PRODUCT REVIEW: DENALI D2 LED LIGHT KIT

PRODUCT: Denali D2 auxiliary LED lights were designed to create an impressive beam of light that is perfect for daytime conspicuity and nighttime distance. These small 10-watt Cree lights only draw 1.6 amps apiece. Their small 2.2-inch-round by 2.4-inch-deep size makes it easy to mount them on just about any motorcycle. Their impressive power throws light 525 feet down the road, making most OEM high beams look puny in comparison. Include the optional DataDim controller and you’ll be able to upgrade to a dual-intensity light. The plug-and-play design ties into your standard high/low switch, letting you choose full or half intensity. Included are two different lenses—spot and flood.

OUR TAKE: We installed the Denali D2 lights on one of our staffer’s budget ADV bikes, a Suzuki DR650. The OEM lighting is good on the open highway up to about 50 mph. Any faster and you’re pushing the safety factor. We chose to mount the lights under the stock headlight using a plate mounted above the front fender. Taking advantage of the included lenses, one light was equipped with a wide-angle lens, while the other was equipped with the spot. This gave us the best of both worlds while night riding off-road. The DataDim controller works great when riding on the highway. This feature, which is tied into your OEM high/low switch, allows the output to be cut in half, preventing the lights from blinding oncoming vehicles. These lights throw an impressive amount of light down the trail, making off-road riding a lot safer. Even the half-intensity setting on low beam is amazing. Having enough light on the road or trail makes for a much more relaxing ride, as you’re not constantly tensing up, waiting for that unseen rock or pothole. Even though the lights were mounted on the front fork, their light weight and small size had a negligible impact on handling. The hardest part about installation was locating the OEM low-beam wire, which is used to control the high/low feature.

There’s no such thing as too much light when it comes to night riding on any motorcycle. Managing that light when on public roads is the real issue, and the Denali D2 with DataDim is the perfect solution.

PRICE: $350  CONTACT: Twisted Throttle