6 Month Product Review- Adaptive Headlight and LED Turn Signals

Well MotoReaders, if you've been following my blog, you will have figured out a couple of things by now- 1, I like to give my honest opinions on new products, and 2, I like to review them after I've had some time to use them and put them through their paces. You'll also know that I'm not on anyone's payroll, nor do I get discounts for the products I'm reviewing, so there's absolutely no bias or influence for me to sell you on the products... if I like it and think it's a good product and worth the price, you'll know... but if not, I'm going to give it to you straight so you don't waste your hard-earned dough.

With that said, let's get to it!

My basic criteria

Today I share my 6 month review of the J.W. Speaker Adaptive LED Headlight and the Kuryakyn Tracer diffused LED turn signals that I installed on the MotoWriter Road King Special back in May of this year (see My Inner Cheapskate Lost!). 

In my previous post, I mentioned a few points that I'll touch on briefly here. 

1- Price and value. The number one thing I look at when buying or upgrading any product is the price and the value. When I say value, I mean, what am I going to get out of this product for the price I'm going to pay for it? Is it cheap enough to try it, then toss it if I don't like it, or is this going to be a significant investment for me? What is a significant investment for one person, may be quite a bit different for someone else, so I'll qualify that question with this- I'm a blue-collar working man with bills to pay. I don't have "family money" or a job that pays 6 figures, so a headlight that costs more than my motorcycle payment, is going to fall under that "significant investment" category.

2- Cool factor. Yes, this may seem like a very superficial point to consider, but it is an important point nonetheless. Why? Because it's a motorcycle and, while I want it to be functional, I also want it to look good while being functional. Let's be honest for a moment, if we are only concerned with functionality, then we probably wouldn't ride motorcycles in the first place. I can think of several different options for improving the lighting on my motorcycle that would be less expensive, but would look horrible in my opinion (which is all that matters when it comes to how my motorcycle looks). 

Bottom line- it's gotta look good, function well and do what I expect it to do for the price I paid for it. 

J.W. Speaker adaptive headlight (model 8790)

First, let's talk about the big one... the $550 headlight. I've known J.W. Speaker products for several years and I know who they are building products for (I'm looking at you, Harley-Davidson and Indian). There's no shame in it though. Rarely, especially these days, do major manufacturers make their own specialty products. For example, companies like Showa, Brembo, Mikuni, Keihin and Delphi have been supplying their parts to a wide array of major manufacturers because, simply put, they have their products dialed in so well (and patented so thoroughly) that it is more cost effective for companies like Yamaha, Harley-Davidson, Indian and so on, to simply buy their ready-made components and either re-brand them, or market them as a selling point (case in point, look at how many companies brag about using Brembo brakes).

So with the J.W. Speaker Adaptive headlight, the biggest question wasn't if the quality of the product was sufficient, but rather, was the functionality of the "adaptive" technology worth the price tag? Living in South Mississippi provides a very long riding season, but the trade-off is, there's not a whole lot of really curvy roads and there's even less mountain roads. So, in order to do a full, fair product review on a headlight that is supposed to illuminate your way through curves, I made a trip to the beautiful Appalachian Mountains, just for my loyal MotoReaders. 

The headlight functions surprisingly well. I do notice it more in left-hand turns and curves more than right hand turns, but it's not because it's not working properly, but rather, the fact that I'm on the right side of the road, so there's less road to be lit up. In right turns, it lights up the shoulder and ditch instead which is still good because now I can see those woodland critters on the edge of the road that are waiting for their chance to ambush an unprepared motorcyclist. The light functions exactly as promised and, as a matter of fact, has spoiled me so much that I don't even want to ride my Dyna at night because I've become so used to the extra light from the Road King's adaptive. It really is that nice. 

While the price tag is hefty, it is worth spending the extra money if you ride at night, especially on curvy back roads. If you are a daytime only rider or do most of your riding on long, straight stretches with little to no curves, then first of all, I'm sorry for you because that sounds awful, but my advice would be to save your money. If, however, you enjoy the peace and solidarity of riding under the stars on sweeping curves, then bust open that little ceramic pig and order yourself a new adaptive headlight from J.W. Speaker. 

