Clearwater LED Auxilary Lights (Erica & Krista)

[jut8]

So I just bought a new to me FJ-09 with very low miles on it, and the original owner was going on and on about the LED lights he added to the bike, making a really big deal about them....I could care less, I fitted Superbrightleds.com aux lights to my old versys and nc700x and had nothing but luck with them, they worked great, and really added some great light to the road.

So the lights that were mounted onto this FJ were the Clearwater Erica and Krista models, one is more of a spot light, the other one more of a floor/wider beam. I went home and decided to look them up online, and the first shocking wow factor to me was the price, these things are freaking expensive!

 

https://www.clearwaterlights.com/collections/erica

https://www.clearwaterlights.com/collections/krista

My first thought was lets rip these things off, sell them, and just put the cheap superbrightled's you have been using and been happy with years on there, and that was my plan. However, when you first get a bike, you want to ride it before your start tearing into it (well, not always , haha), but in this case, we have been having a ton of rain, and we had a few nice days, so I took advantage of them.

Before I even fired the lights up I noticed some extra wiring going on, one to what appeared to be a dimmer on the handlebar, and the other had me scratching my head because it was wired into the horn....oh well Ill figure that out when I rip these things off I told myself. So I rode to work, then planned on testing them out after work on the way home.

All I can say is that I was floored when I turned these lights on at night, not only did they totally drown out every ounce of light out of my headlight, but these two lights threw useable, crystal clear light out about another 25-30 yards further than my headlight alone did with the high beam on, and the width of the light was unreal for your peripheral vision.....then I came to find out that the dimmer switch was only a little better than half way full! Cranked these things up to full blast and it was unreal, I know people refer to lighting as turning the night into day, but I can say without hesitation, that these lights do just that.

Then I blipped the horn, well that takes the lights to a whole different level by adding even more intensity to the light....thats what the little wire going to the horn was for, you blow the horn, and powers the lights to full blast, even if your dimmer is set to the highest setting, it still increases the light output quite a bit to get attention....very cool feature.

Now I will say that do doubt driving around with these on full power your going to get flashed or pulled over, but back roads at night, these things are the ticket to turning night into day. I have been driving around with them at night at about 25% power, and it seems to be pretty good for adding just enough extra light, and it does not bother other vehicles, but does make your more visible, and I havent gotten flashed yet with them turned low.

Bottom line is these lights are amazing. Now, would I go out and spend my own money on them? Thats a tough question, I can be pretty cheap, but after using them for the last couple weeks, I can honestly say there is a big difference between these and what I have used in the past, but still spending that much hard earned cash on a good set of lights is hard to swallow. But i know some of you out there would really enjoy them, and if you are looking for a high end aux light system, I can say you will not be disappointed with them. The build quality is top notch, wires and connectors are very nice and stout, and in my opinion, they look dead sexy. So if you want a great set of lights, and are looking for some thing different, give these a go.

Here are some photos of my setup, the original owner fab'ed some brackets up to mount the lights up high, I didnt care for that look much, so I bought a bracket and mounted them lower.

 

 

 

 

[jut8]

[jut8]

[wordsmith]

Noice!   You make a compelling case for these lights...

[bigorangecntry07]

These lights are BIG TIME with the BMW GS guys/gals, they don't shut up about them! A good set of lights are definitely worth the money if you do a lot of night time riding, especially on dark back roads! I've got some Cyclops spot/floods I need to get mounted and wired up still but looking forward to the dimmer I have with them as well. Low beams are adjustable from 0-100% and high beams go 100%... should change them game!

[daboo]

As I mentioned on your thread over on ADVRider, I have the Clearwater Darla lights on my bike.  If the previous owner had not purchased and installed them, I would not have gone this route.

As you said, they are expensive.  I also found the black paint flaking off on one of the brackets and the light on the opposite side.  Clearwater eventually replaced them, but I had to twist their arm to do so.  If I'd been the original purchaser, I think there wouldn't have been the hassle.  But still...when you pay this much, you don't expect the paint to flake off.  And you'd think getting it rectified wouldn't be an issue.

I've used ADVMonster Model 30 lights on two previous bikes.  I like them in that they put out a 10 degree spot beam that you can keep focused in your lane...letting you use them in traffic.  And to give you an idea of the profit margin on the Clearwater lights...the Model 30 sells for $30, the last time I looked.  After @60,000 miles of use in Seattle's weather, they still looked like new.

If I was to replace the Clearwater lights on my bike now, I'd probably look at the ADVMonster Model 55.  It puts out 7 degree primary spot beam with the spill creating a bit of a flood light effect.  3000 lumens for these.  And the cost is $75 per light.

FWIW, I don't have any interest in ADVMonster other than being a satisfied customer.  You can check them out on their vendor thread over on ADVRider.  When I purchased my lights, I got a 10 percent discount by using the code "INMATE".

Chris