Lower driving lights 2012-14

[cmock]

Cant figure out why they redesigned lower cowel lights from round to rectangular and did not design new driving/fog lights to fit. Putting a round light in a square hole just looks ridiculous. Anyone know if they have fitted lights for this app. It only affects the 12-14. I have to all black option and would like to keep the orig. cowel. Also i like the rectangular ports better, just need lights that actually fit. Ive seen some of the mp3 lights but want something more traditional.(more like the round led lights available only rectangular).

[OkieDoc]

check out these...

http://64.64.1.174/index.php?route=product%2Fproduct&filter_name=6+shooter&product_id=58

[cmock]

Not too bad. They certainly do not give these away for sure. Thanks.

[bbalzer]

This is interesting. I have the original "6 Shooters" that EC sold. Have had trouble with them going out. Replaced one under warranty and then they quit making them and came out with the Single Shooter. Now 3 of the 6 on one light have quit again. Not sure I have the faith to try another set of these "new ones". Have been looking at bikemp3 lights this time

[Cruiseman]

We could spend a week trying to figure out why Honda did several things design-wise on the 2012+ model. I actually like the new cowl, but why not make a light to fit before you re-design it? And, don't get me started on the trunk.

[cmock]

Agreed. Back end looks like they forgot to finish redesigning it before they produced it. Also it seemed like the old saddlebags(last wing was 09) actually held more. Now I have to be a bit more scientific about loading them.

[JGDJR]

These are some killer lights for the 2012 and up...http://bikemp3.com/2012-GL1800-Lower...GW-LGT-12C.htm

but the lights OkieDoc linked to look great as well

It is really tough to decide,there are so many...but I still think the 960"s are at the top of the list...IMO

John

[h2otech]

I installed Show Chrome's Honda clones. I don't mind that they're round. Wife doesn't care either. I don't ride as much at night now. I liked them for the fact they were cheaper than oem. They bolt right up like factory and use a oem switch. I wanted the contrast of the different lights to catch the other drivers attention.

[1096dad]

on the 960 lights from bikemp3. I don't think EC makes the 6 shooters anymore though. Here's their current listings.

http://electricalconnection.com/driving-lights/gl1800-cowl.htm

[OkieDoc]

on the 960 lights from bikemp3. I don't think EC makes the 6 shooters anymore though. Here's their current listings.

[url]http://electricalconnection.com/driv...l1800-cowl.htm[/url]

This is the old website, they are in the process of populating the new one.

These are the new 6 shooters EC is making from their new web site http://64.64.1.174/index.php?route=p...&product_id=58

[bbalzer]

I can't even get EC to respond to my email asking about replacement for my "burned out" Six Shooters.

[Tony in AZ]

Electrical Connection web forum will be up to full steam soon, I hope.

the bikemp3 inserts for cowl lights in 2012 & up bikes... the mp3 inserts change the rectangle hole to a round hole. The adhesive with the inserts is a tube of bath tub n tile caulk. I bought a different adhesive to use.

So far the Shark eye lights do work. the light shines EVERY where, not directed (aimed) at all.

[glarson3]

I have the 960's from bikemp3. Great product, and great company. They are bright!!

[Redwing2012]

Both of the bottom halves of my EC six shooter have failed in less than 2 years. For the amount of money spent on these LED lights that are supposed to outlast 1970's lights bulbs, I am totally dissatisfied. I have bought $2.00 H3 bulbs that have lasted 2X times longer. 90% of my riding is in daylight hours. In hindsight this is one of the worst purchases I have ever made.

[MMR]

Okay, this is one of the stickler points for me. I am all into using functional lighting on the bikes...any bike. I have been through the extremes of having monster PIAA lights for rally riding, to having the SAF3 lights for the rear, that flash quickly to get the driver behind you to pay attention.

Now, when it comes to front lighting, most specifically to the lower cowl lights that we can install on our new(er) GL1800s, I am a firm believer that the lower cowl lights should be used to grab the attention of the oncoming cars....and NOT be used to light up the road for any long distance. On my F6B, I have the newer Single Shooter LED lights from EC, and I have had no problem with them failing at all. And, more importantly...and this IS important...I have the Yellow/Amber film on the lens cover of my lower cowl lights, as it makes the light stand out from all the white lights, so it seriously GRABS the attention of oncoming cars, or....cars that I am coming up upon.

