Yellow Outrigger Lights

Motorcycle Mayor · Aug 24, 2024

I feel really stupid for asking this, but I've been unable to figure out the right words to use in a google search

.

I often see street bikes sporting what I think of as yellow (or maybe yellow-greenish) "outrigger" lights, that stick out from the side of the fork. I think I've also seen them sticking out from the sides on the rear of bikes, too.

These strike me as a potentially useful safety feature -- they are quite vivid, even in daylight, and always draw attention -- so I'm curious if they're available for a 2017 FJR.

Since they're not stock, I'd also be interested in recommendations on ones which are reasonably easy to install.

Assuming they exist and I'm not just hallucinating all of this, of course

.

Niehart · Aug 24, 2024

Clearwater lights, the best but spendy. Same set have been on a couple of my FJR's.

Dodger · Aug 25, 2024

Motorcycle Mayor said:
I feel really stupid for asking this, but I've been unable to figure out the right words to use in a google search .

I often see street bikes sporting what I think of as yellow (or maybe yellow-greenish) "outrigger" lights, that stick out from the side of the fork. I think I've also seen them sticking out from the sides on the rear of bikes, too.

These strike me as a potentially useful safety feature -- they are quite vivid, even in daylight, and always draw attention -- so I'm curious if they're available for a 2017 FJR.

Since they're not stock, I'd also be interested in recommendations on ones which are reasonably easy to install.

Assuming they exist and I'm not just hallucinating all of this, of course .

Try Revzilla for Denali, I have the yellow, bright lights with a bracket on my forks. 7 years and going strong.

Zerofun · Aug 25, 2024

You may want to look into PIAA Ion fogs / driving. From 1st hand experience, I can tell you that the yellow give off a rainbow prism effect looking at them from the sides and are very bright straight on. Also, I know they're not as spendy as Clearwater or Denali however very good overall.

Bumlinger · Aug 25, 2024

Try Ruby Lights. Family business out of Salt Lake City. Comparable to Clearwater 2/3 the cost.

Motorcycle Mayor · Aug 26, 2024

Thanx for the recommendations, everyone! I appreciate it.

After looking things over, I'm leaning towards purchasing the Clearlight Darla two light kit (plus the covers that turn them into yellow fog lights). I'd be interested in hearing how hard it is to install them.

But I'm confused about how they're mounted. I don't have crash bars on my FJR (I could install them, too, of course) so I guess I'd have to mount the Darlas on the fender. Which is fine...but strikes me as a little low to server as marker lights (I'm sure it'd be fine for serving as a fog light).

The Clearlight mounting options made me realize what I'd been noticing out and about were yellow marker lights that were mounted so they stuck out to the sides above the fork/fender...which doesn't seem possible on an FJR (I didn't play close attention to the make and model of bikes sporting the lights that got me interested in this modification).

Does mounting the Clearlights (or any other light) on the crash bar or fender still let them serve as beacons (for our car driving friends) to call attention to the bike? That's my main goal in all of this.

Bumlinger · Aug 26, 2024

This is what I have for mounting marker/aux lights. I bought them from a guy on this forum or the other one. His name was Farmer Bob or something like that. Nicely machined aluminum plates with a little pocket for the rear view mirrors to fit into. I think one could do something similar with a simple aluminum plate, cut in the right shape and drilled for the mirror mounts. There's a little spacer under the plate that lifts the plate away enough for the light mounting bolt head. The lights are inexpensive small orange/yellow marker lights, Handster brand name from Amazon. Good enough for conspicuity.

sapest · Aug 27, 2024

Motorcycle Mayor said:
Thanx for the recommendations, everyone! I appreciate it.

After looking things over, I'm leaning towards purchasing the Clearlight Darla two light kit (plus the covers that turn them into yellow fog lights). I'd be interested in hearing how hard it is to install them.

But I'm confused about how they're mounted. I don't have crash bars on my FJR (I could install them, too, of course) so I guess I'd have to mount the Darlas on the fender. Which is fine...but strikes me as a little low to server as marker lights (I'm sure it'd be fine for serving as a fog light).

