Light cover question

I will shortly be buying some LED high intensity road lights for my Swing from ADV Monster to mount on Dennis' light bracket. I will also be getting some protective covers for them that change the color of the light. They offer both yellow and blue as well as clear (not gonna pick clear). My main use for them is driving long distances in the desert during the night. Which color do you think is best?

Note: I will also be installing a dimmer and on/off switch.

Looking at their website, they're $5.00 each. Why not order both and see which you like best. You'll only be out $10 and will have an extra pair. I initially thought blue, but looking at the website I liked yellow. Only you can really decide, but it's a small investment either way. I like making choices when it ain't my money. Maybe I should run for Congress. :lol!:

I would imagine that either of the two coloured protectors will reduce the intensity of the light. Yellow is better for foggy conditions, blue is just for the chavs. (Bet you have to google that one!) IMHO 'clear' would be the better choice.

Cheers,

Somerled wrote:

I will shortly be buying some LED high intensity road lights for my Swing from ADV Monster to mount on Dennis' light bracket.

Which Model 30 or Model 44 ... or both

Somerled wrote:

I will also be getting some protective covers for them that change the color of the light. They offer both yellow and blue as well as clear (not gonna pick clear). My main use for them is driving long distances in the desert during the night. Which color do you think is best?

There are many states where it is illegal to have blue lights (or can only have them indirectly visible) anywhere on the vehicle, because it is typically used by emergency vehicles

tarmacburner2 wrote:

I would imagine that either of the two coloured protectors will reduce the intensity of the light.

That was my first concern.

So you may want to try a yellow and clear pair to determine which allows the best visible light.

Actually, reducing the intensity is very much what I want to accomplish. These lights are very, very bright and can blind oncoming traffic. That's why I will be installing the dimmer switch they offer so the lights will only be at full intensity when I am at high beam and then dim at low beam. Even so, I have read about some folks on ADV using the model 30 on the left because it is 1300 lumens and then using the model 44 at 2000 lumens on the right to give you a better chance of seeing something off the road. That is a big concern for me now having had some large animal run almost in front of me and then do an abrupt turn back last time I was coming back from Tempe at night.

Thanks for your comments guys. I was unaware of blue being illegal in some states. I can understand why that would be so. I was considering it because I thought it would be less offensive to oncoming traffic. So I think I will take Hi Yo's advice too and buy both colors, but usually have the yellow ones on. I'll check the laws in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona to see if blue is allowed too.

I believe the blue lights that are illegal are for the ones like on emergency vehicles. I'm not sure if the covers would be the same. I would think they would be more like the ones you see on some vehicles where the beam has a blue cast, but the light source does not. Let us know what you find out.

Well I looked them up. Here's what I found:

New Mexico and Texas - Colored lights of red, amber, or blue are fine so long as they are not flashing (i.e. not a beacon).

Arizona - ONLY amber and clear lenses are allowed in the front of a vehicle period.

So, I could ride with the blue light in two out of three states I ride in routinely without concern. Arizona I expect doesn't much enforce the blue light law as I have seen many cars with blue lights on the front of them there every time I visit. They also have a ridiculous law that says every motorcycle is to have one of those long orange pennant flags on them like you see on bicycles sometimes. I saw a guy there riding a 150cc Chinese scooter there that had one and asked him what was up with it. He told me about that law. He is to date the only person I've seen observing it.

Yellow or amber will enhance the "Triangle of light" pattern and make you stand out from all the other traffic.

"Hi Yo" wrote:

I believe the blue lights that are illegal are for the ones like on emergency vehicles.

Huge legal debate in the UK over what 'blue' the emergency services use! There are so many so called 'blue' lights on non emergency vehicles and the legislation is so vague that no one seems to know.

My view is that the emergency vehicles have flashing or occulting blue lights whereas the lights on non emergency vehicles are a fixed beam/light.

But folk way over my pay grade can and will argue for an eternity and we motorists will simply have to pay fines to keep governments in salary!!

The French used to use amber headlight bulbs, I don't know how effective they were but years ago I had loads of the tossers flashing their lights at me one night because my MZ had a white headlight beam... and yes I did have a beam deflector fitted, well a piece of black adhesive tape stuck on my headlight. I bet no Brits found it necessary to blind the odd French motorist they came across just because they were showing a yellow beam.

I have two Model 30 lights on the front. Much depends on where you plan to ride. If you have the opportunity to use high beams, then I think the Model 44 is superfluous. Or as another option, put two Model 30s on the top of the light bar, and two Model 44s underneath. The wattage is low enough that you are still below what it would be by adding just two halogen lamps.

I bought the clear lens covers. Anything else will reduce your visibility. With the Model 30, I find the light pattern tight enough to use in traffic like on the freeway. I couldn't do that if a Model 44 was installed. Also, if you get the dimmer, then you can accomplish the same thing with that but not reduce the light output when you need it. You can not pull off the lens cover once installed.

Just for point of clarification, the Model 30 puts out 1500, not 1300, lumens.

One last thought. The lights are such a pure white color that they make the headlights appear amber. Putting an amber filter or lens cover on the white light will only make them blend in with the headlight and reduce the contrast.

Chris

Thanks Chris. Yes, I did make note of where I plan to ride more than once in this thread. That being long open sweeps of desert between El Paso, TX and Tempe, AZ. I also made note that the main reason for adding these lights was so I could see more of what's off the side of the road having had a close call with local animal life. So the spot beam of the model 30 is not what I'm looking for. I may still use one on the left side of the Swing but I doubt it. The wide beam of the model 44 is really what I'm after. I will not be running a set of each - that's just way too much money. Thanks for your note about the lens cover being fixed. That really rules out the blue cover. Still debating the amber or clear. I think Ron has a point in his speaking of the "triangle of light". City driving and freeway visibility is not my priority, but I have to believe that with the dimmer switch and the on/off switch as well I'll be set for such circumstances even if I do select the amber cover which is what I'm leaning towards now.