[bob]

Here's a short article from Cycle World from yesterday that gave cudos to the CTX1300 and the BMW K1600GT for having improved lighting with LED headlights.

Safety Tips For Nighttime Motorcycle Riders- CW Ride Smart:

 

[ShadowRider]

Last night was the first time I had a chance to ride at night and I was VERY impressed by the LED headlights! They seemed to illuminate the road ahead of me quite well, and when I pulled into,the alley leading to my garage I noticed that they even lit up the garages on either side of me as well. I ride at night a LOT, so this was good to know. Also, having good light on the road ahead of me was really important for avoiding the seemingly endless potholes that we will have for awhile...

 

[bob]

Notice they mentioned those pot holes in the article

 

[ShadowRider]

One thing I noticed is that the backlighting of the speedo and tach was not quite as bright as I would have liked--the center LCD panel was quite a bit brighter. But according to the owner's manual, the backlight brightness is adjustable. It comes from the factory set to the middle of the range, so I just need to bump it up a bit.

And about that LCD panel: because of the kind of display they used for it, it is VERY readable in all lighting conditions, from nighttime to full sunlight. At first I thought it looked kind of clunky and low-resolution, but now I appreciate how well it works. While a higher-density display (even a color one) would have looked much cooler, it would have likely washed out almost completely in bright sun, so I have to applaud the choice the engineers made.

 

[bob]

Really like getting all this good feed back on the actual systems from an owner

 

[cheeken]

is the backlighting adjustable?

 

[ShadowRider]

is the backlighting adjustable?

The owner's manual says it is. But I'm not sure if that affects just the backlighting for the two analog dials (speedometer and tachometer) or if it changes the brightness on the LCD display, too. The LCD is already pretty bright at night; more would be too much, I think. But the dials could stand to come up a notch, at least to my eyes. I'm going to try it tonight and see what happens.

You hold down SET and SELECT at the same time to get into the menu, then use the up and down arrows and the SET button to make your choices. I had to set the clock because I realized it was set about 12 minutes fast for some reason. You use the same menu to choose whether to display the distances in miles or kilometers, the fuel amounts in miles/gallon or km/liter, and the temperatures in Fahrenheit or Centigrade.

 

[ShadowRider]

Really like getting all this good feedback on the actual systems from an owner

Hey, I told you guys I'd be glad to be the answer man whenever I could! Your turn is coming soon enough, I'm sure…

When it comes to mechanical stuff I'm limited to what I can look up in the owner's manual or the service manual. (And yes, the service manual arrived in the mail on Saturday, just as I was on my way out to pick up the bike. Good timing!)

 

[sleepngbear]

... I had to set the clock because I realized it was set about 12 minutes fast for some reason.

You obviously haven't engaged the hyperdrive yet.

 

[ShadowRider]

is the backlighting adjustable?

I checked this last night. I'm sorry to say that the backlight adjustment in the menu only affects the LCD display, not the dials. The LCD is plenty bright for me, but the dials could be just a little brighter for my tastes. They are acceptable, though. When I bought my Shadow you could barely see the speedometer at night--the incandescent bulb they had in there just did not provide enough illumination. Most other owners complained about the same thing. I replaced with bulb with an LED bulb and it improved drastically, not to mention drawing less power and being more shockproof.

 

[gadgetman]

Perhaps reducing the LCD brightness will effectively help the dials appear brighter due to less A vs B competition with LCD?

 

[sleepngbear]

Perhaps reducing the LCD brightness will effectively help the dials appear brighter due to less A vs B competition with LCD?

Good idear!

My complaint with dash lighting has always been the hi-beam indicator. Every bike I've owned, that's been so bright (and usually blue) as to wash out anything within a few inches of it. Hopefully that won't be an issue any longer.

 

[ShadowRider]

Good idear!

My complaint with dash lighting has always been the hi-beam indicator. Every bike I've owned, that's been so bright (and usually blue) as to wash out anything within a few inches of it. Hopefully that won't be an issue any longer.

Yes, I agree with reducing the LCD light level to make the other stuff appear brighter. I think I'll try that.

The high-beam indicator is in fact blue but does not seem TOO bright. I think it is just about right--visible without being intrusive.

 

[Denisd]

Was that a service manual from Honda, how much did it cost

 

[ShadowRider]

Was that a service manual from Honda, how much did it cost

The "official" service manual actually is sold by a company called Helm, Inc. The current price is about $120, which seems a lot more than when I bought mine. But personally I think it is well worth having.

2014 CTX1300/A Service Manual - Helm Incorporated

 

[Denisd]

Just got my Service manual, thanks for the link. Happy camper here

 

[dman3626]

That's one of the first things i show buddies who check out the bike. They're like...."no bulbs?.....at all???" I just smile and say nope.