18W Cree LED Auxiliary Lights - Night Rider Video

Ciderdrinker · Feb 9, 2018

Hi. I'm thinking about buying the 18w Cree lights off ebay. Does anybody have any experience with both the flood and spot lights? I'm looking to improve the lighting levels at approximately the same distance as the main beam (and maybe slightly further on). Also across the width of the road. There's a lot of unlit country roads where I live and my commute to work and back is very similar.
So, flood or spot? I suppose at the price they're advertised at I could get both but wanted your ideas first.

Thanks!!!

Andi_archer · Feb 9, 2018

If you mean the oblong ones they come with a variety of labels and prices under £20/pair is the best price you may see.As to wide or spot the wide is akin to having a bare bulb and the light is non directional whereas spots of the same type do give some control over the light spread.

Which offering did you have in mind?

Flaming T · Feb 9, 2018

Ciderdrinker said:
Hi. I'm thinking about buying the 18w Cree lights off ebay. Does anybody have any experience with both the flood and spot lights? I'm looking to improve the lighting levels at approximately the same distance as the main beam (and maybe slightly further on). Also across the width of the road. There's a lot of unlit country roads where I live and my commute to work and back is very similar.
So, flood or spot? I suppose at the price they're advertised at I could get both but wanted your ideas first.

Thanks!!!

FWIW... you can get 27w lights that are exactly the same size as the 18w. I have just taken delivery of some and will fit on weekend.

As to the answer to your question and with reference to 'spot' only, it may depend on where you locate them. Low down will provide good spread on your dark roads. High up will mainly (IMHO) add to the overall lighting at night. The OEM mainbeam is awesome on its own and you would need a narrow band additional light (10 degrees or less) to help out in that respect. These lights are 30 degrees.

Hope this helps. :beerjug:

Wreford Miles · Feb 9, 2018

Warlord said:
During night riding they point to the ground about 20 feet in front of the bike and on Main Beam they are set to 100%. They illuminate the whole road area so you can actually see what your riding on.

.

IMO opinion putting more light into the fore/middle ground is a bad thing...

As we know, a key factor to safe riding is to look as far ahead as possible. When riding in the dark a good long range main beam helps you do this however if you overfill the fore/mid ground you have to fight past the desire to look at the ground in front of you - In the daylight you hopefully don't watch the texture of the tarmac as you ride along, so why do you want to see what you're riding on at night!

Even watching these video's you'll find yourself looking at the fore/mid ground area which is now even brighter - You know you should be looking way beyond that area.

Personally I keep plain old halogen for dip and aux's to give a nice comfortable on the eye evenly filled area in front of me and have a long range LED to punch through this for my main beam which gives me a bright spot in the distance and one that's not competing with the fore/mid ground light so it draws you eye to the distance.

Warlord · Feb 9, 2018

I disagree.

At night you cant see small animals, roadkill or debris in the road easily until your on top of it.

Having a mix of log range spots (headlight LED and 18W cree LED) gives great long range spread.

BMW Auxilary spot lights pointed 20 feet in front of bike gives you a chance to scope your immediate braking surface for obstacles, mud and serious debris.

Wreford Miles · Feb 9, 2018

Warlord said:
I disagree.

At night you cant see small animals, roadkill or debris in the road easily until your on top of it.

Having a mix of log range spots (headlight LED and 18W cree LED) gives great long range spread.

BMW Auxilary spot lights pointed 20 feet in front of bike gives you a chance to scope your immediate braking surface for obstacles, mud and serious debris.

Unconscious Incompetent

I’m not saying don’t light the fore/mid ground I’m saying don’t over light it because it will distract you from keeping your focus as far out as possible.

When you’ve given that some proper thought and understand it I’ll move you on to

Conscious Incompetent

Warlord · Feb 9, 2018

Wreford Miles said:
I’m not saying don’t light the fore/mid ground I’m saying don’t over light it because it will distract you from keeping your focus as far out as possible.

Well then we agree.

My cameras won't pick up the distance light spread because of the foreground light levels.

