Where to mount auxiliary lights

[Gone in 60]

Hi all, getting to know my new (to me) 2013. One thing I do with all of my bikes is mount small LED spotlights to give myself more visibility to traffic. Looking at the bike, I'm not seeing some obvious mounting locations, and am wondering what other people have done.

Looking for ideas! Thanks

[apex1_imp]

check these out: https://www.twistedthrottle.com/shop-by-...crash-bars

Also check out this video at the 2:20 mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1IVZco0KZY

[bflint]

Beware of auxillary lights. I took mine off and they are sitting useless in a box on my tool bench. I bought the Twisted Throttle Denali DM 2.0 lights and installed on my bike last summer with the fork mounts (level with top of fender) ... whole kit cost $300. The ad stated that they increase illumnation and had supporting specs that stated the "spot beam lense" illuminated up to 400ft. Well, the ad lied ! I tried to use these at 3am in the morning between New Mexico and Arizona ... my PIA headlight beam worked better than the Denali lights. I stopped several times and adjusted these up/down, but nothing helped. Very disappointed. I believe the Denalis may serve ok a "visibilty lights" so others can see you from 400ft away, but they don't improve the rider's visibility. I am on the hunt for a "flood" type light system ... looks like Clearwater Lights may do what I want but they cost $600++.

[GoldOxide_imp]

Beware of auxillary lights. I took mine off and they are sitting useless in a box on my tool bench. I bought the Twisted Throttle Denali DM 2.0 lights and installed on my bike last summer with the fork mounts (level with top of fender) ... whole kit cost $300. The ad stated that they increase illumnation and had supporting specs that stated the "spot beam lense" illuminated up to 400ft. Well, the ad lied ! I tried to use these at 3am in the morning between New Mexico and Arizona ... my PIA headlight beam worked better than the Denali lights. I stopped several times and adjusted these up/down, but nothing helped. Very disappointed. I believe the Denalis may serve ok a "visibilty lights" so others can see you from 400ft away, but they don't improve the rider's visibility. I am on the hunt for a "flood" type light system ... looks like Clearwater Lights may do what I want but they cost $600++.

That does sound like a lunchbox letdown. Was the set even good enough as "driving lights", that is, illuminating the area immediately in front of the vehicle?

[bflint]

Beware of auxillary lights. I took mine off and they are sitting useless in a box on my tool bench. I bought the Twisted Throttle Denali DM 2.0 lights and installed on my bike last summer with the fork mounts (level with top of fender) ... whole kit cost $300. The ad stated that they increase illumnation and had supporting specs that stated the "spot beam lense" illuminated up to 400ft. Well, the ad lied ! I tried to use these at 3am in the morning between New Mexico and Arizona ... my PIA headlight beam worked better than the Denali lights. I stopped several times and adjusted these up/down, but nothing helped. Very disappointed. I believe the Denalis may serve ok a "visibilty lights" so others can see you from 400ft away, but they don't improve the rider's visibility. I am on the hunt for a "flood" type light system ... looks like Clearwater Lights may do what I want but they cost $600++.

That does sound like a lunchbox letdown. Was the set even good enough as "driving lights", that is, illuminating the area immediately in front of the vehicle?

Yes, for immediate area. Strangely, after installing them I tested them from a side road area with the light beams toward a hillside about 175 ft away. The hillside did illmuniate ok. But the light beams didn't illuminate very far on the dark open highway space ... maybe need something to reflect off. I want them for the dark open spaces so I don't get wiped out by rabbits, snakes, dear, mustangs, etc which tend wander around on/near the road at night.

[GoldOxide_imp]

Beware of auxillary lights. I took mine off and they are sitting useless in a box on my tool bench. I bought the Twisted Throttle Denali DM 2.0 lights and installed on my bike last summer with the fork mounts (level with top of fender) ... whole kit cost $300. The ad stated that they increase illumnation and had supporting specs that stated the "spot beam lense" illuminated up to 400ft. Well, the ad lied ! I tried to use these at 3am in the morning between New Mexico and Arizona ... my PIA headlight beam worked better than the Denali lights. I stopped several times and adjusted these up/down, but nothing helped. Very disappointed. I believe the Denalis may serve ok a "visibilty lights" so others can see you from 400ft away, but they don't improve the rider's visibility. I am on the hunt for a "flood" type light system ... looks like Clearwater Lights may do what I want but they cost $600++.

That does sound like a lunchbox letdown. Was the set even good enough as "driving lights", that is, illuminating the area immediately in front of the vehicle?

Yes, for immediate area. Strangely, after installing them I tested them from a side road area with the light beams toward a hillside about 175 ft away. The hillside did illmuniate ok. But the light beams didn't illuminate very far on the dark open highway space ... maybe need something to reflect off. I want them for the dark open spaces so I don't get wiped out by rabbits, snakes, dear, mustangs, etc which tend wander around on/near the road at night.

Yes, for immediate area. Strangely, after installing them I tested them from a side road area with the light beams toward a hillside about 175 ft away. The hillside did illmuniate ok. But the light beams didn't illuminate very far on the dark open highway space ... maybe need something to reflect off. I want them for the dark open spaces so I don't get wiped out by rabbits, snakes, dear, mustangs, etc which tend wander around on/near the road at night.
Understood. Those rabbits tend to muck up the exhaust headers and lunchbox.

[Gone in 60]

Thanks, guys. The bike has sliders at the mounting point on the frame where that engine cage would be, I'm eyeing the sliders as a possible mounting location.
As for light brightness, not so much concerned about how far they throw light down the road as I am with having added visibility up front. 99% of my riding is cut-and-thrust in L.A. freeway traffic with lots of lane splitting. A driver glancing in his mirror before a lane change will recognize three lights coming toward him as something other than half of a car more easily. I have a good collection of small, single LED lights. The better quality ones (better than $15 Ebay) actually throw decent light at night as well.

[Lord Popgun]

That slider mount idea is interesting. I have sliders too and never considered them as a light mount point. Hummm.

[Gone in 60]

I ain’t paying $300 for a light kit. My BMW had EBay lights on home made brackets fashioned from closet door hangers. A little wrinkle black spray paint and they looked like the nice ones.

[Lord Popgun]

$300? A set of Darla lights is close to $600. I ain’t paying that either!!