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Aux light beam width selection for Dual Sport bike

Joined
Nov 11, 2007
Messages
4,793
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Location
Rendon TX
First Name
Mike
Last Name
Brewster
I'm about to buy some lights for the DRZ. The DRZ will likely get 2 of the less expensive LED lights. I do have a Cyclops headlight in it now that is very good. The Aux lights would primarily be for backup in remote areas, but also conspicuity. I'm thinking that a wider beam would likely be best, but I don't want to be blinding people and I really don't have any experience with different lights. They will likely be always on. I'm interested in your opinions. Spot, flood, combination or something else?

If you have an inexpensive light that you would like to recommend, I'd be interested in that too.

Thanks,
Mike
 
You want to but back up lights on a motorcycle? It’s a dry not a gold wing! [emoji23]
Denali micro while not exactly cheap, work excellent, you have seen them on little orphan Annie.
What I feel is best is a hybrid between flood and spot and the micro does that pretty good, the econo lights on the zrx have surprised me with how durable they have been but they are a little to much on the flood side.
 
Sometimes I can't make it all the way up the hill and I roll back down.

The Denali's are one of each, flood and spot, is that right?
 
:tab If they are for conspicuity, I would go for floods and just make sure you have them angled down enough that they don't shine up in people's eyes too bad. Go for a night right and if people start flashing their headlights at you, you know they need to be dropped down. Rinse and repeat as necessary. These will still give you better light around the front of the bike and along the sides of the road, but they won't help much for distance. I have a set of Moto Lights down low on the forks of my 1200 GS. This creates the triangle layout that is supposed to help other people gauge size, speed, and distance of the motorcycle relative to their position. They help some with my own ability to see at night. I run them all the time.

:tab For actual improved night vision, you will want spots or at least a combination of flood/spot, which many LED's now have, especially if you get them in light bar. You will want these mounted up high. That alone may make them not technically legal, but the idea is that you will be running them when you are out in the middle of nowhere alone at night, so who really cares... :wary: I have been running a set of PIAA 510s on my 1200 GS just because they were on there when I bought the bike. I am about to replace them with LEDs because I am tired of the halogen bulbs going out. They're also big and bulky.
 
And draw a ton of power compared to led.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
And draw a ton of power compared to led.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There's that, but on a GS that is much less of a concern compared to a bike like my KTM 530 EXC. The GS puts out a ton of power because it has a full blown alternator like a car. It can run all the lights, heated grips, heated gear, heated seats, GPS, and an espresso machine at the same time ;-) My 530 does good to run it's headlight on low beam :doh:
 
There's that, but on a GS that is much less of a concern compared to a bike like my KTM 530 EXC. The GS puts out a ton of power because it has a full blown alternator like a car. It can run all the lights, heated grips, heated gear, heated seats, GPS, and an espresso machine at the same time ;-) My 530 does good to run it's headlight on low beam :doh:

Strom too. Even with LED driving lights I can't run those, grips at full power, and my heated jacket unless I cycle them on and off :rofl:
 
Thanks for the answers. I think that both conspicuity and helping get me out of a place I shouldn't be in the dark are both factors. Since the Cylops is a pretty good headlight and the DRZ isn't a bike that tends to outrun it's headlights, I'm leaning towards 2 floods.

Anyone have another opinion? There's a sale ending tonight I'm going to try and take advantage of so I'm going to settle it today..
 
Chief, would you mind sharing links for your Cyclops as well as the LEDs on sale? I was on my DRZ last night (first time after dark in a while) and was surprised at how weak the stock light was.
 
This is the light I'm considering for Aux lights. Use promo code Ghost17 for 15% off until midnight. These are a little more than some of the others, but I've done business with them before and I think the'll stand behind them if there's a problem. Ebay? Who knows? I do buy a bunch of stuff on ebay.

The cyclops headlight can be found here. I'm pretty certain I picked the right one, but please double check me. I really like that light. I have the 3800 lumen and I can't imagine the 7000 LM. It wasn't available when I bought mine. I have other dual sporters follow me in the dark and if a leader is trying to make sure I'm still behind him, he can usually pick me out from a cloud of dust. I'm told the identical light is available on Ebay for much less. I might try one of those at some point, but Cyclops also stands behind what they sell so they have gotten my business so far. I just bought a pair for the Tenere', but I haven't installed them yet. I may buy an ebay version for my Concours and see how it does.
 
I put LEDs in my main lights (hi and lo) on my 1200 GS. I can't recall if they were Cyclops because my memory stinks. Anyway, the difference between those and the stock lights is astounding. They were easy to install. Love them.
 
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