Kuryakyn Tracer diffused LED turn signals (2904 & 2906)

The Road King Special, by its very name, is supposed to be "special." One of the biggest things I like about this bike is the styling- it's modern, yet maintains its heritage as a classic Harley-Davidson FLH. With that said, one of my biggest pet peeves is cutting corners and, in my opinion, Harley-Davidson got lazy and cut some corners on this bike. It just annoys me when something is so well executed... 90% of the way, then the last 10% is half-assed because no matter how great that 90% is, the only thing that will be talked about and remembered is the 10% that sucked. Changing an incandescent light bulb on a motorcycle that cost almost as much as an economy sedan, is a good example of that. It's not a deal-killer, but it sure is a stupid thing to have to do, when there are so many better alternatives already on the market. First of all, LED bulbs should be standard on all motorcycles, especially Harley-Davidsons. Why you ask? Because the execs at Harley-Davidson HQ are going all-in on the concept of the company being a "premium brand." So, if H-D is marketing their motorcycles as "premium" then why are they using the same incandescent light bulbs they have been using for the past 20+ years? LED bulb technology has dramatically changed the landscape of artificial and supplemental lighting in everything from street lights, to the lights in your home, to the lights on your vehicles, and everything in between. Several years back, I realized that the incandescents on the Road King Special were sub-standard for this slick, black, Cadillac of a motorcycle (oh yeah, that was a Quiet Riot reference... click the link to rock out, '1980's style!), so I replaced them long ago with some off-the shelf LED bulbs from the local auto parts store. 

While the replacement LEDs functioned well thanks to Harley-Davidson so thoughtfully using an, already load equalized, CAN bus electrical system on the bike (meaning, you don't need to install load equalizers due to the lower amp draw with LED bulbs on the newer Harley-Davidson models), they didn't look that good. I really like the look of the diffused LED tail lights on newer cars. My wife's car has them and they just look like they're from the future... they're one of the few things of the modern age that I do actually like. So, you can imagine my excitement when I saw the Kuryakyn Tracer diffused LED lights available for my, modern classic, Road King Special. At over $100 a pair, they are considerably more expensive than the LED bulbs that I had already picked up, but these lights had the modern look I was after, so it didn't take nearly as much decision making on these. They are super bright, look amazing and, in my humble opinion, really match the sleek, modern aesthetic of my Road King Special. 

For what you get- a very well made, plug and play, aftermarket device that offers an immediate improvement over the stock lighting with a modern, updated, and just plain stylish appearance- all for around $250.That's not too bad for a full LED upgrade, in my opinion.

Final thoughts

So, in the case of this review, you may be wondering why it may seem to be a little more focused on the "pros" than the "cons" and my simple response is this- I pride myself on doing thorough research before I drop a wad of dough on something. In the case of upgrading the lighting on my 2017 Road King Special, it was a deliberate, albeit unnecessary, choice. To be more clear- the Special's stock lighting was sufficient in its stock form. The headlight was bright, the turn signals, signalled and the brake lights lit up sufficiently to satisfy the DOT standards. It was my decision to upgrade the lighting to better suit the style of the bike and improve it's functionality. Is the added expense of the upgrades worth the overall price tag of around $800? Well, that will depend greatly on two things- your budget and your desire. For me, and the kind of riding I do- long road trips and plenty of night time riding on two-lane backroads and the occasional curving mountain roads- it was absolutely worth the expense.

Stay safe MotoReaders and if you're going to get lit, get lit safely and make good choices.

My inner cheapskate LOST...

If you know me, you know that I don't mind spending a little money on things that I like....BUT... you'd also know that there are some things I just can't quite justify to myself, no matter how much I like it (or want it). Typically, my inner cheapskate comes out and saves my bank account from the abuse that my childlike fascination with shiny new things would do to it. Well, not this this time. Today, the cheapskate lost.

When I first bought my 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special, the lighting was pretty basic. The turn signals were the same generic 1157 incandescent bulbs that have been used for decades and the stock headlight was the same stock 7" halogen that was in every Harley Touring bike. It's chrome reflector against the all-black bike just looked awful and out of place. So, my very first upgrades to the scoot were LED lightbulbs all around. Now, I refused to pay full price for the $600 Harley-Davidson LED projector, so I waited until I found a J.W. Speaker 8700 (which is a half-halo LED projector with black trim) on eBay for the right price. In case you didn't know- J.W. Speaker is based in Milwaukee, USA and just happens to be the company that makes the LED projector lights for Harley-Davidson (and several other companies). I paid about a third of what the light normally cost because it was one half of a pair for Jeeps that was used as a demo. I've been pretty happy with it, especially for the price I paid. Being a Jeep headlight though, I did notice some deficiencies while riding the sharp and twisty mountain roads of the Appalachians. Obviously, Jeeps aren't supposed to lean, so this headlight projects a long, powerful beam when riding down a straight stretch of road with the headlight upright, but tip the light to one side or another, and that's when you see the end of the light beam, which, on an LED projector, tends to be a pretty defined "edge" of light and darkness. 

