04/10/2016

Guys last November I was going to attend a Rally in Galveston. Well it rained buckets and I did not want to get wet. I had been searching for Brighter Lights and decided on LED. I called a Friend there who picked me up a set and told me the Guy would make it right if it did not work. Well it kinda worked. The LED in the low beam was great but High Beam sucked. This is exactly what I told the Guy that sold me the LED Bulbs.

I was told "OK let me work on that." I never met the Dealer and never saw him. I have great Low Beams but High really sucks.

Before I go on, let me say I have one of the Rushmore Bikes a 2014 Roadking with what they call a CVO Headlight. This Headlight has two H11 Bulbs in it. One for High Beam and one for Low.

It has been several Months now and I get a call from the Dealer. "I got a solution for you." He sends me a really cool LED light that has a Fan on back for the High Beam. I was riding that night so I ran out and tried to put it in. It would not fit, not because of the connection but because my bike had a weird little plate on the Steering Stem right where I needed an extra Quarter inch.

OK I mounted that bad boy in my Low Beam spot. That night I was really almost blind. That Bulb had been designed to run in the High Beam slot and the Focus of Light was off.

I called the Dealer back thinking I was screwed. His reply was "I am not through with you yet." "Do I have your permission to give your Phone Number to the Manufacturer, in order to solve your Problem." I am thinking "Heck Yeah."

I checked several places including Harley and an Independent MC Shop and they had no solutions, other than replace the Whole Light. I refuse to pay Harley all that money for a Day Maker, which some people are not happy with.

This morning I got a call from the Manufacturer in California. He says he has not worked much with the Rushmore Bikes but wanted to fix my problem.

He says he is going to get with his Guys and figure out a way to make my Lights Bright and send me the Parts.

I don't know about you guys but I hate to risk my money on improvements, only to find out, it was a bad risk.

Cycle Light Solutions has not forgotten me and I will remember that, next time I need lights or someone asks me about them.

http://www.cyclelightsolutions.com/

I still don't have these lights where they need to be but it seems nobody including Harley has really taken the time to get this right. I really appreciate the efforts of Cycle Light Solutions to make me happy.

04/12/2016

Just got a call from Cycle Light solutions and they have decided that it is not possible to get a really good bright high beam with the stock head lamp assembly. I am getting a different assembly and a Wiring Harness to try out.

It seems Harley has put the Shroud around the Reflector for High Beam that not only Focuses the Light too high, it beams the light like a Laser Dot leaving the ditches dark.

Don't get me wrong great improvement on Low Beam but terrible on high.

I will keep you posted.

 

I'm guessing you have a roadking- the RK has less room in the bucket than other touring bikes.


there are countless threads on this subject ( incl. my own) in sumation:

the dual halogen reflector has optics specifically designed for the h9 ( high beam) and h11 ( low) capsule bulbs.

unless the light source of the leds is in exactly the same position as the h9/h11 filament, the light output, while greater, may be unfocused- so less usable.

so far none of the leds on the market match the positioning of the filaments

Mike

 

Like Mike I've commented on this problem, regarding the focal point of reflectors and how current LED bulbs don't work right in them. I've used Trucklite units because of that and see that Cycle Lights sell complete LED units. Might have been better to use them.

 

I agree but I rarely read the forums and this was an unknown problem for me as well as some of the LED makers.

 

You gotta hang out more!

Good place to research pre-purchase.





This is ongoing, some of us have notified sellers to varying result.

Mike

 

Does the Truck Lite Phase 7 fit the Rushmore RK's? I just recommended this one to a friend.

Thanks,
Rick

 

There is no excuse for LED bulb makers! I can't find it now, but I posted a photo a while ago, on this very subject, showing a conventional H3 halogen bulb alongside an LED bulb which was sold as a direct replacement. The LED bulb was half as long again as the halogen, with the centre of it's pattern of LED cells far removed from the element in the halogen. That LED bulb was so long it wouldn't go into the light I bought it for (H-D oval fog).

 

Agreed. Though even the oem makers sometimes strike out on this one as well.

Old Yamaha Virago. Horrible headlight. Threw no light where it was useful. Yamaha came out with a replacement bulb that relocated the filament to where it actually worked. Then the bike could be ridden at night.

Expensive and bright doesn't inherently equate with useful illumination.

 

Your bike should have an H11 55w low beam, and H9 65w high beam. Install a H9 65w in the low beam, only costs $10 and makes more light. Search and their are threads on how to do this simple swap. Also, does you bike have high and low beams on at same time? I read that Rushmore bikes can go to the dealer and have them set it this way for free. I installed a 2015 cvo dual bulb light in my 2011 RK. Hard wired the low beam so its on with the hi beam and installed a H9 65w in the low beam, much, much better now. If your passing lamps have 27 watt bulbs, swap them for 37 watts bulbs. And, wire the passing lamps so they can be on with the high beams. Lastly, take the time and adjust the headlamp yourself. Many Rushmore owners have reported their headlamps being inadequate. Then after adjusting them, are very satisfied.

I agree with the led comments - not a good direction in a stock housing.

 

OK finally got my Lights up to par and settled. Cycle Light Solutions http://www.cyclelightsolutions.com/ working with http://www.socalmotogear.com/ sent me a whole Light assembly that looks sort of like a Day Maker. http://www.socalmotogear.com/PATHFIN...TEM-p/hd7m.htm It sells right now for $295. They sent a Adapter that looked like it was Plug and Play. I took the Light apart and the Adapter would not work. There is a Independent Harley Shop here so I headed over to see about an Adapter. Well they could not find any place that had a plug and play Adapter but found instructions on how to wire it. My Harley is under Warranty and they did not want to touch it.

I called Harley in Waco and was told they had an Adapter. Off to Harley to find that their Adapter was just like the one I had. Talked to the Guys in Service who told me all the RoadKings had to be Manually Wired. To preserve my warranty, I asked them to wire it.

Mechanic came back and told me he was Apprehensive. Said it was not a Harley part. I told him to wire it like a Day Maker and if it blew up, I would just eat it.

He wired it with Heat Shrink and Soldered the Connections. Four Wires. I also got a Wash for a 100 dollars.

Got home and this light is awesome. I can see like never before at night. Light from Fence Line to Fence Line. (This is more than Ditch to Ditch.)

It does not burn Low and High Beam at the same time on High but it don't need to. Harley Techs said it would not do that.

Bottom Line I am completely Happy with this Setup and I am one of those guys that gets really bugged if something is not completely right.

I listened to a Friend gripe about a Day Maker just yesterday saying it was not wide enough light. I can say this one is great.

By the way my Road King is a Rushmore Bike.

If you need a Brighter Light and have a CVO two Bulb setup, forget about LEDs. Just bite the bullet and get this one. $295 is much better than $599.