LED Headlights

[1olbull]

YES. Unlike the touring model, you can set the lights a little further apart and this pretty much takes care of the problem of losing your lights while in a tight turn.

I have just purchased a set of the new JW Speaker 8690 As (Adaptive) and shall test the difference, if any, compared to my current Daymakers.
The Adaptive are pretty trick and supposed to greatly improve cornering visibility.

 

[DEcosse]

Be interesting to see if the Adaptive really works (well) and gives good enhancement when cornering

Any chance you can do a before and after video of same section of a quiet country road, so we see what really happens in the bends.
(all well & good that Harley dude shining them on his garage door, but on the road, in corners is what really counts)

 

[cr0ft]

I have a total of three lights on mine including the LED driving lights, or five if you count the new white halos. And I've driven the bike some hours in the pitch darkness with the LED's. They're adjusted right to work without blinding people, ie they put light where it's supposed to go.

And the fact remains that you still have issues seeing what's on the shoulder if you're really tilting the bike in and leaning. If you ride like an old man and crossed up keeping the bike straight then perhaps it's not so bad...

But you tell me, what happens when you lean your bike when you have this light pattern from the headlight? The areas where I put arrows are what "shines" on the shoulder of the road. Not one whole heck of a lot of light there...

 

[barbagris]

I have just purchased a set of the new JW Speaker 8690 As (Adaptive) and shall test the difference, if any, compared to my current Daymakers.
The Adaptive are pretty trick and supposed to greatly improve cornering visibility.

Bull - They make a HUGE difference. Fitted a set at end May and was finally able to give them a blast July 1st.

10mins of your life you cant get back https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/29687859/lights.zip
Almost all Adaptive Dip Beam. One or two moments on main and even a quick flash of the Speaker 6150 fogs.

 

[HansO]

Bull - They make a HUGE difference. Fitted a set at end May and was finally able to give them a blast July 1st.

10mins of your life you cant get back https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/29687859/lights.zip
Almost all Adaptive Dip Beam. One or two moments on main and even a quick flash of the Speaker 6150 fogs.

wow pretty impressive good vid's there Chris

 

[1olbull]

Bull - They make a HUGE difference. Fitted a set at end May and was finally able to give them a blast July 1st.
10mins of your life you cant get back https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/29687859/lights.zip
Almost all Adaptive Dip Beam. One or two moments on main and even a quick flash of the Speaker 6150 fogs.

Good to see you post again, GrayBeard!
Really like the way the adaptive works in your video.
Personally, I thought you were outrunning your low beams after passing the car.
I would have liked to see more high beam riding, which is what I always do when no approaching vehicles are within 100 meters or so.
Now you have me stoked to get my new LEDs mounted.
Thanks for the post!

 

[barbagris]

Personally, I thought you were outrunning your low beams after passing the car.
I would have liked to see more high beam riding, which is what I always do when no approaching vehicles are within 100 meters or so.

I'd say that whilst the camera footage is pretty much spot on what the eye sees in colour - human eyes see monochrome too and are more sensitive
So you actually see better than the camera.

The Rods and Cones of the Human Eye

Normally I would have used High more and would had left the Fogs on.
But I really wanted to catch the adaptive bits working. And they do not activate on High.

btw - these should be run via relays. On full adaptive they draw over 4 amps each.

My rule for HIGH is different. If I can see their light glare - I know mine will blind. - I really must fit a "flash" button - one day - maybe after I get these **** pigs to fly.

 

[1olbull]

I'd say that whilst the camera footage is pretty much spot on what the eye sees in colour - human eyes see monochrome too and are more sensitive, so you actually see better than the camera.
The Rods and Cones of the Human Eye

No camera or video can duplicate what the human eye can see.
For trials, I duplicate the ambient light at the scene and bracket my photos so I can show them and choose the one that best represents the true scene.

Normally I would have used High more and would had left the Fogs on.
But I really wanted to catch the adaptive bits working. And they do not activate on High.

No $hit! The adaptive do not function on high beam? That there SUCKS!

btw - these should be run via relays. On full adaptive they draw over 4 amps each.

Oh crap! More 'lectric stuff to consider?!?

My rule for HIGH is different. If I can see their light glare - I know mine will blind. - I really must fit a "flash" button - one day - maybe after I get these **** pigs to fly.

You are a nicer man than I.
I have to deal with numerous vehicles on high beam passing me without regard from the opposite direction.
Sometimes I choose to be one of them!

 

[hoopla]

So I'm breathing new life into this thread. I've reviewed everything I could find about the led lights. Ran the videos as well. In viewing the videos, my personnel opinion is that the low were set in to close to the bike, would have preferred them up a few more degrees. Of course that would set the highs up more too. Locally what we fear are deer crossing the road. Fortunately their eyes are set on the sides of their heads and are very reflective and can be seen from a good distance if one pays attention.

Having said all of that, are the JW Speaks As the way to go, didn't see any comparisons to the HDs directly. My Bonnie had terrible lights to begin with, working with Daniel Stern lighting he directed me to Cibe lenses which made a nice difference in light distribution. Not great though, seens the leds are much better to begin with, but would still have to good lenses to due the proper job.

Would appreciate any further thoughts any of you might have.

Thanks

Hoopla

 

[barbagris]

IF you want the adaptive lights. You are confined currently to JWSPEAKER. (BEWARE some Chinese copies that look adaptive - but are copies of the cheaper Speaker which does not have the technology - but shares the same lens set)

I had the JWS equivalent of the "Early Daymaker" on before and the difference is NIGHT AND DAY. And the early lights were not bad at all. It just the adaptive ones are stunning and are designed for banking two wheelers. Most other lights are basically adapted car/truck lights.

But this specialized smaller scale production comes at a price and it's not insignificant.

If you spend a lot of time cranked over in bends on unlit roads - then you will appreciate adaptive. If fact you'll question why they're not a legal pre-req.
If you spend most of your time pretty much upright then then pretty much any modern LED unit will outshine the Halogens.
If you never ride unlit roads you don't need adaptive either.

My old (1979) Guzzi has a Truck-Lite in. Excellent light - but fitted because it is bright and visible- Adaptive was not important as it never gets used at night.
When I use the R3 at night it tends to be for hours on end. In the New Forest in the UK - the adaptive showed their full advantage.
For those who do not know - in the NF horses roam free and have the right of way.

ARE THEY WORTH IT?
imo - Worth every hard earned penny.

Oh - and yes I have since tweaked them UP a bit. Led lights are a bugger to set without a good beam setter.