Extreme Farkling - Road Test!

[draco_1967]

Hope you have a speedy recovery!

 

[BigBill]

Item (7) in my update. The deflectors are one of my favorites as well, as they involve a bit of ingenuity and not just pulling out a Visa card. I haven't used the Honda deflectors, so I can't compare to them, but mine do a good job of deflecting wind from the lower body. My measure is the amount of wind fluttering of a pair of pants before and after. I generally ride in protective pants that don't flutter, but I did ride a before and after in khakis to test the difference, and it is significant. I also have not done a ride yet in hard rain, but I expect similar improvements.

I toyed around with how big to make them, but I am satisfied with the result both aesthetically and functionally. The cost was about $25 in materials. As far as learnings, I could have used tinted acrylic (not sure I would prefer it) and I could have "gotten away" with 3/16 instead of 1/4. Since I also needed them to perform duty as driving light mounts, I went heavy. The only downside was the need to heat them from both sides when forming the radii. I could have possibly clamped to the bars instead of drilling them, though they are quite heavy and I don't think I compromised them with four 1/4 inch holes where I placed them.

Thank for your interest. Let me know if I can provide any further info.

I would be interested in buying a set of these if you're so inclined in the future, perhaps an improved, clamp-on version that will accommodate the HondaLine fog lamps.

...and get well soon.

 

[Beemerphile]

I would be interested in buying a set of these if you're so inclined in the future, perhaps an improved, clamp-on version that will accommodate the HondaLine fog lamps.

...and get well soon.

Thanks, but I don't think I want to get into the manufacturing biz again. I can't get all of my own stuff done - especially now that I am going to be the one-armed wrong-handed gimp for the rest of the year. The fabrication is not difficult. And I have already figured out a clamp style mounting system. There are a lot of folks with the condition called drill-o-phobia. I guess I am a drillophile. When I bought my new Silverado, the next day the interior was out (including the dashboard and headliner) and I was chassis-punching a hole in the roof for the 2M HAM antenna and cell phone booster antenna. It doesn't bother me a twit to chuck a bit. My wife just shakes her head and won't let me near her Suburban with a loaded drill..

It has been a very effective addition to the bike though and could easily be held low enough to accommodate the Honda light bar, even though it provides a perfect mounting place for the lights and could save you the cost of the bar. One thing though, I am not sure that you can use the Honda light bar with the Givi engine guards. My system is built around the Givi bars.

 

[gkgeiger]

Unfortunately I have hit a setback Lane. I have torn a tendon on my left bicep from over-lifting and am going to have to have surgery to fix it. I was told that I will have to wear a brace and limit the use of it for six weeks until I finish physical therapy. So, I will have a new Russell seat and cannot ride my bike. I normally do an annual ride to Stockton, AL on the last week-end of the year. This year it is December 30th. That might squeak in with the completion of my PT regimen.

But that is only a short ride. The next really big trip is the maritime provinces and Labrador next summer. I will take the NC instead of the beemer.

Lee,
Sorry to hear of your problem. Unbelievably I'm having knee surgery tommorrow morning. I should be good to go before we leave for Fl in Dec. Good luck to you.

 

[Beemerphile]

Lee,
Sorry to hear of your problem. Unbelievably I'm having knee surgery tommorrow morning. I should be good to go before we leave for Fl in Dec. Good luck to you.

Good luck with yours. My wife says that growing old is not for sissies.

 

[BigBill]

Thanks, but I don't think I want to get into the manufacturing biz again. I can't get all of my own stuff done - especially now that I am going to be the one-armed wrong-handed gimp for the rest of the year. The fabrication is not difficult. And I have already figured out a clamp style mounting system. There are a lot of folks with the condition called drill-o-phobia. I guess I am a drillophile. When I bought my new Silverado, the next day the interior was out (including the dashboard and headliner) and I was chassis-punching a hole in the roof for the 2M HAM antenna and cell phone booster antenna. It doesn't bother me a twit to chuck a bit. My wife just shakes her head and won't let me near her Suburban with a loaded drill..

That really made me chuckle!

It has been a very effective addition to the bike though and could easily be held low enough to accommodate the Honda light bar, even though it provides a perfect mounting place for the lights and could save you the cost of the bar. One thing though, I am not sure that you can use the Honda light bar with the Givi engine guards. My system is built around the Givi bars.

I completely understand about the manufacturing thing, no biggie, but please share you idea for a clamp-on system...forgot about the engine guards.

 

[Beemerphile]

...please share you idea for a clamp-on system...forgot about the engine guards.

Without the engine guards, my system doesn't work. It starts from there. As far as clamps (to the Givi engine guard), they would work like handlebar windshield clamps. There are two bolts on each of the upper and lower mounting points. In my installation, the outboard bolt is drilled through the engine guard tube. It is a thick tube and I do not believe the 6.5mm hole sacrifices its strength significantly at the positions where I drilled. Some strength is regained when the hole is filled with a close-fitted bolt under tension. In the clamp design, the outboard bolt would be moved inboard to clear the Givi bar and the two bolts together would apply clamping force to the two halves of the mounting saddles. In the place of fender washers backed by rubber washers, I would substitute a rubber-backed load distributing plate to the front to reduce stress concentrations in the acrylic. I keep various thicknesses of rubber sheet around from which to cut rubber backings such as this.

