Clearwater Glendas

I wired my Clearwater Glenda LED driving lights to a 5A circuit on the PDM60 described in the previous post. At full tilt (with the high beam trigger engaged), they draw a maximum of 1.8A providing very comfortable margin. I installed the power adjustment knob in the top of the left hand fairing as a few others have shown. There is plenty of room but just make sure that you choose an area where the panel is thin enough to accommodate the thread depth on the knob. There are some heavier doubled portions of the plastic panel down nearer to the audio control buttons.

Again, I didn't use the supplied Posilock connectors that came with the lights, choosing instead to use high quality silicone-sealed automotive connectors. In the photo above, the left most connector is a 4-pin coming from the control knob which I believe actually contains the power modulation circuitry. The top two connectors in the photo are 3-pin plugs; one for each light, left and right. The one below these two is a 2-pin connector with the high beam trigger wire for the Glendas as well as the switched ignition wire for the PDM60 solid-state fuse box.

A tiny circuit (4 x 8mm) to demodulate the output of the high beam signal is protected in weatherproof heat shrink and embedded in the wiring harness, just making a small bump in the braided sleeve. Without the demodulator, the full-brightness feature of the Glendas with the high beams will not work correctly (sputters and flashes).

The photo above shows the connection of the high beam trigger wire and the switched ignition wire for the PDM60 for which I tied into the halo lights. The connections are soldered (not my favorite) and sealed using heavy-duty waterproof heat shrink lined with heat-activated adhesive. There is probably a more convenient place to pick up the ignition-switched 12V signal for the PDM60 but I already had to make one connection here for the Glenda high-beam trigger so it was convenient. A second wire running together inside the braided sleeve actually makes it a bit less fragile. The small braided bundle containing these two wires runs directly behind the headlight assembly, completely out of harm's way.

Here's the actual light installation. I mounted them higher than most other installation examples that I've seen. I wanted to make sure that visibility was maximized in rearview mirrors and also wanted to keep them up out of damaging road debris. The K1600 has 4.5" of front suspension travel which, fully compressed, would not contact the lights. I replaced the socket cap screws that came with the lights with stainless steel button heads, just for appearances sake.

The wires tuck fairly neatly between the black fender and the metal forks. You need to make sure that there is a good service loop behind the forks to accommodate suspension motion. All in all, a pretty unobtrusive look, in my opinion. You can see the lights in perspective of the whole front of the bike in the photo below. Even with the higher mounting position, I still believe that a pretty good "triangle" is created between the low beam and the two Glendas.

Finally, the photo below shows the knob installation with all of the fairing covers back on. The blue line on the knob so nicely matching the blue in the roundel is a nice touch. Very easy to reach with a gloved left hand. I run them full brightness in the day time and then turn them down at night. They go to an even brighter setting than available from the knob when the high beams are turned on or just flashed. The great thing about them is that they are "always on" so I don't have to make sure that I remember to engage this high visibility safety feature on every ride.

I didn't take the above picture from the right angle to show this, but I mounted the knob on a straight line with the audio buttons, giving it a nice finished looks from the rider's perspective. My Norcal riding buddies (GT1, azari, and RL Lemke) will notice the distinct lack of a scar on this fairing. No, I tried but couldn't live with it.

Here's a link for the Clearwater Glendas: Clearwater Lights High Powered LED Motorcycle Lights

These things are really well designed and made and you'll have trouble finding a better set of auxilliary lights for the money. Just my 2c. If you search around on the forum, RL Lemke has some impressive photos showing daytime visibility of the lights.

 

I wired my Clearwater Glenda LED driving lights to a 5A circuit on the PDM60 described in the previous post. At full tilt (with the high beam trigger engaged), they draw a maximum of 1.8A providing very comfortable margin. I installed the power adjustment knob in the top of the left hand fairing as a few others have shown. There is plenty of room but just make sure that you choose an area where the panel is thin enough to accommodate the thread depth on the knob. There are some heavier doubled portions of the plastic panel down nearer to the audio control buttons.

