Hey, just because I bought an expensive motorcycle, doesn't mean I'm not a cheap bastidge. I like to tell my wife that I am a "frugal shopper." Perhaps a "discriminating consumer."
So, I priced out conspicuity options from several premium online retailers. I have no doubt that those brands offer top notch quality. But I gagged at the cost. So, my value-meter was not tempted. I did some research, and found that CREE has a recent model LED series called "XHP" that offers very bright lights in small form factors. The XHP70 model has 4 LED's on a single die, and claims approximately 1500 lumens. That sounded about right, and I searched for some motorcycle lamps having the XHP70 LED. I found lots of flashlights and wearable headlamps, but only one type of motorcycle running light. There are several variants on eBay, I bought this one which has a large extra heatsink on the back: XHP70 Motorcycle light
For $23 shipped to my door, what's the worst that can happen? I bought one, and it showed up about 10 days later. I was really impressed with the quality of materials and machining. But does it work? I rigged it to my Hex EZCan, and yikes, it is bright. So, I bought another one, and waited another 10 days. In the interim, I wired the bike to accept the lights with a quick disconnect so that if they fail, I can swap them out without needing to route new wires. I used Denali heavy-duty mounting brackets, which are very nice. These lights actually come with an assortment of well-made mounting pieces and stainless hardware -- they are intended to be mounted on the motorcycle forks. But my RT has too much bodywork for mounting on the forks, and I have engine crash bars as a mounting alternative.
Bottom line: for $46, these are excellent value. Here are some pics...
So, I priced out conspicuity options from several premium online retailers. I have no doubt that those brands offer top notch quality. But I gagged at the cost. So, my value-meter was not tempted. I did some research, and found that CREE has a recent model LED series called "XHP" that offers very bright lights in small form factors. The XHP70 model has 4 LED's on a single die, and claims approximately 1500 lumens. That sounded about right, and I searched for some motorcycle lamps having the XHP70 LED. I found lots of flashlights and wearable headlamps, but only one type of motorcycle running light. There are several variants on eBay, I bought this one which has a large extra heatsink on the back: XHP70 Motorcycle light
For $23 shipped to my door, what's the worst that can happen? I bought one, and it showed up about 10 days later. I was really impressed with the quality of materials and machining. But does it work? I rigged it to my Hex EZCan, and yikes, it is bright. So, I bought another one, and waited another 10 days. In the interim, I wired the bike to accept the lights with a quick disconnect so that if they fail, I can swap them out without needing to route new wires. I used Denali heavy-duty mounting brackets, which are very nice. These lights actually come with an assortment of well-made mounting pieces and stainless hardware -- they are intended to be mounted on the motorcycle forks. But my RT has too much bodywork for mounting on the forks, and I have engine crash bars as a mounting alternative.
Bottom line: for $46, these are excellent value. Here are some pics...