Being more visible from the front during daylight
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 370
Likes: 0
From: White Plains, MD
The lenses on your spots.... Are they yellow or do you have yellow bulbs in them? I'm thinking of adding yellow bulbs in mine.
Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 569
Likes: 0
From: USA
What I've noticed is that many of the newer headlights are bright from straight-on, but become almost invisible viewed a little to one side on a bright day. I tried putting a prismatic adhesive film over the headlight, and that helped some, but I'm still looking for more. Driving lights would be great, but I don't want to change the "lean" look of the Rocker.
At the dealer the other day, they had a display of super-bright LED strips, "Stingerz" from Custom Dynamics. Almost painfully bright inside the store (didn't see them out in the sunlight), and the brightness didn't fall off as one moved 45 degrees to the side. They're available in flexible self-adhesive strips up to 39" and can be cut to size. Also available with decorative housings.
Anyone try sticking some of these to the front of the trees, forks, or make a ring around the headlight? Are they highly visible even in sunlight?
Website: http://www.customdynamics.com/stinge...ent_lights.htm
Kuriakyn also makes headlight bezels with built-in LEDs. Any experience with those? Any other suggestions?
The goal is being obnoxiously visible to the person who's about to pull out from a side street or driveway, who is off to one side a bit.
At the dealer the other day, they had a display of super-bright LED strips, "Stingerz" from Custom Dynamics. Almost painfully bright inside the store (didn't see them out in the sunlight), and the brightness didn't fall off as one moved 45 degrees to the side. They're available in flexible self-adhesive strips up to 39" and can be cut to size. Also available with decorative housings.
Anyone try sticking some of these to the front of the trees, forks, or make a ring around the headlight? Are they highly visible even in sunlight?
Website: http://www.customdynamics.com/stinge...ent_lights.htm
Kuriakyn also makes headlight bezels with built-in LEDs. Any experience with those? Any other suggestions?
The goal is being obnoxiously visible to the person who's about to pull out from a side street or driveway, who is off to one side a bit.
Former Sponsor
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 10,968
Likes: 54
Ditch the stock headlight and replace with E series Hella. You'll see the street signs reflecting in broad daylight. Forget all the gimmicks. The Europeans have been lighting up the day and night for years. Why we have such crappy standards in the states is a mystery.
The HID does the same thing. It is quite interesting in the dark as anything that has a reflective surface lights up. I never realized that big rigs had so much reflective tape on them, street signs were so reflective, and that people would notice me so much better with a super bright headlight. All I know is I saw some guy with the HD LED's today going the other way and they were not nearly as bright as my light and they cost 10 times more as well. If they performed as good as the HID I'd have no problem spending the money, but a buddy was trying to pawn his off on me as he hated it. that was all I needed to know.
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,566
Likes: 2
From: Detroit
I painted them with stained glass paint, wasn't sure if I was going to keep them yellow but that stuff is super durable so I never had to order a set of yellow glass lamps...just switched to adjure lamps though, been wanting tri bars since I saw them in Revolucion
Thread Starter
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 3,217
Likes: 90
From: Detroit
Thanks for the responses so far.
Does anyone else feel, from looking at the photos posted in this thread, that the yellow lights might stand out a little better than the white? There's lots of colors close to white in a normal environment, not so much yellow....
Does anyone else feel, from looking at the photos posted in this thread, that the yellow lights might stand out a little better than the white? There's lots of colors close to white in a normal environment, not so much yellow....
Former Sponsor
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 10,968
Likes: 54
Yellow always stands out better than white. I rode in with my HID in teh softail int eh dark today and teh light output was amazing, especially after taking off teh metal shied on the bottom of teh bulb. I am going to take the metal shield off teh bulb on my Dyna next chance I get. Daytime is a different animal but this light is so bright it is near impossible to miss it although with people on their phones and such I guess anyone can miss anything nowadays.
Novice
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
I just have the HID bulb on my softail custom, but I was amazed at how much better it worked. An added bonus is that the headlight vibrates somewhat. It's REALLY noticeable at night on the road signs. Had friends say they spotted me way back in traffic during the day with the combo of the HID bulb and vibration.
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Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 727
Likes: 1
From: Silverdale, WA
If you have the 5-1/4 headlamp like the Deuce, consider the Cibie flat face headlamp replacement. I put that in my deuce, it sticks out the front of the shell about a half inch, and makes it quite noticeable from the side. The other benefit is that it is really a good lamp, throws a really usable pattern in front of the bike. IMO it was a major upgrade from a stock or a Adjure headlamp. I got it from Daniel Stern lighting.
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,566
Likes: 2
From: Detroit
I just have the HID bulb on my softail custom, but I was amazed at how much better it worked. An added bonus is that the headlight vibrates somewhat. It's REALLY noticeable at night on the road signs. Had friends say they spotted me way backback in traffic during the day with the combo of the HID bulb and vibration.