But I can assure you its balanced well.

Warlord · Feb 9, 2018

Troppo said:
As a professional propellor head, let me say that the info overlay is very impressive!

Thanks

Wreford Miles · Feb 9, 2018

Warlord said:
Well then we agree.

My cameras won't pick up the distance light spread because of the foreground light levels.

But I can assure you its balanced well.

You’ve got a few pennies, ditch the cheapo,s and fit a couple of these, the spot versions: https://www.rigidindustries.com/led-lighting/202213

Then adjust them for long distance and you'll be getting every where 20% quicker

Zenoverland sell them, but there website is down while they move locations at the moment

Warlord · Feb 9, 2018

Wreford Miles said:
You’ve got a few pennies, ditch the cheapo,s and fit a couple of these, the spot versions: https://www.rigidindustries.com/led-lighting/202213

Then adjust them for long distance and you'll be getting every where 20% quicker

Zenoverland sell them, but there website is down while they move locations at the moment

Noted, thanks.

When mine fail, I'll take a look at these

Ciderdrinker · Feb 20, 2018

Hi. Can the Hex Ezcan unit switch 2x Cree LED aux lights on/off just using the low/high beam switch on the left handlebar? At the moment I'm not too interested in strobing/dimming using the wheel controller etc, just want both aux lights to come on at 100% off the bikes original switch when riding at night. Any body help?

Cheers!!

Andi_archer · Feb 20, 2018

Nope its not designed to work that way, the easiest way would be to install a relay to pick a signal up from the high beam.

Warlord · Feb 21, 2018

Ciderdrinker said:
Hi. Can the Hex Ezcan unit switch 2x Cree LED aux lights on/off just using the low/high beam switch on the left handlebar? At the moment I'm not too interested in strobing/dimming using the wheel controller etc, just want both aux lights to come on at 100% off the bikes original switch when riding at night. Any body help?

Cheers!!

Yes it does exactly that.

On the EzCan you set low beam (day and night) at 0% (effectively off) and high beam (day and night) at 100%.

This means your auxiliary lights will be off during normal riding, and when you select the high beam switch, your normal headlights will go high beam and auxiliary lights at 100%.

Ciderdrinker · Feb 22, 2018

Thanks for the reply Warlord. Installation day is tomorrow so hopefully all will go well. I didn’t know there’s a day/night sensor on the bike. Roll on more illumination!

NomadLad · Oct 29, 2018

Warlord said:
Dont forget some 2 core cable. I'd recommend about 4 metres so you have some contingency.

Preferable soldered joints otherwise they may rattle into poor connections on a bike.

Just got my ezcan, about to order some of those cree lights from Amazon, do they come with sufficient length of wiring for our application or is that what you were suggesting purchasing the two core cable for?

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Warlord · Oct 29, 2018

NomadLad said:
Just got my ezcan, about to order some of those cree lights from Amazon, do they come with sufficient length of wiring for our application or is that what you were suggesting purchasing the two core cable for?

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Cable with the lights is not long enough. You'll need extra cable... about 4 metres total (2 metres each side) to be on safe side for routing etc

NomadLad · Oct 29, 2018

Warlord said:
Cable with the lights is not long enough. You'll need extra cable... about 4 metres total (2 metres each side) to be on safe side for routing etc

Perfect thanks. All ordered.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

GB. · Oct 31, 2018

I think those BMW fogs give a really good spread of light at the sides, very impressive. The standard BMW dip is very good but like others on here I wanted more range of light further up the road, I've fitted Denali DR1s with a 1000ft beam!! Haven't actually tried them yet at night but on 40% power in bright sunlight wearing sunglasses I can still them shining on the car in fronts bumper! Fitted the hybrid lens that has reduced the beam distance to about 700ft.

GB. · Oct 31, 2018

Also I checked the consumption and they only pull 1.5 amps at 100% and .4 at 40% If you want a long rang beam its all about the lens more than the bulb and power output, the DR1s are only 10w

18W Cree LED Auxiliary Lights - Night Rider Video

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