My installation was a snap thanks to your detailed description and photos. I used the trigger wire to the high beam and when I selected high beam the lights pulsed as you described. I called Glen at Clearwater and he apologized for sending me the "original" POT. The sent me the new improved version, thanks to you via 2nd Day Air. All is well. Thanks again.

 

Impressive and very nice pictures by the way.

 

Great writeup. Thanks.

 

Love a neat professional install. Well done.

 

Thanks for the detailed write up. Outstanding workmanship. This is perfect for me also as my two next highest priority mods were conspicuity lights and a more permanent mount for my Gerbing connections. Outstanding!

 

Thanks for the detailed write up. Outstanding workmanship. This is perfect for me also as my two next highest priority mods were conspicuity lights and a more permanent mount for my Gerbing connections. Outstanding!

If you have a RDL or similar seat make shure that the sockets for the Gerbings leave enough room.

 

Nice install looks better than factory
Gene

 

Awesome install :clap:

The Clearwater fender mounts look well located.

 

Nice writeup. Now you've given me some ideas. First I like the use of the word "canoe fairing". That's exactly what it looks like.

Still haven't gotten around to installing the PDM60. I agree about the wiring harness and just haven't taken the time to modify it.

What crimping tools are you using? A detailed thread on wiring and crimping tools, along with shrink wrap and where to get everything would help everyone greatly.

One of the tricks someone showed me was to use a pin (like the ones that used to come with dress shirts) to probe connectors. Allows for testing without damaging wires, while keeping circuits intact. The image below is an example of using a pin to figure out power, ground and canbus signals. This particular exercise was for mapping the S1000RR ECU for a race datalogger.

 

What crimping tools are you using? A detailed thread on wiring and crimping tools, along with shrink wrap and where to get everything would help everyone greatly.

I am using the manufacturer designed crimping tools for the Deutsch connectors here: Batts Racing Deutsch Connector Crimp Tools. I have both the one for solid gold pins and the stamped pins.

This is a great source of heat shrink tubing; both the regular and weatherproof adhesive lined. They also carry a full line of braided protective sleeving: Heatshrink - Home

One of the tricks someone showed me was to use a pin (like the ones that used to come with dress shirts) to probe connectors. Allows for testing without damaging wires, while keeping circuits intact. The image below is an example of using a pin to figure out power, ground and canbus signals. This particular exercise was for mapping the S1000RR ECU for a race datalogger.

Yep, the pin trick is a good one. You just need to make sure that you don't damage the rubber plug inserts around the insulation of each wire.

 

A tiny circuit (4 x 8mm) to demodulate the output of the high beam signal is protected in weatherproof heat shrink and embedded in the wiring harness, just making a small bump in the braided sleeve. Without the demodulator, the full-brightness feature of the Glendas with the high beams will not work correctly (sputters and flashes).


What is this magic demodulator you speak of and where do I get one?

 

A tiny circuit (4 x 8mm) to demodulate the output of the high beam signal is protected in weatherproof heat shrink and embedded in the wiring harness, just making a small bump in the braided sleeve. Without the demodulator, the full-brightness feature of the Glendas with the high beams will not work correctly (sputters and flashes).

What is this magic demodulator you speak of and where do I get one?

I accidentally lied about the size (brain fart). It's 8 x 16mm (about 0.3 x 0.6"). What's a factor of 2 among friends?

When I stopped at the Clearwater booth at the local IMS show (San Mateo), I tried to buy a set of Glendas at the show discount ($400). When Glenn Stasky asked me for what motorcycle and I answered, he warned me that the high beam trigger wouldn't work due to the modulated signal from the K16 headlights. I had already read about this on the forum and looked at the signal myself. I told him "no problem" since I would design a simple little circuit to "demodulate" the signal for my install. He said that if I'd send him the design and some prototypes, he'd give me a set of Glendas. Done deal! It was my project over the Thanksgiving break.

