First post here as well. Interesting.

 

yes, so?, I got my R1200GS less than a month ago.. I want to spread some general awareness on the quality of the OEM LED Auxiliary lights I'm not asking for anything .

I wish I could have find a post like this before getting them.

 

I had the plastic version of the same lights on my '09 GSA and, when I acquired my '14 GSA, the OEM auxiliary lights were the first things to go. I have replaced them with a pair of Clearwater Darlas that are aimed low/wide and really illuminate the sides of the road! The LED headlight is supplemented by a set of Kristas. For me, this is a great combination.

I'm certainly no lighting guru but the BMW lights, with their thick lenses, seem to be fog lights and, in that roll, work fairly well. They also seem to do the job for making the machine more visible to oncoming traffic. I ended up donating my OEM lights to a good friend who wanted them for his brand new RT. They were plug 'n play and he wanted them for visibility.

Sorry you didn't get what you needed but there are plenty of resources out there. Let us know what you end up with and welcome to the forum.

Mike

 

What did you do with the OEM lites? Sell them?

 

This one is designed for bicycles but the thing is spectacularly bright. I've seen them attached to off-road helmets.

Amazon.com: SIGA® 5000Lm 2x CREE XML U2 LED Cycling Front Bicycle Bike Light HeadLight Headlamp X2: Sports & Outdoors

 

Get the Erica's from Clearwater, works great and 6,000 Lumens per light. Took me two beer to install mine

 

I just had the CW Erica's installed. Man there bright! Not cheap, but worth every penny.

 

My riding buddies all tell me my stock OEM aux lights are obnoxiously bright (in a good way). For fog and making myself more visible to traffic, they are great. I have no problem with visibility and in the winter I commute to and from work without sun.

 

Agreed. I think most of the negative comments might have more to do with aim than brightness. Just bought the BMW LED lights this afternoon and was worried on the ride home that they were on the weak side. After a bit of adjusting/re-aiming, they now light up the whole road. Great lights, plus they are integrated into BMW console with indicator and button.

 

Those eye blasting lights are not considered *OEM* accessories where I live. So if highway patrol stops you they will kindly ask you to remove them if you want to keep riding.

I also opted for OEM BMW LED additional lights because I did not want to risk any circuitry frying thus woiding the warranty.

That said, I have no complaints at all about it. It´s on all times and does a reasonably good job at night.

 

They would not be "eye blasting" if properly aimed at the road rather than up into traffic. You could carry the page from the BMW OEM catalogue to prove they are Original Equipment Manufacturer lights. Clearly switching them off should be sufficient while in your state.

Where do you live (to warn us about unusual CHP rules)? I'm registered in California but have and do ride every US state but Alaska which I'll do this summer.

 

On my GSA I retained the BMW aux fog lights and added the Clearwater Darlas with the CanOpener 3 system. Both sets of lights fulfill different situations. Last Saturday while riding in heavy fog the BMW aux light were impressive. The Darlas just created excessive glare from diffused light in the fog. The Clearwaters are the bomb for clear night rides throwing impressive illumination ahead at the flick of the high beam switch. They are dimmed automatically when the headlight is returned to low beam for oncoming cars. There is a place for both sets. Saying the BMW aux lights are useless misses the point of the design, they are very useful in low visibility situations such as fog and rain. If I could have one type of additional light I would go with the Clearwaters because they define the best application for the majority of my rides. Both sets provide good conspicuity during daylight hours.

You have to educate yourself on the intended design of the light and how that fits your requirements. Just like tire choice every light system is a series of compromises. No one design does it all.

 

I have a pair of the Darla's on order to replace the factory OEM lights (Yes, they suck for lighting where you are going, only seem useful for being seen by others), and a pair of the Erica's to be mounted higher up on the engine guard someplace.

I have had the bike a little more than 2 weeks, and absolutely love this incredible machine. While it wasn't a planned purchase (loaner bike ridden for two days while my dealer prepped my new 16' K1600GT for me), I was hooked after two intro days on a regular GS.

But I do agree, the factory poem lights are really best for just being seen by others, and not much for lighting the path or where you are about to go.

 

Hi folks. Has anyone found anything on the market that is suitable to use on the 2013+ GS with the LED headlight option other than the Clearwater with the CANOPENER kit.

Cheers from Aus.

Simmo

 

Yes, Touratech has a set that has higher output than the Ericas for much less money. They also have something like the Canopener that enables use of the WW. I haven't bought them yet but considering them as an alternative to the very expensive Clearwater lights.

Wes

 

LEDs

I just bought a set of take-offs from a 2015 for cheap and installed them on my 2011GS (hacked together an aftermarket harness, switch and relay) and love them. Super bright and wide beam. Makes the stock headlamp look like a candle. From the dealer, they are pricey and perhaps better options exist, but if your bike came with, or you can score a used set, I recommend them.