That is a very serious issue...using a Yellow or Amber colored light or lens up front, as it stands out as being so different from all the white lights, that when an oncoming car, or a car in front of you, sees this different light, they now pay attention.

I can honestly say that there is a much bigger reaction to these Yellow lights, than there has ever been to any white lights I have used up front.

Any other riders that have seen these Yellow Single Shooter lights on the front of my bike, all agree that they are remarkable how they stand out from the norm of the white light crowd.

That is what gets you noticed. And they only draw 10 watts of power for each light, so that is a bonus.

Secondly...I think it is wrong to use a long distance/powerful light in the lower cowl location, in an attempt to light up the road further than your headlights can, or as an assistant to your headlights.

Why, you ask? Okay, maybe you didn't ask, but I will tell you, because this is important.

If you install a powerful, bright, white light down in the lower cowl...that light will SKIM the surface of the road...creating shadows on the road surface, and camoflaging any real potholes on the road surface. It creates shadows that are now perceived as being a rougher road surface. If you mount those same powerful, bright, white lights up as HIGH as you can on the bike, then you are looking INTO the potholes of the road surface...you are opening up the view from being a high mounted light, and it cleans up the road surface, so you see what is really ahead of you.

Third, by mounting powerful, bright, white lights down low, in the lower cowling, to avoid skimming the road surface...you need to point those powerful lights UP at a slight angle, which means you are now blinding the oncoming car drivers, as the light is shining UP at an angle, right into their eyes, and they will have a tendency to flash their high beams at you.

But if you mount those same powerful, bright, white lights up as HIGH as you can, then the light beam is focused DOWN, at a slight angle, and NOT shining into the oncoming car drivers eyes.

There is a reason that a lot of the IronButt Rally riders, or IBA riders will mount their powerful driving lights up as high as they can....and use the lower mounted lights as simply attention getters.

On my F6B (RR), I have converted the OEM low beam lights to HIDs, and changed out the OEM high beams to PIAA Super Whites. I then installed the Single Shooter 10 watt LED lights in the lower cowl, with the Yellow film on the lens. This lighting setup does everything for me that I could ever want to do on forward lighting. Okay, I do have some other forward lighting, but it is more for cosmetic differentiation than for anything purely function...i.e., I have the Kuryakyn front turn signal lights mounted on the front fender, where the OEM reflectors used to be, and connected to that turn signal system, I also have the BikeMP3 fairing lights that mount under the front fairing nose-piece, which are also functional as turn signals.

Here is my point, that many of you say...hey...get to the point......IMHO it is wrong to install powerful, bright, white lighting in the lower cowl, in an attempt to light up the road further than the low beam headlights can, or to assist those low beam headlights.

I did try the BikeMP3 six-shooters on my bike, and found the light to be TOO powerful, and blinding of the oncoming cars. Fortunetly for me, BikeMP3 was nice enought to take these lights back, and I have found BikemP3 to be a very good company to deal with.

I ask you...THINK about this issue of installing powerful, bright, white lights that low on the bike, when they should be mounted as high as possible. Secondly...think about using a different color spectrum of light in the lower cowling, as that will grab the attention of other vehicles, and make your bike more noticeable.

As we know, lighting on our bikes serves one of three possible functions...to light up the road surface for better visibility, so we can see better......to light up our bikes so that other vehicles can see us better....or as a cosmetic thing, to decorate the bike to our own personal needs.

Now that I have been using the Yellow Single Shooter LEDs in the lower cowl, I will NEVER go back to using a white light down there. The yellow film/tape can easily be bought from any automotive store, as it comes in a roll of film/tape, designed for this purpose, to cover the lens of a white light. You can have a light manufacturer install it for you, like EC did for me, at a cost of $ 10.00 more than the white light lens is...or you can do it yourself, and have yellow film/tape left over for that same $ 10.00.

Okay, okay, back to my corner.

[cmock]

YOu make a good point, and will look into just this. Thanks