Initial Product Review
As a rider who’d never used running
or fog lights on any of my previous 35 plus years of motorcycling, my first
experience with the stock runners on the GSA was less than overwhelming. Perhaps I didn’t know what to expect,
but riding at night seemed little more illuminated with the supplemental lights
on than when off. Likewise, in
fog, things were still foggy. My
mental resolution was that when the lights were on, others could undoubtedly
see me better even if I wasn’t convinced that I could see better myself.
Then came the spill and one of those puppies snapped off in
the gravel, ta hell and gone up in the mountains. Cursing this
misfortune was something I engaged in because I knew the BMW light would not be
cheap, but I knew I needed to restore it in order to “make things right.”
At the fix-it counter, the salesman suggested an
upgrade. “It’ll cost a bit more to
replace both lights with these,” he said, “but replacing the one with stock
will cost you more than half what the new pair will cost. And they’re much brighter.” I did some quick trigonometry in my
head. “Okay,” I said, even before
he handed me the brochure.
The promotional material for
“Clearwater Krista” lights is pretty compelling. They were “born out of frustration with existing
incandescent filament bulb technology.”
The brochure goes on to explain about old style bulb light being a
bi-product of heat. I recalled
something about this from high school physics. I don’t need heat, I
need light, I’m thinking – which is why I don’t like presidential
campaigns.
The aftermarket lights are high-powered LEDs inside “machine
or forged” aluminum billet brackets.
While I’m not planning on another biff, when it happens, these babies
should survive, even if I do not.
The existing auxiliary light switch turns them on and off,
but a supplemental knob allows the rider to increase or decrease the brightness
– easy accomplished with gloves on.
It took five or six weeks for me to
coordinate installation with my local dealer (my fault - not the dealer's) once I’d ordered the lights even
though they are manufactured in Northern California only a few miles from the
dealership. During that period, I
considered cancelling my order because I’d not felt running lights offered me
much and these were going to be a new Shoei Neo-Tec helmet’s worth of dough.
Glad I didn’t.
When the GSA rolled out of the shop, it was apparent I had upgraded to a
new level of touring capability.
The physical body of the light is light years more advanced than the
plastic of the OEMs. The trio of
LEDs is far bigger than the original singles. And the illumination, I found out that evening in my
otherwise darkened garage is incomparable. I looked for some fine print to read – and read it.
The tech noticed that my spill had rendered out of
adjustment the stock bar to which the lights are fastened. He didn’t straighten it but provided me
with tips if I felt I needed to make amends. At home, bike on the center stand, I had the impression I
was looking at Igor’s hump. (That’s Eye-gor, mastah!) It was clear something had been tweaked
in the fall. Don’t know how I’d
missed this before. The right hand
light was higher than the left one. Plying a stout screwdriver, I gently bent things back to
square. Allen key fitments on the pivots
points of the Kristas made adjusting them so as to not blind on-coming traffic
easy.
As the summer wanes and the evenings
grow earlier, I am looking forward to some casual rides at dusk and
beyond. People will more readily
see me and, after a very quick spin that first evening, I’ll be more confident
about the road – and what lurks at its edges (deer!) – at night.
The downside of busting a critical part off the bike is
having to replace it. The upside
is the opportunity of replacing it with something better. I think I’m going to like these things.
© 2012
Church of the Open Road Press
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