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Recommendations for additional front & rear lighting

Got the Denali D3 lights and B6 brake light installed today, but haven't had a chance to aim them yet. They seem to be (electrically) working as designed. A few things l noticed during the install.
1) The manufacturers instructions are better and more accurate than some of the Youtube videos.
2) It is unlikely the lights will stay in the position I set them in since it is smooth steel against smooth steel; nothing like external star washers are supplied.
3) The provided cables that plug directly into the CANSmart do not firmly snap into their mating end. On the end of the cable that plugged into the lights, the connection snapped into place with a definite click. This caused a bit of an issue because after the install and during reassembly of the bike, they came unplugged, resulting in disassembling the bike again.

Hopefully I will get a chance to aim the lights tomorrow.

The Denali folks were quite helpful in assisting me in getting right product to suit my needs.🙂
 
ZoomerP said:
That's no good. Are the M & F ends not designed to lock, or are they just different enough to not engage properly with each other? When fully seated, is the connection weather tight?

I'd consider adding a small amount of silicone sealant or something similar between the plug shells to keep them seated, but still allow them to be separated with a little effort or knife work.
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Thanks. I didn't think of using silicone. If I have to tear into it again (due to them coming disconnected) I think I will fill the connectors with silicone and tape them in such a way that they won't fall apart.

The ends are designed to lock together but they don't seem to work. At least not as good as the other end of the cable. I would say the connections are weather resistant but they are not water tight. If they were submerged I am sure they would fill with water.
 
Let Denali know. They may have received a bad batch of hardware and aren't aware that it doesn't fit properly. If that's the case, the sooner they know the sooner they can fix the problem.
 
I'm all for conspicuity however, some of these aftermarket lights are blinding to oncoming traffic.

Couple that with the morons who ride around with hi-beams 24/7 and safety quickly becomes a head on when a cager becomes disoriented and suffers target fixation.
 
Shinyribs said:
Let Denali know. They may have received a bad batch of hardware and aren't aware that it doesn't fit properly. If that's the case, the sooner they know the sooner they can fix the problem.
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Good advice. I Denali an e-mail last night. Thanks.


Jo Mo Ma said:
I'm all for conspicuity however, some of these aftermarket lights are blinding to oncoming traffic.

Couple that with the morons who ride around with hi-beams 24/7 and safety quickly becomes a head on when a cager becomes disoriented and suffers target fixation.
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Couldn't agree more.
 
I'm interested in picking up a pair of Ericas and mirror mounts for my new K bike. I never seem be able to make it to the rallies they attend so I emailed Clearwater today asking if a sale is coming up. I haven't heard back but hopefully they'll let me know. In the past Clearwater has had a Black Friday sale but who knows this year.
 
Friz Freleng said:
I'm interested in picking up a pair of Ericas and mirror mounts for my new K bike. I never seem be able to make it to the rallies they attend so I emailed Clearwater today asking if a sale is coming up. I haven't heard back but hopefully they'll let me know. In the past Clearwater has had a Black Friday sale but who knows this year.
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When I was trying to decide what lights to go with I e-mailed Clearwater. Weeks went by and no response. I now own Denali lights.
 
TravelinLite said:
When I was trying to decide what lights to go with I e-mailed Clearwater. Weeks went by and no response. I now own Denali lights.
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Thanks. I'm juggling Clearwater, Denali, and Ruby. I have a pair of Clearwater Ericas on my GSA that have been great but I bought those 9 years ago. Fast forward to today and the price for Ericas, K bike mirror mounts, CA tax, and shipping amounts to around $1440!
My only concern about Denali is that it doesn't have any inventory right now. Whether that's because of lingering supply chain issues or because the company was absorbed into an Australian automotive conglomerate (Denali > Twisted Throttle > Vision X > Brown & Watson International > GUD Holdings), I have no idea. I'm in no hurry though.
 
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Fritz, for what it is worth.
It took about 6 weeks for mine to arrive.
The cost for two D3 lights, B6 brake light, CANsmart controller, under-the-beak bracket and the wiring for total plug-n-play for my 1250gs. Edit: Forgot to include price for above = $851.00. Sorry.

My e-mails to Denali averaged about a week to get a response and I think they are only in the office three days per week. Who knows now with there current consolidation activities.

Good luck with whatever you go with.
 
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Ha...working in the rv, trailer and truck industry I was going to recommend trailer minirounds. Basically the standard marker light on almost any modern trailer. Mounted in a 3/4 hole with a rubber grommet. I've installed lots of lights and these never came back. Also on boat trailers so submersion is fine. LED low draw and usually about $5 a piece.
 
TravelinLite said:
When I was trying to decide what lights to go with I e-mailed Clearwater. Weeks went by and no response. I now own Denali lights.
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Just to follow up, I did hear from Glenn at Clearwater who offered me the discount he was offering at the BMW MOW national rally! Color me impressed.
 
TravelinLite said:
I have read about products from several companies and would like to see what other R12XXGS riders are doing.

I am looking to add white driving lights (spots) on the front that mount no lower than the bottom of the beak.

For the rear, I would like to improve the anemic factory setup on my 2021 1250GS. I am accustomed to a strobe back there so something like that would be nice.

What say you folks that have already been through this?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
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TL: I have some real boring advice....Why do you think you need this stuff? The rear lights on the GS are LED and are as bright as allowed on a new motorcycle from the factory. The only accessory I'd consider is one of those extra lights and ONLY on the brake light. I've got a buddy I follow a lot who has one and his normal tail lights are augmented with these real bright things. It looks like brake lights all the time and it makes me crazy. Also, very bright driving lights are obnoxious, day or night. If you're in a group, the leader can't see anyone behind you. Use this stuff sparingly and it's OK. Otherwise, just leave it off. It won't save your life.
 
Gwiz said:
TL: I have some real boring advice....Why do you think you need this stuff? The rear lights on the GS are LED and are as bright as allowed on a new motorcycle from the factory. The only accessory I'd consider is one of those extra lights and ONLY on the brake light. I've got a buddy I follow a lot who has one and his normal tail lights are augmented with these real bright things. It looks like brake lights all the time and it makes me crazy. Also, very bright driving lights are obnoxious, day or night. If you're in a group, the leader can't see anyone behind you. Use this stuff sparingly and it's OK. Otherwise, just leave it off. It won't save your life.
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Gwiz, the lights on the r1250gs I have are very poor and pale compared to the OEM lights that came from the factory on all of my Goldwings. Additionally, I have read in a few safety studies that it is harder for drivers to judge distance if only one light is illuminated on the front or back of a vehicle. The brake light flashing on deceleration is another safety item given how fast these bikes will slow down with just engine braking.
 
TravelinLite said:
👍Glad to hear it. Good luck.
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I guess I'm going to need it. Got my lights but installation instructions for the mirror mounts weren't updated for the new TFT screen dash design of the 2022 GT. Clearwater was no help other than to say they installed the mounts on a 2022, so it can be done.
 
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