 

When I bought my '14 GSA, it came with the OEM auxiliary lights. I had a set of take-off Kristas from my '09 and fitted them as soon as the Clearwater Canopener 3 arrived. I gave the OEM lights to a good friend and he loves them. He uses them for their intended purposes, fog and visibility.

Mike

 

mine also came standard with aux light,
I cannot really tell the difference if it's on or off. i do agree that they are weak but IT'S DESIGNED LIKE THIS,

These are designed to work as FOG LIGHTs, fog lights by definition are not bright. so it's by design.

I am thinking to swap them with something stronger or add 4 more. 2 on top and 2 on low bottom, and stock stays in the middle.

 

The Clearwater lights along with either the "can opener" kit or using the newer Hex EZCan system will not void warranty and in fact do not require splicing into ANY of the bikes wiring harness. It is plug and play and the EX CAN hooks directly to the battery then to the Can bus plug and all the controls are done using the switchgear already on the bike assuming you have the new LC bikes. I had this clearwater Can Opener system with the Darla running lights and the flashing Brake light kit all wired into the bike via CanBus plug and had no issues. I am however going to use the HEX EZCAN component to re use those lights on my new GS because it can be programmed to do more functions by plugging a laptop into the EXCAN and follow the downloaded software to assign plugs which are supplied that are water proof and makes for an extremely professional install and again with NO splicing of existing BMW wiring . You can also customize what all the lights will do and all the brightness is controlled by the joy wheel on the left handlebar along with the turn signal switch so on wiring is necessary on the already cluttered handlebars. Seems to be the best system overall.

cheers

 

I have the BMW AUX LED's on my 2013, bought the kit with switch and all and mounted them to a set of Touratech upper crash bars using their mounts, installed myself and had the dealer activate the feature within the ZFE, they charged $100 which was the biggest rip-off.
I do think that they could be brighter and have a longer throw but they get the job the job done for me after taking some time to adjust them correctly, they are very sensitive to the angle they are aimed I discovered.
I mostly wanted them to use as DRL's and they are great for that.
I also like to keep things stock.

 

This was my dialogue with my local BMW dealer's Service Manager:
Me: "I want some BMW auxiliary lights for my GS."
Service Manager: "No you don't."
Me: "Why not?"
Service Manager: "Because they're piss-weak. There are better plug and play lights. Look on the internet."

This was good advice. I ended up with Clearwater Darla lights and have not regretted it.

 

In the bigger-is-better world view, a stronger spot light seems a good idea. That is until you are driving behind a GS who is blinding you in the rear view mirror or you drive against one coming in the opposite direction.

I am all for safety but not at the expense of blinding other road users selfishly.

I hate cyclists who have strong blinding headlights. I drive carefully into them...like a deer




Sent from my MI MAX using Tapatalk

 

..... I am all for safety but not at the expense of blinding other road users selfishly. .....

The solutions are simple:
If you have ultra bright lights and use them as driving lamps, use them sensibly on high beam only.
If you have spots as daytime running lamps, make sure they're properly aligned.

Clearwater lamps have a control for 10 brightness settings. Mine are set at set at 2/10 for daytime running and 10/10 for high beam.

 

I don't know about Denali lights but I can tell you about Clearwater. The lights I bought for my '09 GSA are still burning bright 12 years later.

Mike

 

Hi, Good to know and thanks for the quick reply.
From your original post, what are “Clearwater Canopener 3”’s?
thanks again

 

The Canopener is what integrates the Clearwater with your BMW switchgear. You don't have to add switches to control the lights.

Mike

 

I see that now listed with the various lighting kits. Didn’t know what role it played.
thanks again for the reply and inf.

 

I see little difference between D and C in the global scheme of lighting. Both are CANBus controlled, both produce similar illumination and pattern. There is not much difference in price between the various similar product class units. Most of the time in discussions it is simply a matter of "My dealer had (insert Clearwater or Denali here) on the shelf and I went with that." or "I found a good deal on the (insert Clearwater or Denali here) CANBus controller and..."

For me, the local dealer had the Denali controller on the shelf so I use Denali D4's and D7's on my '18 R1200GSA because the connectors match.

 

That’s clear, and thanks; good to hear some perspective on Clearwater vs Denali, and probably some others. Avoid stress going down the “lighting rabbit hole“. Ultimately, you do your best (specs, features, etc, and dial them in) to be seen, …… but no guarantee nuts behind the wheel will take notice and say, “Hey, Thank you for choosing Clearwater, or Denali, or Skene). Thanks again.

 

Had the Baja Designs XL80s installed and they have held up well in the Indian conditions (read harsh, very harsh).
In place of the OEMs I have the Baja Designs S1 installed. All run off the Hex EZ Can.
These are all good lights as others in our group ride with Denalis/CWs/baja designs.