Amber spot lights

[tjmouse]

I’m looking to get a set of Denali D2s for my bike but debating whether to get the amber filters or not.

I want to be more visible during the day which I know the amber will help with and I can run them at 30-50% on dipped beam but will have them go to 100% when I’m on full beam and don’t know if they’ll light the road up as well with the filters fitted.

Anyone got any experience running just a single set of spots like this? Any recommendations?

 

[DJ123]

I have a set of Denali DM's i run with an Amber lens that run as daytime lights and as secondary indicators. I think they run at 30 or 40% brightness. The DM's are a spotlight (which is what the D2's look like) - so when shone onto a surface it's a direct beam like a torch. This means you'll have to have them aimed in a particular way to get the spread of light to light up the road at night without blinding people during the day.

I'd say you'll be better off with some S4 or D4 instead (if night time riding/road visibility is something you do a lot of), which have the floodlight lens & spotlight. You can get an amber lens for the D4.

This is my Bike with the DM's lit up (but my S4's are off) - i'll try get a better picture this weekend of them on the brightness level.

 

[SBD]

I’d suggest running amber lights in the UK might not be legal, and i suggest they arelikely to confuse: someone catching a glimpse of an amber light might assume it’s an indicator, believe you’re turning left (as it’ll be your left one that’s visible to a driver waiting to pull out on your nearside) and he’ll pull out in front of you. It won’t be smidsy.

 

[DJ123]

Amber/Yellow is a legal colour on a headlamp or sidelights, as found in the MOT compliance requirements.

(4.1.4) The colour of the light headlamps emit must be one of the following:

• white
• predominantly white with blue tinge
• yellow

(4.2.3) For front position lamps, the following colour of light is acceptable:

• white light
• predominantly white light with a blue tinge
• yellow light - if combined in a yellow headlamp

MOT inspection manual: cars and passenger vehicles - 4. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment - Guidance - GOV.UK

Headlamp, position lamps, daytime running lamps, stop lamps, indicators, hazard warning lamps, fog lamps, reversing lamps, lighting ‘tell-tales’, trailer electrical socket, electrical wiring and battery rules and inspection for car and passenger vehicle MOT tests.

www.gov.uk

 

[tjmouse]

I have a set of Denali DM's i run with an Amber lens that run as daytime lights and as secondary indicators. I think they run at 30 or 40% brightness. The DM's are a spotlight (which is what the D2's look like) - so when shone onto a surface it's a direct beam like a torch. This means you'll have to have them aimed in a particular way to get the spread of light to light up the road at night without blinding people during the day.

I'd say you'll be better off with some S4 or D4 instead (if night time riding/road visibility is something you do a lot of), which have the floodlight lens & spotlight. You can get an amber lens for the D4.

This is my Bike with the DM's lit up (but my S4's are off) - i'll try get a better picture this weekend of them on the brightness level.








View attachment 381555

Very helpful. Thank you.

I had DMs on my old bike and loved them but thought the little extra power of the D2s might be nice without the bulk of the D/S4s

 

[DJ123]

They're pretty similar in size, the S4 & D2. I went for the S4 as i did not need the size/power of the D4 as i rarely ride at night, and if so i'm not usually on unlit backroads.

S4
• Pod Size: 2.75” Square x 1.75” Deep

D2

• Pod Size: 2.2” Round x 2.4” Deep (each)

 

[tjmouse]

They're pretty similar in size, the S4 & D2. I went for the S4 as i did not need the size/power of the D4 as i rarely ride at night, and if so i'm not usually on unlit backroads.

S4
• Pod Size: 2.75” Square x 1.75” Deep

D2

• Pod Size: 2.2” Round x 2.4” Deep (each)

Yeah I definitely don’t need the D4. Most of my riding will be daytime hence looking at the amber option as I think it does catch the eye more.

I did see the A Bike Thing video comparing the pods and the S4 does come up well in that, my 2 hesitations are the squareness of them if mounted under the beak and the lack of lens options if I want a yellow or orange filter.

 

[tjmouse]

The other option is I wait for the new DL series to come out and see how they compare DL series

Seem to be less customisable, more budget focused lights so will either be cheap tat with a markup or fantastic more budget friendly lights!

 

[DJ123]

Have you looked at the D3 as an option?

 

[stever1]

Amber/Yellow is a legal colour on a headlamp or sidelights, as found in the MOT compliance requirements.

(4.1.4) The colour of the light headlamps emit must be one of the following:

• white
• predominantly white with blue tinge
• yellow

(4.2.3) For front position lamps, the following colour of light is acceptable:

• white light
• predominantly white light with a blue tinge
• yellow light - if combined in a yellow headlamp

MOT inspection manual: cars and passenger vehicles - 4. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment - Guidance - GOV.UK

Headlamp, position lamps, daytime running lamps, stop lamps, indicators, hazard warning lamps, fog lamps, reversing lamps, lighting ‘tell-tales’, trailer electrical socket, electrical wiring and battery rules and inspection for car and passenger vehicle MOT tests.

www.gov.uk

Is this manual for bikes ?

 

[DJ123]

The excerpt is from Cars, but Motorcycles are the same;

4.1.1

Headlamps’ colour must be one of the following:

• white
• yellow
• mainly white light with a blue tinge

4.2.3

Position lamps​

A motorcycle fitted with a headlamp does not need to have a front position lamp.

If a motorcycle is fitted with front position lamps, they can emit one of the following:

• white light
• amber light
• mainly white light with a blue tinge

MOT inspection manual: motorcycles - 4. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment - Guidance - GOV.UK

Headlamp, position lamps, stop lamps, direction indicators, rear registration plate lamp, rear reflector and direction indicator ‘tell-tale’ rules and inspection for motorcycle MOT tests.

www.gov.uk

 

[SBD]

The excerpt is from Cars, but Motorcycles are the same;

4.1.1

Headlamps’ colour must be one of the following:

• white
• yellow
• mainly white light with a blue tinge

4.2.3

Position lamps​

A motorcycle fitted with a headlamp does not need to have a front position lamp.

If a motorcycle is fitted with front position lamps, they can emit one of the following:

• white light
• amber light
• mainly white light with a blue tinge

MOT inspection manual: motorcycles - 4. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment - Guidance - GOV.UK

Headlamp, position lamps, stop lamps, direction indicators, rear registration plate lamp, rear reflector and direction indicator ‘tell-tale’ rules and inspection for motorcycle MOT tests.

www.gov.uk

Thanks,

Every day is a school day…

I still don’t like them!