Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => Accessories and modifications - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: Poseidon on April 01, 2018, 06:56:23 PM
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I bought a set of LED headlights and running lights from Robocop. I installed them yesterday and took some pictures last night. Figured I would post them up Incase anyone is interested. Crisp white light and very bright. Couldn’t be happier!
(http://www.thevog.net/attachments/6d4097c6-3051-4b95-baf8-67b93272c6fe-jpeg.452001/)
(http://www.thevog.net/attachments/dbddb243-e8e0-43e5-b36e-f431a04e68d3-jpeg.452009/)
(http://www.thevog.net/attachments/6185ea9a-69b8-42e1-823f-c8f5dff80c91-jpeg.452017/)
This one is with only the running lights on.
(http://www.thevog.net/attachments/2aa4b378-0ec6-471d-b333-a25d5b943beb-jpeg.452025/)
This one is low beams
(http://www.thevog.net/attachments/40c18db0-ef38-4fe7-9d47-0535dd308057-jpeg.452033/)
This is high beams
(http://www.thevog.net/attachments/58e891c8-b02e-49e9-b4e4-07c18132aeb0-jpeg.452041/)
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I picked up some JDM Astars on Max’ recommendation. They work great. Super bright. Maybe even too bright. People keep flashing me (easy boys) even though I keep lowering the beam...
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Generally, those things are called "city lights" not "running lights" (at least on the C14; as defined by Kawasaki). Running lights are more likely where the turn signal lamps are (or close to them) and yellow (like red tail lights, but for the front/side.)
I always recommend replacing the city lights with yellow bulbs, just to give some little amount of additional visibility (through contrast). White just blends into the headlights, serving pretty much no purpose. Ah the mystery of the city lights! :)
LED headlight bulbs are finally decent (enough reliable light and with a good pattern).
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=18301.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=18301.0)
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=22202.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=22202.0)
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=2236.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=2236.0)
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I picked up some JDM Astars on Max’ recommendation. They work great. Super bright. Maybe even too bright. People keep flashing me (easy boys) even though I keep lowering the beam...
Hope they are all attractive and of the correct gender, but if you would keep your raised beam to yourself, you wouldn’t have that problem! :rotflmao:
These are really bright and if anyone flashes me because of my low beams, they are not going to be happy when the high beam is turned on! (Easy boys)
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Generally, those things are called "city lights" not "running lights" (at least on the C14; as defined by Kawasaki). Running lights are more likely where the turn signal lamps are (or close to them) and yellow (like red tail lights, but for the front/side.)
I always recommend replacing the city lights with yellow bulbs, just to give some little amount of additional visibility (through contrast). White just blends into the headlights, serving pretty much no purpose. Ah the mystery of the city lights! :)
LED headlight bulbs are finally decent (enough reliable light and with a good pattern).
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=18301.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=18301.0)
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=22202.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=22202.0)
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=2236.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=2236.0)
I didn’t think running lights was the correct terminology but I had no idea what they were called. Since we are on the topic, any idea what their purpose is?
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I picked up some JDM Astars on Max’ recommendation. They work great. Super bright. Maybe even too bright. People keep flashing me (easy boys) even though I keep lowering the beam...
I have had to adjust them several times (generally lowering them) before I was confident that they were not too high. Mine were "Cloudworks", though.
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=22202.msg275513#msg275513 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=22202.msg275513#msg275513)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IX0B6AQ (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IX0B6AQ)
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I bought a set of LED headlights and running lights from Robocop. I installed them yesterday and took some pictures last night. Figured I would post them up Incase anyone is interested. Crisp white light and very bright. Couldn’t be happier!
(http://www.thevog.net/attachments/6d4097c6-3051-4b95-baf8-67b93272c6fe-jpeg.452001/)
(http://www.thevog.net/attachments/dbddb243-e8e0-43e5-b36e-f431a04e68d3-jpeg.452009/)
(http://www.thevog.net/attachments/6185ea9a-69b8-42e1-823f-c8f5dff80c91-jpeg.452017/)
This one is with only the running lights on.
(http://www.thevog.net/attachments/2aa4b378-0ec6-471d-b333-a25d5b943beb-jpeg.452025/)
This one is low beams
(http://www.thevog.net/attachments/40c18db0-ef38-4fe7-9d47-0535dd308057-jpeg.452033/)
This is high beams
(http://www.thevog.net/attachments/58e891c8-b02e-49e9-b4e4-07c18132aeb0-jpeg.452041/)
***Thanks for sharing brother!!! I knew those Led Headlamps would work well with the JDM LED running lights!!! Looks great!!! Hope you had a nice Easter. Ride safe out there my friend***
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I didn’t think running lights was the correct terminology but I had no idea what they were called. Since we are on the topic, any idea what their purpose is?
Some presumed that they were put there so if the bike is on and yet the headlights are off, it gives improved visibility when parked. Of course, the headlights are on as long as the ignition is, so that theory is shaky. I tend to think they are just for show/design/fashion and don't serve much purpose. That is why I decided to give them a purpose by installing very bright yellow LED bulbs in them.
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=18301.msg265940#msg265940 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=18301.msg265940#msg265940)
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It was always my understanding that "city lights" were for European regulation compliance and that they weren't off putting enough for the expense of removing them from U.S. and elsewhere models.
