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Clearwater Lights


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I like how Rich mounted these new Clearwater lights on his GSA

 

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I like them better there than lower where they get crunched in a tip over.  I also like their "can opener" that lets you tap into the can bus as well as take advantage of the existing handle controls/light switch/horn switch.

 

They are a bit pricier too than my Rigid D2's but they are pretty cool :)

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  • 1 year later...

One of my next big purchases will be a pair of the Darlas by Clearwater, for my 990ADV. Pretty pricey but they come with a full dimmer control. I like their rather compact size for their output. Safety studies show bikes are more recognizable to oncoming traffic when there's a triangular headlight arrangement. A single headlight often appears to be lost in a following vehicles lights making an almost invisible situation to oncoming traffic.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Just received a pair of Darla model light package from Clearwater. Initial impression is high quality complete kit w/ a generous assortment of what's needed for the install. Fast shipment in protective packaging. I choose this model for its lighter weight and compactness and dimming features. Not sure if I'll find the time to install before the end of the Northeast season.

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  • 4 years later...
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So I noticed the other day a friend of mine, Izzy, had a problem with his Clearwater lights and wasn’t happy about how it was resolved. He contacted them and they said they’ll replace for $150.

I posted that on IG and now our friend Matias of TwoWheelsSouth posted something similar.

I don’t know to what extent this is a problem but I’ve always heard good things about these lights.

On the customer side the feeling is hey, I spent about $1,000 on lights and expect better.

On the vendor side I understand that once a warranty period is up then that’s it.

All I know though is I have $300 lights for five years now with no issues.

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Hi fellow two wheelers,  Izzy here, wanted to add to my story on BMW MOA.

In actuality,  when I called Clearwater lights I told them that I was not the original purchaser and I knew that according to their website it's out of warranty. However I did pay extra for it when I got my 2015 GS1200 and even though it was used,  still was not cheap. 

I was told toship the defective one and they will REPAIR it for $150.  I thought it was outrage price, when I can buy Baja Design S1 light, comparable in size and illumination for around $200 with a lifetime warranty. 

Maybe my expectations are too high for a product costing $600-$1200??

I guess I  kicked a hornets nest, but found very sympathetic crowd as well

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
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So this story continues to unfold...

Some guy named Jaysun(sp?) from WA reached out on our FB page and seemed upset I was “bashing” Clearwater. I explained I wasn’t; I was simply inviting them to explain the situation and was an opportunity to address the riding community.

I’ve heard stories like this before with Klim gear and with the parts mfg I helped out a year ago and when you hear both sides it usually sounds a bit more reasonable.

I worked for a multi family developer once and read the customer service call logs and was concerned I’d hear a lot of serious problems but was surprised to find most were small issues or deranged people. One woman complained about ants in her apartment but turns out she wouldn’t allow pest control inside.

At the parts mfg this guy complained for weeks the part wouldn’t fit his bike but we’d sold thousands of the same part that do fit.

So I thought this was dead given I’d not heard from anyone from Clearwater but then this guy Jaysun writes back bellyaching about me “bashing” Clearwater. I said look, we’re a forum and we talk about this stuff there. Feel free to voice your concerns there and it will add to the discussion.

That didn’t seem to fit his agenda so he wrote back more pointedly about how I’m bashing Clearwater at which point I told him to F off.

Then he posts a screen shot of our conversation on another unrelated FB post that I saw this morning so I banned him.

So once again I will freely invite anyone from Clearwater or a friend of Clearwater to come to this thread and tell us their side.

I reached out again yesterday and found that both Matias and Izzy chose to move on and buy lights from Baja Designs.

I checked into the three main led mfg’s and here’s what I found:

Baja Designs Squadron Kit: $525 with 30 day satisfaction guarantee and limited lifetime warranty.

Cyclops Adventure products Optima Kit: $299 with lifetime warranty (not crashes).

Clearwater Darla Kit (lowest price option): $624 with “guaranteed satisfaction” and 1 year warranty.

They add that they’ll work with the customer to make sure they’re satisfied and I think that’s what we’re dealing with here. I suspect Matias’ and Izzy’s lights were out of warranty and Clearwater said they’d fix or replace but for a fee since they’re out of warranty.

That doesn’t seem unreasonable to me but at the same time I understand how these guys feel. For $624 you expect a light not to leak and fail after normal use.

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