Love / Hate my LED Headlight - Help

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Jan 17, 2014 | 01:24 PM

Dr. Tiki

Thread Starter

Stellar HDF Member

Joined: Apr 2007

Posts: 2,347

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From: The 9th Island

Love / Hate my LED Headlight - Help

I have a love / hate relationship with my LED Headlight.

Love the light output when going in a straight line

Hate the light cutoff when going into a turn at night. The light cuts off so drastically and with the single headlight and no light bar on the street glide, the light just points right into the asphalt in the turns.

I am looking for options to keep the LED and still get some additional light so that I can see into the turns.

I do NOT want the Harley passing lights or a light bar on my bike so I am looking at Aux. LED pods of some kind like clearwaterlights.com or something similar.

I would like a clean install to go with the clean lines of the Street Glide. What are you guys using?

I was thinking of trying to mount something into the caps of the lower fairing. I'll have to take a look this weekend and see what kind of space there is work with in there. Is there anything like that that anyone has seen?

Jan 17, 2014 | 01:47 PM

Webo

Road Warrior

Joined: Oct 2013

Posts: 1,446

Likes: 5

From: Mesquite Tx

Custom Dynamics makes some billet lights that can be mounted on the lower front forks or the crash bar. They are small enough that I think they look ok but I have not seen them in person.

http://www.customdynamics.com/billet...riving_Lights_

Jan 17, 2014 | 01:54 PM

CVORoadKing2013

Tourer

Joined: Aug 2011

Posts: 401

Likes: 22

From: Lebanon, Pa

I am right there with you. I have the LED passing laps as well and the same thing happens.

Jan 17, 2014 | 01:58 PM

mkguitar

Extreme HDF Member

Joined: Sep 2010

Posts: 14,744

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From: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins

...as an observer, I cannot see leds in my rear view when a passing bike gets close

and they are LESS visible to cars waiting to turn into the path of the bike- saw a close one a couple of weeks ago.

leds ( in all applications) have a narrow beam, controlling and spreading that light evenly is difficult. Audi has a very interesting system in the works.

mike

Jan 17, 2014 | 02:05 PM

Roger That

Road Warrior

Joined: Oct 2012

Posts: 1,451

Likes: 1

From: South Florida

You must have the Daymaker. I have a Trucklite and it gives off a pretty good dispersion of light to the sides. I also run the Dynamic Ringz. I don't think it provides much light for the rider....but it sure does make me much more visible to the traffic in front of me.

Jan 17, 2014 | 02:06 PM

robo74

Cruiser

Joined: May 2011

Posts: 193

Likes: 0

From: Rockford, IL

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkguitar

Oddly, I had someone follow me to a gas station last summer to compliment me on my lights, he said that he almost pulled in front of me but then he seen my lights and quickly stopped.

Trucklite headlight and spots.

Rob

Jan 17, 2014 | 02:06 PM

'05Train

Ultimate HDF Member

Joined: May 2008

Posts: 7,439

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From: 'Noke, VA

Quote:

Originally Posted by CVORoadKing2013

I am right there with you. I have the LED passing laps as well and the same thing happens.

Same here (using the DayMakers). I'm thrilled with their performance otherwise. Very visible during the daytime - much more so than the Phase 7 - and the light they throw at night is spectacular. But lean hard into a corner and it's like cave diving.

Short of something like the CD lights linked above or Motolights, I don't know if there's a decent solution. If anything it keeps my speed down at night, so that's probably a good thing.

Edited to add - Due to the beam pattern, it's especially important to have LED lights aimed properly. They're much more noticeable than halogens during the day assuming that they're aimed right.