• A few people have been scammed on the site, Only use paypal to pay for items for sale by other members. If they will not use paypal, its likely a scam NEVER SEND E-TRANSFERS OF ANY KIND.

Auxiliary Light Idea. Feedback?

Naked_Duc

Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2012
Messages
845
Reaction score
1
Points
18
Location
Kent, WA
Visit site
I have added some cheap 18W 6" spot lightbar off Amazon to my NC700X to increase visibility during dark winter commute (in Seattle area). I mounted the LED on a home-made bracket right below the headlights/baby beak. It's wired right to the battery with a 3-pin switch on the left mirror stem. Although the LED lightbar is effective in being seen by others, it doesn't really add a whole lot for me, as far as being able to see more. So I went back looking for something bigger and brighter. I found these:

https://www.amazon.com/waterproof-off-road-vehicle-motorcycle-warranty/dp/B07KN882TV/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L6MVSSX/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B07L6MVSSX

They are both 20W each (mis-labled). I plan on mounting them on brackets off the frame on either side just below the radiator. Since the lamp comes with a halo ring that can be lit independently from the main LED, I thought I could connect the turn signal to the halo ring and use it as daylight running lights and turn signals.

Do you see any issue with that? Legality issue?

Appreciate any feedback.

Tony
 
Those look good, as for being legal, each state is different...ask a state cop...you could remove the side reflectors on the forks and mount the lights in that location...give you more down road light...

Sent from my SM-S327VL using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
My only concern is they are both labeled fog lights, I don't think that'll help much with your visibility, you'll out run your lights going any faster then 15mph

I think you need spot lights, not fog lights,
I installed these and I've been happy with them, they are supposed to be water proof already but I added silicone where possible anyway

Xprite 10 Watt 2-inch CREE High Power Off-Road LED Spot Light for Motorcycle Off-road Vehicles Pickup Truck UTV ATV - 2 PACK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SNX6E60/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_nqcbDbE7GZZK7

I've had mine installed for a couple years and they've worked great the whole time rain or shine
f9d71e7392903ae719ceb47967605503.jpg
 
my only concern is they are both labeled fog lights, i don't think that'll help much with your visibility, you'll out run your lights going any faster then 15mph

i think you need spot lights, not fog lights ...
exactly :)

Spot or Driving but not Fog
 
My only concern is they are both labeled fog lights, I don't think that'll help much with your visibility, you'll out run your lights going any faster then 15mph

I think you need spot lights, not fog lights,
I installed these and I've been happy with them, they are supposed to be water proof already but I added silicone where possible anyway

Xprite 10 Watt 2-inch CREE High Power Off-Road LED Spot Light for Motorcycle Off-road Vehicles Pickup Truck UTV ATV - 2 PACK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SNX6E60/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_nqcbDbE7GZZK7

I've had mine installed for a couple years and they've worked great the whole time rain or shine
f9d71e7392903ae719ceb47967605503.jpg

Thanks for the feedback, rippin. I am also considering those little Xprite lights. They are really inexpensive and give a really good spot light throw down the road. I currently have a 18W LED and thought 20W combined may not be that much of improvement. But for $20, it might worth a shot.

As for the 20W "fog" lights in the OP, I looked through customer images (under the square ones). The light pattern seems decent. Not so much of a flood light pattern; decent throw with a flat pattern.
 
Thanks for the feedback, rippin. I am also considering those little Xprite lights. They are really inexpensive and give a really good spot light throw down the road. I currently have a 18W LED and thought 20W combined may not be that much of improvement. But for $20, it might worth a shot.

As for the 20W "fog" lights in the OP, I looked through customer images (under the square ones). The light pattern seems decent. Not so much of a flood light pattern; decent throw with a flat pattern.
I switched my headlight to an led and it helped how well I could see especially with anything reflective but at 80mph I would still out run my light (more then 50% of my riding is in the dark) and those little auxiliary lights actually worked out well, good amount of light and throw, I've got 40,000 miles or so going through the rain at freeway speeds for an hour at a time a dozen times or so, I've ridden down below freezing and over 110f° just remember to clean the bugs off the lenses once in awhile
 
I really like those small lights for both reasons.

Since they are spots, not patterned, any idea of how they affect approaching drivers?
I've got them aimed low enough it doesn't seem to bother oncoming traffic, when I first installed them they were pointed a little high, a couple people flashed their high beams at me, I lowered the angle of the lights a little and no ones flashing their lights at me and I can still see well
 
I've got them aimed low enough it doesn't seem to bother oncoming traffic, when I first installed them they were pointed a little high, a couple people flashed their high beams at me, I lowered the angle of the lights a little and no ones flashing their lights at me and I can still see well

Thanks for the response!
I like driving lights on my cars too, and have learned to try to get a pattern beam so as not to blind others.

They look good and the pics on the amazon pages show the square ones have an effective pattern with sharp cut-off. They're bigger than I want but now I have an idea of what to look for, thanks!
 
I prefer a driving light beam over a spot, but either is better than what most vendors mean when they say “fog” (which generally means uncontrolled uselessness).

I have these on my NCX and they’re truly excellent:
PIAA | PIAA LP530 LED White Driving Beam Kit #05372

The 6” diameter version of those lights won Overland Journal’s aux light comparison a few years ago, which measured lux at various ranges and angles, as well as waterproof-ness, consistency as the lights heat up, and other things. My only gripe about them is that the light is too blue. Not a deal-breaker, though.