The Clearlight mounting options made me realize what I'd been noticing out and about were yellow marker lights that were mounted so they stuck out to the sides above the fork/fender...which doesn't seem possible on an FJR (I didn't play close attention to the make and model of bikes sporting the lights that got me interested in this modification).

Does mounting the Clearlights (or any other light) on the crash bar or fender still let them serve as beacons (for our car driving friends) to call attention to the bike? That's my main goal in all of this.

Whatever you purchase and where-ever you mount them, be sure to think about overwhelming your turn signals.
FWIW, I think higher and further apart is better.
-Steve

Rocnsanman · Aug 27, 2024

I installed the Darla's on some RGaza crash bars with Clearwater brackets. Very sturdy, easy job.

RedRiderMN · Aug 27, 2024

Here are the Clearwater Darlas (yellow lens) mounted on the fenders. For some reason, the left one appears NOT to be lit, but
it must be due to it being an LED light and the camera did not see it correctly. FYI, I have the dimmer turned all the way DOWN
in this photo, which is where I usually have it set. Don't want to blind the oncoming traffic!

Here's another view, this time the left side is visible!

sapest · Aug 27, 2024

RedRiderMN said:
Here are the Clearwater Darlas (yellow lens) mounted on the fenders. For some reason, the left one appears to NOT be lit, but
it must be due to it being an LED light and the camera did not see it correctly.

View attachment 7942

Here's another view, this time the left side is visible!

View attachment 7943

LED lamps flicker at a rate the human eye cant see, but a camera can catch it, which is likely what happened to you in the first photo.

-Steve

Fishin VA · Aug 28, 2024

Clearwater Darla on my '21 ES, fender mounted

Motorcycle Mayor · Aug 28, 2024

Thanx for the fender mount pix, they answered my question about visibility!

How hard was it to install the Darlas? Did you include the horn and brights controls? Where did you mount the rheostat?

Sorry about all the questions, but I’m much more of a software than hardware guy, so I try to assess whether a hardware project is beyond my skills (and patience

) before diving in.

Fishin VA · Aug 29, 2024

Motorcycle Mayor said:
Thanx for the fender mount pix, they answered my question about visibility!

How hard was it to install the Darlas? Did you include the horn and brights controls? Where did you mount the rheostat?

Sorry about all the questions, but I’m much more of a software than hardware guy, so I try to assess whether a hardware project is beyond my skills (and patience ) before diving in.

Easy to mount everything. Wiring was a touch harder as I had to insert the harness between the headlight connector, and took removal of the dash plastics and I think I opened up the nose cowling as well. Connection to the horn was easy, a couple of taps into the horn wiring. I mounted the rheostat on the clutch side, don't think I have a pic of that. Got lots of positive comments on the yellow at the MSTA rally I attended last week

Motorcycle Mayor · Aug 29, 2024

Thanx so much for the detail feedback! I'm going to order the Darlas and see how it goes.

GOFFjr1300 · Aug 30, 2024

Fishin VA said:
Clearwater Darla on my '21 ES, fender mounted

View attachment 7955

Nice

.

Motorcycle Mayor · Aug 30, 2024

GOFFjr1300 said:
Nice.

Looking good! Out of curiosity, what power level was that? I’ve heard you should normally run them at about 30% to avoid annoying other vehicles.

Fishin VA · Aug 30, 2024

Motorcycle Mayor said:
Looking good! Out of curiosity, what power level was that? I’ve heard you should normally run them at about 30% to avoid annoying other vehicles.

I'm not really sure. Probably about 50%-ish if I remember. I played with the light level when I installed them and pretty much left it alone ever since.

RedRiderMN · Aug 31, 2024

I keep my Clearwater Darlas set to the LOWEST (dimmest) setting and have never had any oncoming traffic "flash" me.

YMMV

SacramentoMike · Sep 11, 2024

I've got Darlas mounted on the forks and one Krista under one mirror and one Erica under the other (at Glenn's suggestion when I bought them--the one on the right side has a wider beam for lighting up the verge on the roadside, the left throws a narrower beam farther downrange.) They're plenty bright even at the lowest settings, but I still kick everything up to full power and high beams (at least in the daytime) when I'm splitting lanes. If people get too offended, I guess they can pull off the road and have a good cry. At least they saw me.

Yellow Outrigger Lights

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