The front position lamps on any vehicle may emit white or amber light in the US, Canada, Mexico, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand and much of the Middle East; elsewhere in the world only motorcycles may have amber front position lamps; all other vehicles must have white ones.[10][21][26][27] Colloquial city light terminology for front position lamps[28] derives from the practice, formerly adhered to in cities like Moscow, London and Paris, of driving at night in built-up areas using these low-intensity lights rather than headlamps.[29]
In Germany, the StVZO (Road Traffic Licensing Regulations) calls for a different function also known as parking lamps: With the vehicle's ignition switched off, the operator may activate a low-intensity light at the front (white) and rear (red) on either the left or the right side of the car. This function is used when parking in narrow unlit streets to provide parked-vehicle conspicuity to approaching drivers.[30] This function, which is optional under UN and US regulations, is served passively and without power consumption in the United States by the mandatory side marker retroreflectors.[10]
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It was always my understanding that "city lights" were for European regulation compliance and that they weren't off putting enough for the expense of removing them from U.S. and elsewhere models.
That is kinda what I said (somewhat here, more in other threads)- but there is no way to turn off the headlights with any model C14 (that I am aware of) so the city lights don't seem to serve any purpose in ANY market with the first "purpose" (running instead of headlights while moving). And the second "purpose", while parked with the ignition on, the city lights do come on without headlights, but then there is no way to remove the key! So that is just as useless- one couldn't/wouldn't ever leave the bike that way or it would be stolen.
So it is still a mystery. Almost like they were designed to be there FOR a regulatory purpose, originally, but then at the last minute they decided to not really implement correctly and just left them there.
Just as annoying- there is no way to use the hazard lights either, without the ignition "on." This is contrary to all cars..... nobody would leave their [unattended] vehicle in an unlocked condition WITH THE KEY PRESENT and removable just to use the hazard lights; unless maybe the bike would not run. But even then, it would be very risky. Of course, the alternative is that the hazard lights work with no ignition and someone plays with it and drains your battery dead. They COULD have had some timer on it, so it would blink for 30 or 60 minutes or at a certain voltage and then stop, I suppose..... but as far as I am aware, it doesn't have that ability either.
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parking lightgs/sidelights. one of lifes great mysteries.
It's still UK law (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/regulation/24/made) that all vehicles MUST display parking lights when parked on a road or a lay-by on a road with a speed limit greater than 30 mph (48 km/h) however as has been correctly observed newer vehicles have the headlights wired to come on with the ignition and on most vehicles now there is no option to turn the ignition to a "Park" position and remove the key.
That said I've never heard of anyone being prosecuted for it.
Bit more background reading
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/know-how/parking-lights/ (https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/know-how/parking-lights/)
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It was always my understanding that "city lights" were for European regulation compliance and that they weren't off putting enough for the expense of removing them from U.S. and elsewhere models.
That is kinda what I said (somewhat here, more in other threads)- .....
Oh, sorry. I was responding to what you said below. (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQm1ftL1BSFDPZYN1Dv306Wj9DKyn3e8f2n9MK0roxDbsqgeN-1)
I tend to think they are just for show/design/fashion and don't serve much purpose.
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Oh, sorry. I was responding to what you said below.
:) No prob. But I also said:
"Some presumed that they were put there so if the bike is on and yet the headlights are off, it gives improved visibility when parked."
I absolutely do believe they were put there to try and satisfy some obtuse (perhaps obsolete) regulations, although they really serve no actual purpose as implemented, except perhaps "design."
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So, if you change them to amber bulbs they become running lights. Otherwise, they are just a design feature with no purpose, kind of like the lines on the saddlebags.
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So, if you change them to amber bulbs they become running lights. Otherwise, they are just a design feature with no purpose, kind of like the lines on the saddlebags.
Pretty much, yeah.
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So, if you change them to amber bulbs they become running lights. Otherwise, they are just a design feature with no purpose, kind of like the lines on the saddlebags.
On the first gen bikes the lines on the bags continued the visual flow from the fins on the front fairing thus tieing the various components together. The second gen restyle screwed that up.
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On the first gen bikes the lines on the bags continued the visual flow from the fins on the front fairing thus tieing the various components together. The second gen restyle screwed that up.
Actually, I think it still matches pretty well. Slightly different angle, but still 4 stripes up front and 4 on bag.
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don't forget the 4 stripes on the heel plate ;)
(also in the "1st gen looks neater at the front" camp)
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:goodpost: :chugbeer:
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(also in the "1st gen looks neater at the front" camp)
I think the front fairings on the gen2 are much nicer looking, even if they don't fit perfectly with the bags.
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On the first gen bikes the lines on the bags continued the visual flow from the fins on the front fairing thus tieing the various components together. The second gen restyle screwed that up.
I hadn't noticed that until your post. Only reason I brought up the lines on the bags was because it was the first thing that came to mind when I was trying to think of a feature of the bike that was all form and no function, like the "city lights".
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....Only reason I brought up the lines on the bags was because it was the first thing that came to mind when I was trying to think of a feature of the bike that was all form and no function,...
I'll agree that their main purpose was probably visual appeal, but doesn't anyone think that they stiffen the outer panel of the saddlebag? I know when I'm trying to cram too much stuff in there and putting my body weight against it to get it closed, that I'm glad their there. :-[
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I'm not gonna touch the city light subject. Lights look pretty good. I bought mine from Socalmotogear. Plug n play. Very sweet. Great customer service.
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I'll agree that their main purpose was probably visual appeal, but doesn't anyone think that they stiffen the outer panel of the saddlebag? I know when I'm trying to cram too much stuff in there and putting my body weight against it to get it closed, that I'm glad their there. :-[
I’m sure they do stiffen it up some. They also make it the Kawasaki Testarossa! :thumbs: