of things. There are Chinese clone options available under various brand names (many of which appear to be domestic at first glance), but not all are created equal. A Sunpie or Wisamec clone from Amazon seems to the most popular.
Last edited by cggorman; Apr 30, 2020 at 08:09 PM.
Road Master
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 777
Likes: 357
From: St. Louis, MO
I have the JW Speaker Adaptive 2. Pricey, but absolutely worth it.
https://www.jwspeaker.com/products/a...90-adaptive-2/
https://www.jwspeaker.com/products/a...90-adaptive-2/
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 2,840
Likes: 900
From: Philly Suburbs
I have the JW Speaker Adaptive 2. Pricey, but absolutely worth it.
https://www.jwspeaker.com/products/a...90-adaptive-2/
https://www.jwspeaker.com/products/a...90-adaptive-2/
-Have you run other LED lights before this, and does the improvement justify the price?
-Aside from the "adaptive" feature, does straight line illumination exceed other lights you've used?
-Are you equally happy with high and low beam performance?
-Does the adaptive functionality work well hustling on a twisty road after dark, or does it not really light up the right portion of road?
-They make the same light without the adaptive function for about $150 less... Do you find this functionality worth $150?
I would certainly pay for the light, provided it's as good as advertised... But I would be irked if a $500 light wasn't "GREAT."
Thanks!
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Good to hear, as I'm considering the same thing. Now I have a million questions:
-Have you run other LED lights before this, and does the improvement justify the price?
-Aside from the "adaptive" feature, does straight line illumination exceed other lights you've used?
-Are you equally happy with high and low beam performance?
-Does the adaptive functionality work well hustling on a twisty road after dark, or does it not really light up the right portion of road?
-They make the same light without the adaptive function for about $150 less... Do you find this functionality worth $150?
I would certainly pay for the light, provided it's as good as advertised... But I would be irked if a $500 light wasn't "GREAT."
Thanks!
-Have you run other LED lights before this, and does the improvement justify the price?
-Aside from the "adaptive" feature, does straight line illumination exceed other lights you've used?
-Are you equally happy with high and low beam performance?
-Does the adaptive functionality work well hustling on a twisty road after dark, or does it not really light up the right portion of road?
-They make the same light without the adaptive function for about $150 less... Do you find this functionality worth $150?
I would certainly pay for the light, provided it's as good as advertised... But I would be irked if a $500 light wasn't "GREAT."
Thanks!
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Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 11,448
Likes: 2,299
From: NW Ohio
If I had to ride rural PA twisties at night, I'd be looking for serious light too. Love those roads. I, unfortunately, live in Flatland.
Diffent lights have different beam patterns that will suit some situations better than others. I run on long straight roads so I like a lot of throw and don't care so much about the spill. I also try to avoid travelling at twilight when deer are heaviest, further reducing my need for side light. I know too many people who have hit them... Lotta guys like to run aux "ditch lights". I think they're ugly on a Dyna but some small LED ones on a separate circuit (to keep from blinding oncoming traffic when not needed) might be handy.
US DOT vs Euro LHD vs Euro RHD beams are also worth investigating. I MUCH prefer my Euro LHD reflectors over DOT. Technically they're illegal but I've never heard of a cop citing anybody for noncompliant light certs and nobody has ever flashed me for blinding them. The "fly eye" style lights tend to be more "floody" and work great in the foot hills but damn are they blinding to oncoming traffic.
Anyway, look up videos from Headlight Revolution, Retrofit Source, and similar to compare beam patterns. Truck Lite, JW Speaker, and Morimoto all make excellent LED fixtures. Some of the clones/generics/imports are also good but it's more hit-or-miss even between lights with very similar design. Color and intensity of the diodes, and optics alignment and quality make a huge difference but can't be seen in a studio photo of the unit.
I prefer a bit warmer color...5000 Kelvin max. To my eye 2000 lumen @ 5000k is brighter and easier to see with than 2000 lumen @ the bluer 6000k. Plus, the warmer colors (lower Kelvin) is better in snow/rain/mist/fog...which wouldn't be an issue in the Southwest...
Diffent lights have different beam patterns that will suit some situations better than others. I run on long straight roads so I like a lot of throw and don't care so much about the spill. I also try to avoid travelling at twilight when deer are heaviest, further reducing my need for side light. I know too many people who have hit them... Lotta guys like to run aux "ditch lights". I think they're ugly on a Dyna but some small LED ones on a separate circuit (to keep from blinding oncoming traffic when not needed) might be handy.
US DOT vs Euro LHD vs Euro RHD beams are also worth investigating. I MUCH prefer my Euro LHD reflectors over DOT. Technically they're illegal but I've never heard of a cop citing anybody for noncompliant light certs and nobody has ever flashed me for blinding them. The "fly eye" style lights tend to be more "floody" and work great in the foot hills but damn are they blinding to oncoming traffic.
Anyway, look up videos from Headlight Revolution, Retrofit Source, and similar to compare beam patterns. Truck Lite, JW Speaker, and Morimoto all make excellent LED fixtures. Some of the clones/generics/imports are also good but it's more hit-or-miss even between lights with very similar design. Color and intensity of the diodes, and optics alignment and quality make a huge difference but can't be seen in a studio photo of the unit.
I prefer a bit warmer color...5000 Kelvin max. To my eye 2000 lumen @ 5000k is brighter and easier to see with than 2000 lumen @ the bluer 6000k. Plus, the warmer colors (lower Kelvin) is better in snow/rain/mist/fog...which wouldn't be an issue in the Southwest...
Last edited by cggorman; May 2, 2020 at 07:56 AM.