 

[lamlamz]

10) Rigid Industries Dually LED Spot Lights: I am very pleased with these, especially when used with the IQ-170 controller. I have a control switch which cycles them between 20 % and 50% brilliance. When the high beam is triggered, the Duallys go to 100% brilliance. However, with the HID headlight being what it is, I cannot even tell whether the Duallys are on or off. I am sure they add significantly to "conspicuity" and they are indeed keepers, but if your only objective is to light the road, then all you need is the 55w HID headlight and nothing else. It just plain works.

Is this statement still stand true? I am thinking of adding fog light and/or spot light and I am not sure it will add any value since I also have the 55W HID ... Thoughts?

11) Strobes-n-More Amber LED Marker Lights: These do a great job. The amber color and the spatial separation from the headlight both add to conspicuity. As alternated turns, there is no doubt what the idiot on the motorcycle is about to do.

12) Whelen and Custom Dynamics rear lights: These are ambulance quality lights. They work very well - even off-center where some LED's have problems.

Have you heard about Skene Photon Blaster? What do you think about it? FYI your IQ-170 was designed by Jerry Skene...

Just wonder what your thoughts are... I got so confused by so many LEDs option out there. Thanks Lee.

 

[Beemerphile]

I think fogs are not much use, other than conspicuity, but spots aimed a bit wide do help with the peripheral visibility. Right now I have two D2 spots and two D2 Duallys and together they add quite a bit. I have never heard of the photon blaster.

EDITED: Corrections... (1) I have two Dually Hybrid Spots and two Dually D2 Driving beams. (2) With the term "fog" I was actually referring to what Rigid calls the "diffuse" beam.

 

[lamlamz]

I think fogs are not much use, other than conspicuity, but spots aimed a bit wide do help with the peripheral visibility. Right now I have two D2 spots and two D2 Duallys and together they add quite a bit. I have never heard of the photon blaster.

D2 with 6 LEDs? Wow... I thought spots aim narrower than the fog, which generally has wider/flood pattern.

1. Do you think it is odd configuration if I have one spot (LEFT) and one wide (RIGHT) lens?
2. I have 55W HID (yet to test it out: winter...) and I plan to get the Dually (4 LED), what configuration (spot or flood) would you recommend? Perhaps it would be better off I don't waste my money as the 55W HID should be self-sufficient or if not having at least the D2 (6 LEDs).

Appreciated. Thanks

 

[Beemerphile]

D2 with 6 LEDs? Wow... I thought spots aim narrower than the fog, which generally has wider/flood pattern.

This is true.

Do you think it is odd configuration if I have one spot (LEFT) and one wide (RIGHT) lens?

I think that is a very sensible combination.

I plan to get the Dually (4 LED), what configuration (spot or flood) would you recommend? Or I better off don't waste my money if not having D2 (6 LEDs).

The Dually Hybrid Spot actually has a farther reach than the more powerful D2 Driving, but it is by necessity a narrower beam. One Dually Hybrid Spot on the left, aimed just left of center, will augment the HID main beam nicely. I have two Dually Hybrid Spots aimed slightly left and right of center that operate only with the high beams to widen the distance field. If you co-aim a Spot with the main HID beam, you won't notice much improvement from the expense and trouble. I personally think the diffuse patterns of the Dually and Dually D2 are too short to be helpful at road speeds because they don't give you enough reaction time to anything they show you. Just enough to go Oh S***!" A Dually Hybrid Flood, however, has enough reach to be useful and would make sense on the right side giving you a view of things that might dart into your path such as woodlands fur-bearing forest creatures or idiot humans.

As far as the Dually vs. the Dually D2, the difference in total light output is significant. But this does not mean that the standard Dually does not do a very good job. I went with twin Dually D2 Driving beams because of my ignorant penchant for night driving in critter country. If some is good, more is better, and too much is just right. After all of that, they still might hit you. If you are not night driving in critter country, an HID main beam with a mixed pair of Duallys should make you proud. As far as controlling the wider beam, I chose the IQ-170 controller. With it, I have the beam at 50% on low beam to provide conspicuity. The controller takes it to 100% with the high beams. The beam is diffuse enough that at 50% you will not get people flashing their high beams at you. My spots operate, as I said, from the high beam switch. With this set-up, no additional control switches are required.

(Now everyone can chime in with a $50 light that does the same thing)

Here are the beam patterns of the various Dually options.

 

[HONDABIKEPRO]

i also have rigid 4 led lights, and every night when i go home i always see a oncoming train, along side the road coming at me///// but even with all my lights on high that train still has more light then i, and will not dim his lights,HA HA. I WILL FIX HIM I AM GOING TO INSTALL MORE LIGHTS. as lee said if a little is good, more must be better. dale