Spot lights are typically available in two varieties — lights that project a somewhat short but wide light pattern (a 30 to 35 degree spread is common) and lights that project a longer and narrower light pattern (20 degrees).
30 -35 Degree Wide Beam
20 Degree Long beam
CAN MY BIKE SUPPORT ADDITIONAL SPOT LIGHTS AND WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS?
Lighting options are divided into three categories:
1. Halogen bulbs: This system has been around for many years and comprises a bulb with a filament. These type of systems consume the most power and relative to their modern counterparts (HID or LED) they remain inefficient.
2. Hid/Xenon: A newer technology that delivers 3 times the light of conventional halogen headlamps while consuming considerably less power.
The HID (High Intensity Discharge) Xenon bulb does not use a filament commonly found in normal halogen motorcycle light bulbs. Instead, the bulb is filled with Xenon gas (ignited via a high voltage ballast) to create a white arc of light.
3. LED (light-emitting diode): The latest technology that has evolved into the most efficient power consumption light form of the three derivatives. LED’s also offer a long service life, in excess of 50 000 hours of illumination.
LED’s are extremely sturdy, and can handle shock and vibration much better – for much longer. Further advantages include low power consumption, low heat output and a very efficient, bright light output.
Good quality LED’s (such as Cree) however remain at the top end of the price spectrum. Beware of cheap and inferior LED products as they will be a disappointment not only in light output but service life.
The type of light that you may want to add to your bike will be dependent upon the capacity of its electrical system. If it has the extra capacity to support an additional 110 to 150 watts of power, using conventional halogen lights are a cost effective solution. They will however not be as bright as the HID or LED options.
A typical set of halogen driving lights, each drawing 55 watts of power, will need an additional 110 watts of power to operate properly. However, if your bike’s electrical system output is limited, you may be forced to consider using a more energy efficient lighting system such as LED lights (which only draw 10 Watts each) or HID (Xeon lights which draw 35 watts each).
DOES YOUR BIKE HAVE ENOUGH ELECTRICAL OUTPUT POWER?
Every motorcycle has a rated amount of electrical power that the bike’s system can generate to keep it running and to power various items like the headlights, tail lights, turn signals, fan motor, instrument lights, and various electrical sensors located throughout the bike.
Beyond that, most bikes can support another 100-200 watts of power to run miscellaneous electrical items such as a GPS unit, a radio or a set of spot/fog lights. The amount of extra power is going to vary from bike model to model, so it’s best to either check your owner’s manual for “Generator Charging Capacity” or “Alternator Output”. Alternatively consult your dealer.
