Amazingly Bright LEDs from Clearwater Lights

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SacramentoMike

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I got my full set of Clearwater Lights installed and mounted today, so now I have both the original Glendas on the fender and now the big honkin' Kristas mounted up under the mirrors. I LOVE these things. I'll start with some snapshots, and sorry, but it's a little point-and-shoot digital that really doesn't convey much. After that I'll link to a little video I just posted on YouTube. This is my first ever YouTube post, so its quality isn't that hot either, but you sure can see how flashing the brights would look in the oncoming shot, and then how it illuminates the street facing away.

You'll see a surprise in the video too. Make sure you have your sound turned on. Glenn installed it so the lights are connected to the horn. Imagine some nimrod pulling out in front of you. You have time to blow the horn. Or flash the lights. You only have one left thumb. Oh, no! But now when you blow the horn ALL the LEDs come up to full brightness. It's an impressive flash, and VERY attention-getting. Thumb off the horn, they go back down. Amazing.

The photos:

Here they are, Kristas above, Glendas below--everything turned "off."

IMG_0476-1.jpg


This one shows the lights "on," MINIMUM brightness (dimmable, remember?). The main reason I posted this pic is it's the best one to show how much "whiter" the lights look than the FJR headlights. And those are after-market Phillips headlamp bulbs that were a LOT whiter/brighter than stock. Sorry, don't remember the model. Guess I should have covered that reflective stuff I have on my tail bag--brightest thing in the shot.

IMG_0477.jpg


And a couple taken in the dark--no flash--LEDs on bright. Because of the angle, the right one seems to be aimed more at the camera. It's not really brighter. But they have a very wide beam, as you'll see in the video. They really light up everything.

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Finally, here's the YouTube vid. The lights kind of overwhelm the little camera in the oncoming shots, but it starts with the low beams and LEDs all on low power, then I switch up to high beams using the regular bike hi-lo switch a couple of times (you could seriously piss somebody off with these things, couldn't you? But of course, why would you do that? :rolleyes: ). As I pull up nearer the camera, listen for the horn. Then I pull around the corner and click them up and down a couple times to light up the road. At the end I monkey around a bit with the dimmer switch while the low beams are on. I tell you, I feel safer already.





 
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Wow!,

That looked like a stealth Train coming at you, and the horn-bright feature, would surely draw some attention.

Nicely done.

 
I gonna head over to Jeff_Q's home shop this morning and use his experience and expertise as a retired Air Force electronics tech. I just hope when I throw the switch on the Krista's, a parachute doesn't come out the tail of my Feej to slow me down.

pics of Krista's and Glenda's to follow. Plan is to show them off at SFO with lotsa propaganda advertising literature to provide.

let's ride safe and be careful out there,

Mike in Nawlins'

 
Very impressive. I gotta wonder how well they would fare in everyday traffic? No question that out in the boonies they would serve you well.

 
Jayysssuss..... Don't every flash your hi-beams at night. You're going to blind on-coming traffic with those suckers... and maybe low flying airplanes as well. Wow! :crazy:

 
Glenn's going to be providing me with a cheat sheet with all the technical questions addressed--watts and amps and all that stuff, and I'll pass it along. (I'll have the lights and info at WFO in July, too.) Plus I know he's going to look at this thread (he's on the board--FJRGlenn) so he might just tell you himself. But the simple answer (my specialty) is they don't draw much at all--much less than anywhere near an equivalent HID or halogen light. MUCH less.

And in traffic, not so bad, set on minimum brightness. I don't get flashed with these, riding in/around town at night, and I HAVE had them mounted since March. Yesterday was only the final, permanent installation with all the switches connected and functional. OTOH, if I DO flash somebody, they're going to know it! :devil:

 
Glenn's going to be providing me with a cheat sheet with all the technical questions addressed--watts and amps and all that stuff, and I'll pass it along. (I'll have the lights and info at WFO in July, too.) Plus I know he's going to look at this thread (he's on the board--FJRGlenn) so he might just tell you himself. But the simple answer (my specialty) is they don't draw much at all--much less than anywhere near an equivalent HID or halogen light. MUCH less.
And in traffic, not so bad, set on minimum brightness. I don't get flashed with these, riding in/around town at night, and I HAVE had them mounted since March. Yesterday was only the final, permanent installation with all the switches connected and functional. OTOH, if I DO flash somebody, they're going to know it! :devil:
Just make sure you do not mistakenly flash an oncoming LEO at night. It can be a funny life at times.

 
Very nice Mike. You definately have me thinking about this and I especially like the way you coordinated the horn as well. Makes a lot of sense. Good pics and I would say that your 1st attempt at utube was damn good! Thanks

 
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I gotta agree with Tesla. These look really nice, but the price seems way out of line. Is there a similar product out there for half of this?

 
Very nice, what kind of draw on them? Where can they be purchased? Canadian FJR
I rode home 90mi yesterday with those baby's fired up

fork lights at full intensity and big bad mirror lights at half...riding along from 5-7pm

voltmeter decreased exactly .5, point five, one half, 1/2 volt from off to on

Very impressive. I gotta wonder how well they would fare in everyday traffic? No question that out in the boonies they would serve you well.
friggin' Wow...OMG Wow...I think everyone on the road was purposely getting

outta my way as I traveled home on I-10

full intensity all around riding at night...rumor has it someone called the authorities

one report is that an aircraft was landing on the road

another wanted to know if the Space Shuttle was scheduled to land and it missed the Cape short and was touching down in Looziana...

will post day and night pics soon...

so, mine are currently wired with Glenda fork lights at permanent full intensity and the big mirror mount Kristas with adjustable intensity

hit high beam, and all go to full intensity automatically

there's an easy addition to the circuit to add full intensity switching when the horn is blown...sounds kinda cool to mister gadget farkleholic moi...

will be shown in person at SFO

 
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