Clearwater Lights GROUP BUY Nov 1 to Nov 30

[GAS GUY]

How are these lights compared to hids in performance for long distance high speed driving lights ?? Say, as compared to to the legendary phid or phid4g.(phillips hid or phillips hid 4th generation) ????

[RocketMoto]

Originally Posted by TallRob

I sent him an email this morning telling him of my difficulty. I replied telling him that Adam ( Did I tell you all Adam= Mr. Awesome) helped me and that he would get in touch with me. I also told him that some of the gear he sent had to be modified to fit. Namely the POT "L" bracket had to have a bigger hole. It comes with a big hole and a smaller hole. Both holes need to be the same sized big hole to work on the Tiger 1050 .

Thanks for the nice comments, Rob - much appreciated.

I spoke with Glenn at Clearwater last evening, and some modifications to the kit (like a longer ground lead, a few spare Posi-taps and ring lugs) based upon your inputs, will be incorporated.

The documentation will also be updated to describe some install basics - including how to identify the right places to tap into for power and ground using a test light or multi-meter, what the function of each wires in the Krista harness is, and a trouble shooting section.

I did try to find a wiring diagram online for your bike, but couldn't. If you have access to one, we can identify the proper wire for the horn function.

[RocketMoto]

Originally Posted by imjinscout

How are these lights compared to hids in performance for long distance high speed driving lights ?? Say, as compared to to the legendary phid or phid4g.(phillips hid or phillips hid 4th generation) ????

The Philips 4G's will project out further than than the Krista's. The 4G's have a narrow pencil beam, whereas the Krista's have a more practical flood pattern - ideal to light up animals that may be lurking before they enter your path.

The Krista's will light the road - and everything else - it's like instant daylight, out to several hundred yards. Another significant advantage to the Clearwater's is that these are dimmable, so that you can run them for added conspicuity in traffic, day or night, and will illuminate to full brightness instantly, while HID's take several seconds to come up to brightness - and HID's are on full bright all the time (or completely off).

The Krista and little sister Glenda lights can be connected to the high beam headlight circuit, so even if dimmed, will illuminate to full brightness when the high beam is activated. Another slick feature is to connect these into the horn circuit with the provided lead, so that when the horn sounds the lights come on full brightness immediately, to wake up sleeping cage pilots.

Both lights are excellent and the combination of the two types would make for a fabulous setup.

[TallRob]

There is a pdf online somewhere for the Tiger 1050 workshop manual. I made a post asking for the link over on the tiger 1050 board. Hopefully someone will respond with an active link.

[RocketMoto]

Originally Posted by TallRob

There is a pdf online somewhere for the Tiger 1050 workshop manual. I made a post asking for the link over on the tiger 1050 board. Hopefully someone will respond with an active link.

Rob:

OK - here's the issue - the horn has a pink/black and two black/blue wires. The black/blue is the hot side, and the pink/black is the side that goes to the horn switch, which connects ground to the horn - the +12 volts is hot to the horn all the time. It is done this way because Triumph cheaped-out and didn't install a horn relay, so they switch ground to the horn thru the horn button.

So to get the horn function to work on your bike, you'd need to wire-in a relay, that activates when the horn button is pressed, to apply +12 volts to the Krista white wire. I could wire up a small relay for you for you - won't cost much, if you want. Easy to install.

Lemme know.

[TallRob]

well, i dont think Triumph had Krista lights in mind when they designed the bike.

[Meltdown]

Probably not. If your Tiger is anything like my FJR...Yamaha didn't intend for much in the way of electrical accessories to be installed either. 590 watts at 5000 RPM. 5k in top gear is about 90 MPH.

I just managed to luck out on my end because the bike has been fairly popular so there's lots of "bolt on" accessories available.

I don't know if you've already watched it, but there's a YouTube video in the first or 2nd post in this thread which shows what the lights do when wired to the horn switch. A semi-informal poll that i did seems to indicate that most people haven't wired their lights that way. I didn't. However, if you want that function, call Adam and purchase the relay which he offered to make for you.

Having said that, it would have been preferable if the kit had come with that included...but with so many different bikes around and the fact that Clearwater has only been making the Krista light for a few months, I guess it was bound to happen that a part didn't do quite what was intended based on a model specific quirk.

However, Glenn really is improving the product all the time. When I bought my Krista lights there didn't come with any sort of model specific bracket. So I spent another $50 on top of the $650 I paid for the lights to be able to properly mount them. For this group buy all of the people who purchased for the FJR got a model specific bracket to mount them included with the price. Ah....the price of being an early adopter.

In any case, do let the masses know what you decide.

And Adam...did you shoot Glenn an email about the Triumph's horn wiring specifics? I'm sure he'd be interested in knowing. I believe TallRob was the only one who purchased lights for a Triumph and it would be helpful for other people considering a purchase if they knew where to get a relay (like from you) or if Glenn included one with his kit.

If I remember correctly, about 1/2 the total was FJR1300's (I posted the group buy to the FJR Forum too). Most of the rest were BMW's, one Kawasaki Concours 14, and TallRob's Triumph Tiger.

Originally Posted by TallRob

well, i dont think Triumph had Krista lights in mind when they designed the bike.

[TallRob]

i posted my lights on the tiger board but people are bitching about the price and some guy posted that Denalies are better and cheaper............sigh.......lots of drunks posting tonight on that board

[katego]

drat! wish I would have seen this thread in time to get in on it!

will you please bump this thread if you do it again? i am subscribed.

-k

[Sutherngintelmen]

Originally Posted by TallRob

some guy posted that Denalies are better and cheaper

I have a pair of Denalies on my 690e and attest they are good lights. But, half the lumens and no dimming - don't think they could be called better.

[TallRob]

Originally Posted by Sutherngintelmen

I have a pair of Denalies on my 690e and attest they are good lights. But, half the lumens and no dimming - don't think they could be called better.

I see the Denalies have different lenses. Do you notice a big difference between the spot and flood?

[Sutherngintelmen]

Originally Posted by TallRob

I see the Denalies have different lenses. Do you notice a big difference between the spot and flood?

I need to be more accurate - I bought vision x led (which are base of Denali system) straight from vision x (just prior to twisted throttle packaging them with some mc specific frills).

I bought their 15 degree beam (the Euro beam i think they called it) so no compare spot to flood. They do work well, though - 10 watts, 900 lumens, small and tough.

[Meltdown]

Shoot me an email. No promises, but I'll see what I can do for you.

Originally Posted by katego

drat! wish I would have seen this thread in time to get in on it!

will you please bump this thread if you do it again? i am subscribed.

-k

[katego]

Originally Posted by Meltdown

Shoot me an email. No promises, but I'll see what I can do for you.

sweet. i sent a message to your gmail address.

-k

[TallRob]

I'm curious if anyone else installed their lights yet from the group buy. IS there a thread about on that FJR forum? linky please.