As to legality, Washington state law restricts you to 4 clear or white lights, and either 4 or 6 total forward-facing lights. I don’t recall them having a separate rule for motorcycles, so you should be okay on that front.
 
I prefer a driving light beam over a spot, but either is better than what most vendors mean when they say “fog” (which generally means uncontrolled uselessness).

I have these on my NCX and they’re truly excellent:
PIAA | PIAA LP530 LED White Driving Beam Kit #05372

The 6” diameter version of those lights won Overland Journal’s aux light comparison a few years ago, which measured lux at various ranges and angles, as well as waterproof-ness, consistency as the lights heat up, and other things. My only gripe about them is that the light is too blue. Not a deal-breaker, though.

As to legality, Washington state law restricts you to 4 clear or white lights, and either 4 or 6 total forward-facing lights. I don’t recall them having a separate rule for motorcycles, so you should be okay on that front.

Those lights are way nicer than I am willing to spend. But they are sweet those. How are yours mounted on the bike?

As for legality for motorcycle turn signals in Washington State, the front facing one must be on the same level, placed as far apart as practical. They must emit amber lights, visible from 500 feet.

RCW 46.37.200: Stop lamps and electric turn signals displayed.

The lights I am looking at emits only white light. I think I would go with them but would need to find a way to turn the halo rings amber before turning them into turn signals. Maybe I can take apart the lens and paint the outer ring amber.

EDIT: I found video of someone painting tail light cover amber with glass stain paint from craft store. That might be the solution!
 
Last edited:
I have my PIAAs on the Honda accessory light bar. I bent a couple pieces of scrap steel into an "L" shape, then drilled holes to mount those to the bar and then mount the lights to the "L" pieces. I have the auxiliary wiring harness on the bike, and run these through that so that they come on with the high beam headlight, just as the Honda accessory lights (not available in the USA market, at least when the bike was new) would have.

Here's a pic:
IMG_0597.jpg
 
Last edited:
I bought a couple cheap LED's from amazon along with some mounting brackets and have them mounted to my Mutazu engine guards.
 

Attachments

  • LEDnew.JPG
    LEDnew.JPG
    52.9 KB · Views: 147
I installed some inexpensive LED pods from amazon, and used a Skene controller to easily wire them into the existing headlight switch so that they were at 100% with the high beams on and 20% with the low beams. The Skene controller is a little pricey, but makes wiring a snap and no need for a separate switch on the handlebars.

Here’s the description from an earlier post with links to the hardware (I don’t know why the photo is showing up - that’s not my bike [emoji2369]

LED Spot Lights
Activity Stream - Honda NC700S, NC700X Forums

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
Auxbeam has pretty good "bang for the buck" reviews, so I went with them. I was impressed enough with the quality that I bought another (larger) pair to use as fog lights on my truck. I have them mounted on the bottom side of the Denali bracket and aimed to match up with the headlight. I wanted added light at night, but keep them on 24/7 to help other drivers see me.

Amazon.com: Auxbeam 3 Inch LED Light Bar 20w LED Pods Fog Lights Square Cube Lights Spot Beam Driving Light Waterproof for Offroad Truck 4WD SUV ATV UTV (Pack of 2): Automotive
610w4ddpY2L._SL1000_.jpg
 
So I decided to go with these 20W Square LED off Amazon. From the review pictures, its light pattern best resemble headlights - not quite spot, not quite flood; it's a flat patter with top cutoff so I don't blind on-coming traffic. It also has a separate wire for a set of halo lights that I planned on using as Daylight Driving lights or turn signals.

Once I received the lights, I took it apart and painted the halo lens orange from the inside. I used some transparent window art paint. The orange paint turns out pretty good after 3 coats. It's a bit yellow/amber-ish. I was thinking to connect the turn signals to the halo ring.

20190627_214723.jpg

Then I proceeded to take out the side panels and cut the wires to the turn signal. But then things got interesting... Comes to find out, the front turn signal is actually 2 sets of lights - daylight driving lights and actual turn signals. DL driving light is on all the time. It's cut out when turn signal is turned on and the 2nd set of lights start blinking. Well, I didn't know that. Kinda throw a wrench in my plan.

Here's the halo ring wired to the turn signal's DL driving light wire.

20190627_214620.jpg

Both main LED 20W each and the amber halo are lit up.

20190627_222210.jpg

Light pattern of the LED lights without headlight.

20190627_222250.jpg

I am pretty impressed and happy with the lights. The downside though - the main housing is metal but the front cover and the light cover are both plastic; the water seal is clever but not robust. Only time will tell how well they hold up.

More on wiring...
 
Testing out the turn-signal function with the halo ring. Would need to add resister if I were to wire it this way.

[video=youtube;KepnJed96yI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KepnJed96yI[/video]

Testing out the turn-signal function with the halo ring while the main LED is on. The 20W LED is overpowering the amber halo ring so you can barely see it when both are on at the same time. But in blinking mode, it's visible and noticeable.

[video=youtube;YXSB6v2fVTE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXSB6v2fVTE[/video]

The main LED is good to go, wired up to a switch and connected straight to the battery with a fuse.

But what to do with the halo rings?

1) wire with blinking turn-signal for extra visibility
2) remove amber paint, run as DL driving lights
3) wire with the LED
 
1) additional turn signal light

I just installed replacement mirrors with built in turn signals and I like it, adding an led requires no extra work because you've still got the resistance of the regular bulbs
 
Back
Top