Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/575161
www.PowersportsBusiness.com AFTERMARKET Powersports Business • October 5, 2015 • 57 BY KATE SWANSON ASSISTANT EDITOR With continued growth in the powersports industry, LED lights offer a brighter — and safer — future for enthusiasts. Kevin Bluhm, CEO of River Falls, Wis.-based Bluhm Enter- prises, first began the Brite-Lites brand in 1993 in the snowmobile and ATV markets. The com- pany has now expanded to make quality light- ing products for motorcycles and UTVs as well. "High visibility is what got me into the market. When I started Brite-Lites in the mid- '90s, I realized that lighting was a key thing for safety. After having my family, I started work- ing everywhere I could to make lights more visible and safer for the rider," Bluhm said. Powersports Business caught up with Bluhm in August at the Parts Unlimited/Drag Special- ties National Vendor Presentation in Madison, Wis. Brite-Lites featured two new products at this year's showcase, an LED accent kit and an HID conversion kit. "It's been really positive experience here. A lot of the dealers that I've showed it to have really felt that the LED accent kit is going to be a new piece that can really help supplement the requests they have for putting more glow effect on the vehicles they sell," Bluhm said. "Young and old alike, people like to have a glow effect on their vehicles, so it's a fun way to put some- thing on that's going to be very durable no mat- ter where they want to put it." The LED accent lights are equipped with 3M adhesive backing, which allows them to be placed anywhere. The unit doesn't produce heat, so it poses no fire hazards, and the LEDs are low-power consuming. "We're incorporating a new one-watt Sam- sung LED chip and a much more robust struc- ture, so it can be used in any type of off-road vehicle. It can withstand any of the elements, whereas older ones weren't nearly as durable," Bluhm said. At the same time that Brite-Lites began mak- ing products for riders, the company began making accessory lights, so others could see vehicles easier as well. This focus on safety has helped the company grow from one item in the mid-'90s to 163 products on the market today. Brite-Lites' accent LEDs are molded into a waterproof plastic case and are available in sev- eral color options, including red, green, blue, yellow, white or purple. Bluhm added that the kit comes with instructions on the back and with a low price it's an easy point-of-purchase item. "It's a very new item. We just got it into the warehouses two weeks ago," he said. The HID conversion kit is another new product that Bluhm says has been readily avail- able in the warehouse since mid-summer. "The most practical thing we introduced is the LED headlight replacement piece. It gives you a light now that's solid, using the latest LED wafer technology, and it still has a high-low beam functionality. But it gives you a light that is three times brighter than the stock light," he said. The conversion kit can be installed in less than 30 minutes with its plug-and-play setup and provides added safety to any vehicle. Brite- Lites now offers these kits for most all motor- cycle, snowmobile, ATV and UTV applications. "It ends up being a tremendous amount of light that comes out, and a very white light, so it's a very safe light — people can see you much easier," Bluhm said. "As the driver, that light will reach further and wider off the road into oncoming areas so that you can see things in the ditches alongside of you much easier." Recently, a dealer told Bluhm that while riding to the Parts Unlimited show, he and his brother came across four deer on the side of the road. While the dealer had his Brite-Lites head- light, his brother had a standard bulb and drove right past the deer without seeing them. Bluhm said that the white light is so reflective that it can alert riders and drivers alike to possible danger: "It gives you much more of a margin to respond in case something changes or you need to take evasive action." PSB Arai's Corsair model has long been renowned as one of the most advanced, highest qual- ity helmets available anywhere in the world. Now, Arai Helmet, Ltd., makers of world-class, handmade helmets for more than six decades, has unveiled the all-new Corsair-X, the latest evolution in state-of-the-art motorcycle helmet design and function. The Corsair-X features a host of improve- ments and updates, and it all starts with the all-new Variable Axis System (VAS) shield system. Using a variable axis that incorporates a moving pivot point, the VAS mechanism allows for a lower shield mount position. This results in a much smaller and lower pivot cover, yield- ing an average of 24mm more shell area above the cover than the Corsair-V model. By creating an even more round and smooth shell along the Snell test line in the critical temple area, Arai has further increased the Corsair-X's ability to glance off objects during impact. Not only does the VAS system improve the helmet's glance off capabilities, but it also allows for easier shield removal and replacement. Dual-function levers release both the pivot cover and the shield itself, allowing visual access to the shield mechanism and dramatically simplify- ing shield changes. A larger shield latch, derived from Arai's Formula One helmets, further eases shield operation by providing improved control of the shield's latching and de-mist functions. "The Corsair is certainly special to Arai, as it has always been our flagship model, represent- ing the culmination of our vast experience in helmet design and unwavering focus on rider protection," said Brian Weston, managing director of Arai Helmet, Inc. "This is a model that represents the very latest innovations from Arai, and we feel the Corsair-X does just that. It has earned the Corsair name." At launch, the Corsair-X will be available in a variety of solid colors, including black, Black Frost, white and Aluminum Silver. Also available will be the latest in racer replicas, including the Hayden, Pedrosa and Vinales, as well as a special 30th Anniversary Freddie Spencer replica. The Corsair-X will be available in October and will retail for $839.95 to $849.95 for solid colors and $969.95 for graphic options. PSB Turn up the lights for vision — and safety Arai's all-new Corsair-X outfitted with uprades Kevin Bluhm, CEO of Bluhm Enterprises, promoted two of Brite-Lites' newest light kits at the 2015 Parts Unlimited/ Drag Specialties National Vendor Presentation in Madison, Wis. The Arai Corsair-X will be available in October, with a $969.95 MSRP for graphic options. dramatically simplify- ing shield changes. A larger shield latch, The Arai Corsair-X offers improved glance-off capabilities.