Since then, he has been in contact with the engineer that designs his firmware and he plans to incorporate a fix into the embedded processor controlling the lights. In the meantime, he planned to get some of my circuits made for customers until the reprogramming was complete. I'm honestly not sure where he stands on this at the moment. Either way, I'm sure he has a solution that works for the K16 now.

Here's the before and after waveforms with my fix. Notice that it's not just a simple low pass filter since it turns on and off promptly and cleanly, following the first and last pulse on the high beam waveform. This makes it work well for short flashes for daytime overtaking, etc.

BTW: this little circuit would be great for other devices that use the high beam as a trigger such as the Flash2Pass (F2P). The modulated signal is the reason that they don't work quite right and trigger the garage door with a single short high beam flash. Holding high beam longer or double pulsing it (as intended by the design) causes the door to close again. Same issue as the Glendas.

 

Cbdane, you certainly have raised the bar on explanations, photos and creativity with accessories.. Very impressive! You must have an aviation background to call them "canoe fairings". Very appropriate. You have given me many excellent ideas. Thanks.

 

CbDane, I didn't think a 15amp circuit would be enough to power a set of heated gear. Are you powering jacket and gloves, jacket or gloves alone? Please clarify and also the make.
Would like to possibly get some heated gear when the M/C Show hits town, not sure which way to go, leaning towards Powerlet with the wireless controller or Gerbling's Microwire. Heard the 1600's Alternator is on the small side compared to other models. First Beemer, Harley convert you know.
Thanks In Advance

 

I have used 2 of the 15 amp circuits for the Gerbings jackets not the liners. If I need full heated gear then I will use the outlets on the right side of the bike besides if I need full electrics it will be too cold for Barb.

 

The Gerbing site shows 12.5 amps for gloves, jacket and pants.

 

The manual that came with my new Gerbing XE jacket and pants adds up the gloves, jacket, pants at a little over 14A. I installed the Gerbing fused direct connection to the battery and eliminated the CANBUS from the equation.

 

1500 mile day in the with temps in upper 30's degF, running gloves, pants and jacket. Blew a lower amp fuse. Changed it for a 15a and haven't had problems since (wired directly to battery).

 

That's a **** of a day. 85 mph for over 17 hrs!:clap: Or 62 mph for 24 hrs.

 

I spoke to the folks at Clearwater several weeks ago. I was informed that the "cbdane demodulation circuit" would be incorporated into the dimmer potentiometer device. They were in the process of getting them fabricated and indicated they would be available the beginning of Feb.

I asked if I could get the new potentiometer assembly from them, but they steered me to RocketMoto, as that is where the lights originally came from.

Adam at Rocketmoto told me he had received a prototype recently for testing and was expecting the production units shortly. He was going to contact me when he gets them.

I'll be sure to post when I hear something.

 

I spoke to the folks at Clearwater several weeks ago. I was informed that the "cbdane demodulation circuit" would be incorporated into the dimmer potentiometer device. They were in the process of getting them fabricated and indicated they would be available the beginning of Feb.

I asked if I could get the new potentiometer assembly from them, but they steered me to RocketMoto, as that is where the lights originally came from.

Adam at Rocketmoto told me he had received a prototype recently for testing and was expecting the production units shortly. He was going to contact me when he gets them.

I'll be sure to post when I hear something.

I talked to Clearwater today. They are sending me a new dimmer pod that works with the high beams. They said it only required a software update, so I need to send the old one back to them. GREAT customer service from Clearwater.

 

Humbling cdane, truly impressive work you do. My father designed planes for the air force. He could never talk about his work until a plane or weapons system was bought and made public. Then if I had behaved myself he would bring me home an 8x10 glossy picture of the project. I had those pictures on my bedroom wall as a boy. I was so proud of him. I still have those pictures today. Bet your kids are proud of what you do to. Me I design and build custom furniture. It pay the bills and takes care of my boys, but nothing like what you do. Humbling

Pete

 

Bet your kids are proud of what you do to. Me I design and build custom furniture. It pay the bills and takes care of my boys, but nothing like what you do. Humbling.