Enter the Adaptives.

When I first saw the Adaptive headlights a couple of years ago, I was beyond impressed with the technology. A headlight that actually shines into the corners? Crazy! But the price was ridiculous (to be honest- it still is). In spite of the price though... I just couldn't shake the temptation of dropping the dough on this super rad, Jetson's level, piece of lighting. So a few days ago, I finally broke down and did it. 

So what changed? Well, my wife and I are planning a trip to the "motorcycle motherland" next year for the MoCo's 120th anniversary celebration. This will be the longest trip that my wife has taken on the bike, so I'm getting things ready for her (new helmet, comms, rain gear, boots, passenger floorboards, etc.). While perusing the ole interwebs for the new stuff, a new product from Kuryakyn caught my eye- Tracer diffused LED turn and tail lights. WOW. These things are sexy. I normally don't care for the look of Kuryakyn's products, but these things are cool and very modern looking, as opposed to the plain ole' LED bulbs that I've got in now. As most Kuryakyn products are, the Tracers are a bit pricey, but Kuryakyn's products are well made and they are a well established company with good customer service, so I wasn't afraid of the price. So, my inner child figured that since I'm  going to be upgrading my tail and turn signals... I may as well take another look at that fancy new headlight.

The Harley-Davidson version is still well over $800, so that was a hard "no" for me, however, after perusing around a bit, I found the J.W. Speaker Adaptive 2 priced between $560 and $599. While that's still a ridiculous price, I've always believed that you get what you pay for and in this case, I'd be getting a headlight with technology that would enhance my night riding experience and, very likely, improve my safety on those twisty backroads that I love riding so much. So, after a week or so of going back and forth, trying to justify it and rationalize it over and over, my inner cheapskate said "f**k it" and gave in. I ordered everything off of Amazon, which I regret because I actually ended up spending about $50 bucks more for everything than I would have if I had ordered it from Revzilla, but the 'Zilla was out of stock on the rear Tracers and my inner child wanted it all now, so my hastiness cost me more dough. Oh well, live and learn, I suppose.

So, was it worth the price?

I love it when people ask me this question. "Worthiness" is relative. What makes something "worth the price" anyway? What is worth it to me, may not be worth it to you. After all, there are so many factors to consider, like our income, our budgets and our overall spending, to just name a few. For me, I don't hang out in bars or casinos, I don't golf, I don't own a boat or an RV (although an RV could be a fun addition to go with the bikes...) and I don't wear expensive clothes. I only drink a little when I'm at home and I don't smoke... my only real vice is my motorcycles. I work hard, earn a fair wage and, especially lately, have been working a bunch of overtime (which is why I haven't been posting much to the site). My point is- for me, adding a few hundred bucks worth of lighting to my primary motorcycle is absolutely worth it, especially if it helps me see a little further down the road or helps other drivers see me coming, or stopping. You may be asking how well the adaptive part works... well, it's difficult to describe really. If I had to use one word to describe it, I'd probably choose "seamlessly." The light is amazingly bright on low beam and I'm pretty sure the high beam may have inadvertently vaporized a bird that flew in front of it. The adaptive part works very well in adding light in the darkness of the corners, but you don't really "see" it doing it, meaning it doesn't "turn on" a light into the turn, then turn it "off" as you straighten out- it's much more subtle, which is a good thing because it does it's job without being distracting. 

As for the question of, "is it worth the money?" For me, it is. I  really like the way the adaptive headlight, paired up with the diffused LED turn and brake lights, really add a modern lighting touch to the scoot and I really like the way they perform. I haven't had a chance to try it out on any super tight, dark roads yet, but when I do, I'm sure it will be a vast improvement over my previous headlight. 

The best advice I'll tell you is this- if you do decide to upgrade your lighting, consider giving the folks at Revzilla your money. Amazon is great for some things, but not for every thing and I've never had any issues ordering from the 'Zilla. 

Until next time, MotoReaders, ride safe and make good choices... (like upgrading your lights)!

I added a few pictures of the lights, and a short video of the headlight's "start-up" sequence to my Instagram page, if you're interested in taking a look at it.