Slightly Disappointed In My New J. W. Speaker Evo 2

[Death Arrow 007]

Can anyone tell me why the beam pattern on this light would look like this? It's shaped this way only on the low beams.

I've included 2 pictures of each (regular and zoomed in low and high) for comparison.

The low beam seems to have a "dent" or dip in the upper left side of the most concentrated part of the beam whereas the high beam looks uniform all the way across.

Any ideas what's going on Here?

Regular low
Dropbox - 20170707_222527.jpg

Zoomed low
Dropbox - 20170707_222536.jpg

Regular high
Dropbox - 20170707_222547.jpg

Zoomed high
Dropbox - 20170707_222553.jpg

 

[sonny]

Have the original JW speaker lights. Pattern don't look like that. Then again it is a Roadster.

 

[Scorp]

Only a quick guess but maybe for US use where you drive/ride on the RHS of the road so the left of the beam dips to prevent light shining onto oncoming vehicles. In Australia our left spreads a bit more than the right.

 

[barbagris]

That Diagonal is because you have fitted a "handed beam". That is a RIGHT HAND DIP. It thus conforms to worldwide regulations. It's pretty much useless on single track vehicles. On the original 8630 Speakers the same feature is present - but less evident.

If you can - get your money back and fit SPEAKER ADAPTIVE headlights. More expensive - BUT a major difference on 2 wheels.

 

[Death Arrow 007]

A lot of what is being said here makes sense. I took it for a decent ride last night and found it to be a bit distracting. I also found that I need to adjust the headlight up a bit which will probably make this issue less noticeable.

I also contacted J. W. Speaker and will post their comments here when they get back to me.

 

[barbagris]

Here's the thing. JW-SPEAKER is NOT a MASSIVE mfr. So their products have to comply with UNECE regs (which are now pretty much a WORLDWIDE thing despite the fact it started in the EU - that € number is NOT just EU any more) as well as anywhere else (i.e. USA and Canada) - the costs of making different models for each market are prohibitive.

The early Speakers as well as many of their current range are designed for NON tilting vehicles. The fact they'll fit our make/model of bike is of course pure coincidence. BUT lets be honest this has been the case for years - pretty much any DECENT optic was aimed at MASS sales - which is not bikes. And as the move is more and more by vehicle mfrs to steer away from old round light standards the market for said is shrinking. Add Chinese knock-offs into the equation and we need to be thankful we have ANY non-OEM options.

JW-Speaker is (afaik) the only LED lamp mfr with TRUE M/C specific units. Their adaptive series. They do offer a reduced spec version without the tilt sensing (also available as knock off if you look) which for daylight riders is perfectly OK. This has a FLAT central dip (can be use LHD or RHD). They make zero sense in a car as cars don't usually tilt and frankly benefit in 99% of cases from a handed beam (unless like me you drive in LHD and RHD conditions). Anybody who goes LHD<->RHD knows that having to mask off that additional handed beam supplement makes a difference.

The simple fact is - you fitted a lamp not designed for a bike into a bike. We've all done it at some time of another - but that means we live with the deficiencies.
And yes - Alignment is a MAJOR importance on top range LED lights. They have very sharp cut-offs. Most of us have ridden with shyte lights all our lives which honestly were so poor that correct alignment is immaterial. I have seen some SHOCKINGLY bad lights - mostly sold for "Harleys" with no form of Homologation. Though tbh amongst the worst are the 5&3/4" OEM R3 lights.

 

[Death Arrow 007]

Where was everyone with all of this never-mentioned-by-anyone-ever info in all of the past threads pertaining to Speakers?

I've probably read every thread (here and elsewhere) and watched every video about these before deciding to get them, and.never once was anything ever mentioned about right or left handed lights.

 

[barbagris]

tbh - until Speaker brought out the ADAPTIVES the LED choice was LHD (UK and other colonies) or RHD (EU/USA etc). There have been Centre Dip lights about too but ime so far they're rubbish. mfrs simply only GENERALLY offer the version that suits the local market.

The Triumph lights are "handed" it's marked on the lenses. It's an arrow. And please don't take it personally but pretty much ALL headlights are HANDED. Always have been - and at a guess will be for a long time to come (except maybe top end mfrs with self adapting light arrays). At least in the 40 odd years I have been riding/driving it has been so - be it Tungsten, Halogen, HID or LED. Not just Speakers - but Hella, Truck-Lite, Bosch, Ring, Cibie, Marshal .............. So if nobody mentioned it it's probably because we simply assumed everybody knows this. It's all there in the spec sheets.

This report has been mentioned more than once - shows the dip cut outs. http://www.bogiesreviews.webs.com/Review - Phase 7 LED Headlights & Passing Lamps.pdf

 

[sonny]

I for one have never noticed it. My light pattern with the Roadster is complete. It took a bit to get them adjusted but am very pleased with the JW SPEAKERS. Not the adaptive but really have no need for it. Roads here in Oklahoma are pretty much straight and even were there are some curves have never had a problem. Given that i spend half my riding time at night, a good set of headlights are a must have item. Very happy with the lights and would buy them again. Riding a little over 250 miles a week at night on very rural highways the lights have saved my butt more than once by being able to see road hazards long before it becomes a problem.

 

[Death Arrow 007]

The Speaker pics within the above posted PDF file look identical to my beam pattern.

Not only that, but this is the first thorough comparison I've read where Truck Lites out perform the Speakers.