Adding LED secondary lights

[boatdetective]

I remember seeing a thread here on adding conspicuity lights. I don't want to pay the $$$ for the small Denalis. Anyone have a more economical option?

[Grant Borden]

boatdetective,

I have purchased some at the web site below. They worked very well, one went bad a few weeks past warranty, they replaced it, I was out shipping to them, they picked up return shipping.

[url]http://stores.advmonster.com/[url]

[twowings]

ITSec is an electronics/electrical accessories guru...his Norge is a nice rolling advert for aux lights and circuits...bet he has some ideas for you!

[kingoffleece]

I added the small Danali lights to my Norge.  Hamlin Cycles had a guy make some lovely aluminum stand-offs (turned and tapped) that look great.

Didn't like the price of the lights but love the performance for visibility.  Other riders tell me I'm visible from a long way off.  In the end that's what I wanted.  A nice light triangle (of sorts) to be seen.

[boatdetective]

[url]http://stores.advmonster.com/[url]

Perfect- looks like they have the right sized lights including mounts- THANKS!

[ITSec]

I added the ones at this link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G620ZVU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Very inexpensive (cue suspender snapping). They're called 'spot' beams, but they're actually fairly wide. The show reflector markers about 1 km (5/8ths mile) away, the same for animal's eyes. Non-shiny things are visible soon after, and in either case I get about 20-30 seconds to react instead of 5-10.

I used this switch https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00T7DOA6Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1, which I mounted on the Norge's panel above the ABS switch. I wired my lights through my auxiliary fuse block, which is relay controlled - if you don't have a fuse block, you should use a relay and pick up the signal input from an existing switched circuit.

I made a bracket using this template: http://people.delphiforums.com/ITSecurity/Norge/LightBarNorgev0-1.pdf

Total cost including some wire, heat-seal crimps, shrink-tube to keep the wires neat, and other shop supplies - about $50-60.

Here's the results:

[toma nova]

I added the ones at this link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G620ZVU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I put the same lights on my Stelvio, on the stock crash guard to replace the OE halogen Hellas.  The mounting bracket on the Nilights sucks - I noticed the right light beam flickering a little then the next time, it was bouncing all over.  The mount broke in two places and I'm just waiting for the light to fall completely off one day.

The light pattern and price is great, but these will not last on a crash / engine guard.  I'm going to have to bite the bullet for Rigid HDs with the massive mounting bracket (unless pyoung wants to start selling those slick CNC aluminum brackets).

Tom

[ITSec]

I put the same lights on my Stelvio, on the stock crash guard to replace the OE halogen Hellas.  The mounting bracket on the Nilights sucks - I noticed the right light beam flickering a little then the next time, it was bouncing all over.  The mount broke in two places and I'm just waiting for the light to fall completely off one day.

The light pattern and price is great, but these will not last on a crash / engine guard.  I'm going to have to bite the bullet for Rigid HDs with the massive mounting bracket (unless pyoung wants to start selling those slick CNC aluminum brackets).

Tom

That's strange - the mounts on mine have never been a problem in the 14 months or so (abt 25,000 miles) I've been using them. Where on the mount was the weak point for you? I'd like to check mine and see if they are showing any similar weakening. Also, what orientation did you use? It's possible that different orientation of the weight of the light stresses the mount differently. Mine are upright, with the mount straight down.

BTW, the Amazon listing says if you contact Nilight directly you can get the mount replaced, often under warranty.

[Viker]

That's strange - the mounts on mine have never been a problem in the 14 months or so (abt 25,000 miles) I've been using them. Where on the mount was the weak point for you? I'd like to check mine and see if they are showing any similar weakening…

For anything electronic, the Stelvio crash bar is a hostile, high vibration environment. Probably much worse than where you have the lights mounted on your Norge.

After the wiring in the back of my OEM Hellas lights shorted out and burned up, I replaced them with some cheap chinese LED running lights from ebay.

The replacements lasted about a week, vibrations cracked the solder.

So I re-soldered them and re-mounted them on some cheap chinese anti-vibration mounts (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/M8-Male-Female-Thread-Anti-Vibration-Rubber-Mounts-Bobbins-30mmx30mm-2pcs-/352006151582?hash=item51f5339d9e:g:~ZAAAOSwc-tY71mz)

That was 12 months ago and the cheap LEDs are still going strong.

I'm not recommending the LEDs because they're not any brighter than the OEM lights and I plan to upgrade them someday, but I can recommend the anti-vibration mounts.

[charlie b]

Well, if you want cheap...........  :)

Go down and buy the three pack of flashlights from Costco/Walmart/etc/etc.  The ones with single CREE chips.

Then wire up a voltage reducer (flashlights are 4V, not 12V).

Mounting is the appropriate P-clip type wire clamp (metal with rubber inside).  Single bolt to whatever is handy on the bike (mine were on the fairing).

$25 total.

And, the shocker was they were still doing well after 30k miles.  The black anodize had turned kinda gold color.  Great visibility lights.

You can kinda see them in this pic, up under the turn signals.