AUX Lights For Your Motorcycle. All You Need To Know.

Riding a motorcycle at night can be dangerous, which is why auxiliary lights are an important addition to your bike. Modern day motorcycle manufacturers often place more significance on the aesthetic of the headlight than its actual functionality. In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about auxiliary lights for your motorcycle, including, the top 3 best AUX lights, important safety considerations and tips to help you figure out what’s best suited for you.

Whether you are a seasoned rider or new to the world of motorcycling. This article will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of auxiliary lights and how they can improve your safety on the road at night. So, read on to learn more about how auxiliary lights can enhance your riding experience and help keep you safe. Let’s dive straight into it in this article on CE garage.

Top 3 Best AUX lights

1. Maddog AUX Lights series

Maddog Lights Blog Image
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Many bikers who want to improve their riding experience at an affordable price opt for Maddog auxiliary lighting. Riders benefit from numerous features of Maddog lights other than greater visibility, such as durability, ease of installation, and elegant appearance. If you want to improve your riding experience and stay safe on the road, these lights are a must-have. Maddog manufactures 3 different models for motorcycles, namely; Scout, Scout X, Delta and Alpha. These lights are on the affordable side of the spectrum, starting from ₹3,750 for the Scout and leading up to ₹9,749 for the top of the line Alpha. For the lumens they have to offer and the build quality, they are hands down worth the price.

Maddog wiring

Sold separately by Maddog is their perfectly engineered all-weather, rat proof wiring harnesses that are universal for all motorcycles. Gone are the days of sophisticated wiring diagrams and wires that need to be spliced. With these easy to install plug and play kits, you can set up your AUX lights by yourself in under 30 mins. The company also manufactures mounting brackets for brand specific motorcycles like the Royal Enfield, Bajaj and KTM.

2. Denali AUX Lights

Denali Aux Lights

One popular brand of auxiliary lights for motorcycles is Denali, known for their high-quality LED lights that provide superior brightness and visibility. These lights are available in various sizes and beam patterns to meet the specific needs of different riders. Additionally, Denali AUX lights are designed to be durable and weather-resistant, making them a reliable option for riders who frequently ride in different weather conditions.
The installation process for Denali auxiliary lights are also relatively simple, with plug-and-play wiring harnesses available for easy installation. Denali lights are a little higher in terms of price in contrast to the Maddog lights. Starting from ₹28,800 for the D2 lights and going upwards of ₹30,000 for the D3 series. According to our experienced riders, the Denali D7, D4 and D3 are among the best models that Denali has to offer

Denali D2 Aux Lights
Denali D2 Aux Lights
Denali D3 Aux Lights
Denali D3 Aux Lights

Denali also features a DialDim light controller. This is effectively a multicolor dimming switch that allows you to toggle on/off and dim two sets of auxiliary lights individually from a single integrated wire harness. The LED halo switch shows precise settings and enables for simple light dimming.

Denali Dial Dim
Denali Dial Dim
Denali Dial Dim Circuit
Denali Dial Dim Circuit

3. Clearwater AUX Lights

These lights are considered by many to be the flagship level of auxiliary lights for motorcycles out there in the market today. These lights are capable of bringing daylight to any street or highway with their hundreds and thousands of lumens.

Motorcycle Aux Lights
Motorcycle Aux Lights

However, these lights are not for everyone. Clearwater lights are designed especially for touring and adventure riding and is even considered to be a traffic offence to switch them on in many cities in India. These AUX lights come in 7 different models ranging from the Glendina right up to the Dixi, with prices starting at ₹25,000 and touching almost ₹1,20,000 for the Dixi.

Clearwater has engineered specialised wiring harnesses that can be integrated into the stock handlebar switches of many motorcycle manufacturers like BMW, Harley Davidson and Honda. This prevents cluttering your handlebar with extra switches

• Important Safety Considerations

aux lights safety
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The technical safety considerations
Before making any upgrades on your motorcycle’s lighting setup, you should read through the owner’s manual and service manual to make sure you’re in compliance with all safety requirements and warranty policies. You should also consult with a mechanic or other expert to find out if the upgrades are right for you and your bike.

However, if you’re feeling bold enough to venture out and get your hands dirty, then the calculations are quite simple. Simply dive into your bike’s user manual and check up “Your Motorcycles Total Peak Watts.” which essentially is the total output of your bike’s alternator. If you have installed accessories on your bike, write down the total wattage for all installed accessories and add up all the figures (This information is available if you google the specific model of the part).
Next, head back to your user manual and find stock electric load which essentially is the electric load which is already placed on your bike. This load is of electronic components on your bike like the headlight, fuel pump and so on. The difference between the Peak watts and Stock electronic load is the available watts you have at hand. If your accessories load is greater than this figure then you risk the chance of prematurely draining your battery and causing damage to your alternator.

So for instance, if your Peak Watts output is 500W and your Electronic load is 300W, your available power is 200W. This means you can install accessories or in this case, AUX lights that are under 200W. It’s generally advised that you keep 50W as extra wattage to protect the system. You can also upgrade elements lights halogen headlights to LEDs to ‘buy back’ power to reduce load.

Take a look at this table that shows the estimate Alternator Peak Output Power:

Motorcycle Year Alternator Peak Output
Kawasaki ZX6R 2021 420W
Ducati 996 2000 520W
Honda GL 1800 2003 1100W

 

• Help you figure out what’s best suited for you.
Not all AUX lights are the same, and so you should know exactly what you need before picking up your set. Some models are designed keeping in mind different conditions and so some lights have a greater spread of light than the distance it travels from the source. Generally speaking, lights that have a greater spread are preferred for foggy conditions, however, lights that have a greater throw are preferred for enduro riding or when touring on dark highways.

AUX Lights For Your Motorcycle. All You Need To Know.
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Some lights like Denali D2 come in 3 versions of your choice namely, spot, flood and a mixture of the two called true hybrids. Maddog lights provide filters that you can quickly swap to transform them into flood lights from spot or the inverse. Clear water lights, being the most sophisticated, provide 3 models of lights that can be switched from spot lights to flood lights with a push of a button. Hower, many of our experienced riders argue over the value they offer keeping in mind the price. Overall, our conclusion is, Maddog and Denali AUX lights offer value for money and are capable of illuminating the surrounding sufficiently so you can ride safely on any road in India.

How to Buy AUX for Your Motorcycle on Custom Elements?
If you’re looking to up your riding experience for night rides, it’s a good idea to buy yourself some top-class AUX lights from an online webstore like Custom Elements. You can find a wide range of AUX lights that you can pick from. Ranging from some of the best manufacturers like Maddog, Denali and Motorfans. There are also a couple of search filters on the website that you can use to narrow your search. Once you find the right product, proceed to check out. Using Snapmint Easy EMI you can avail of offers and discounts.

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