Are you kidding? My partner in crime (he and I developed the original laser technology at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) is a master carpenter and cabinet maker. He builds his own houses (drives every nail), all of the furniture, and cabinetry. It's incredibly impressive to me and so far beyond what I could imagine ever doing myself. My hat's off to the both of you!

 

Adam sent me some little fixer part thing a few weeks back, but being a bit intimidated by things like this, and being slammed at work I haven't looked at it yet. Funny I've no problem turning wrenches and taking thing apart, but when it comes to electrical systems and electronics I freeze. Part of me says it's good to know your limits, and part of me says to man up and do it. I'm envious of all you guys with a good feel for these things. How tough could it be after all. I suppose like all things the key is to start doing it. Things usually come together once I start.

Pete

 

Thanks for the write up. I'm going to copy your install, hope thats ok? <lol> Anyway, I've emailed Clearwater some mounting questions, but one question for you. Did you buy the CanBUS version or the regular Glendas? My assumption is that since you wired it direct to the PDM60, you would not really need the CanBUS version? Admittedly this was my first BMW, but I hear a lot of people say "don't cut into anything electrical on a BMW".

Any comments are appreciated.

Dave...

 

Glenn sent me the Canbus version but you are correct; with the PDM60 it wasn't needed. The only thing special about the Canbus version is that it comes with a fused wiring harness with a power isolation relay so you can wire the lights straight to the battery. Same idea as the PDM60 only the PDM handles multiple devices.

 

When I get mine I would like the glenda's to, but I'll ask the garage to install them. Not being such a technical genious.

 

I installed a Powerlet outlet this morning using the Deutsch connectors. I didn't have a crimp tool so I bought one on Ebay for $37. It's not the Deutsch crimp tool and only makes 4 crimps instead of 8, but works great and makes a strong crimp. Thanks for tip. Very clean install.

Crimp tool

 

Very nice Dan!

 

Nice install. Do you use the Gerbing external controller?

 

Not sure about Dan but I use the Gerbing controller (socket in same place he shows). I put a square of heavy duty velcro (the hook side) on the back and it sticks right to a fuzzy velcro strip that came sewn onto the top thigh of my Aerostich riding suit.

 

I just got the Powerlet Rapid Fire jacket with the wireless controller. LOVE it. The socket was ordered from power let also.

 

Cbdane,

Can you please confirm the colors of the wires that you pick up for the switched supply and high beam supply off the back of the headlight.

Does anyone know the color of the tail light power wire in case I decide to use that. I see there is two plugs at the back of the passenger seat, so I am a bit confused if I wanted to pick up a 12 volt switched supply, which plug and which color....

Thanks

 

Cbdane,

Can you please confirm the colors of the wires that you pick up for the switched supply and high beam supply off the back of the headlight.

Does anyone know the color of the tail light power wire in case I decide to use that. I see there is two plugs at the back of the passenger seat, so I am a bit confused if I wanted to pick up a 12 volt switched supply, which plug and which color....

Thanks

The high beam supply is either one of the top two wires in the photo below. I didn't take notes but to my eyes, these look to be white with a yellow stripe and white with a blue stripe. The halo ring is either one of the smaller gauge wires just below the top two, which look to be grey with a blue stripe and grey with a brown stripe. The brown at the very bottom of the plug is ground. Hope that this is helpful.

My biggest advice in any wiring job is to steer completely clear of any wire on the bike that is white with black stripe accompanied by a white with brown stripe. These are the CANbus high and low lines and are the data arteries for all control functions, from throttle, to ABS brakes, to fuel injection.

 

Does anyone know the color of the tail light wire. I would rather get the switched supply nearer the PDM60 rather than off the headlight....

 

The barrel connector for the top box is a good source (I have the GTL - not sure if it's there for the GT).

 

On other CANbus bikes, the tail light is not a good source for switched power. CANbus uses one wire for tail and brake, and the tail light function is a modulated signal that shows up as a reduced brightness, only going full bright when the brakes are applied. I'm not sure if the LED tail lights on the K16 are different, but I'd be careful about using the tail light wire if you're looking for a good switched 12V signal.