Ciro lighting Delivers with Customizable Rear-End Lighting even Distracted Drivers Can’t miss–the Latitude Taillight With Lightstrike™
Everyone knows that brake lights that do more than come on and go off are more visible to the distracted drivers behind you. And up until now, there were just a few variations to modulated brake displays.
That, until Ciro 3D came along with their Latitude Taillight (& License Plate Holder) with Lightstrike™ lighting.
Because with Latitude Taillighting on your backside, your bike isn’t just noticed, it’s SEEN. Loudly. As you ride. As you turn. And most critically– when you’re stopping.
In this First Look at Ciro Lighting’s Latitude Taillight, (Yeah, it came out in 2021, but work with me here), we’ll–
- Give you the deets on everything about the Latitude Taillight assembly.
- Show you what Lightstrike Lighting offers and why it’s so different from anything else on the market.
- Run through the features, specs and fitments of the Latitude Taillight.
- Answer any questions you might have…
And lots more. Ready to ride safer with awesomely cool backend lighting? Let’s go.
What Is The Latitude Taillight?
The Ciro 3D Latitude Taillight with Lightstrike is a completely plug & play replacement for the OEM rear lighting assembly. It’s an LED run-turn-brake system, and the one-of-a-kind contoured license plate mount—complete with hidden fasteners—completes the makeover.
But the Latitude tail light isn’t just a functional OEM upgrade. It’s a perfectly stylish way to add brilliant-bright rear-side lighting to your bike, with the opportunity to personally customize it’s effect and appearance.
Your rear fender gets style, and you get an infinitely safer ride.
Designed by Ciro co-founder Darron May, the original Latitude Taillight was released in 2018. Its exceptional brightness was an immediate improvement on the OEM light. But when the Latitude Taillight was paired with Lightstrike lighting in 2021, that taillight became a fully-customizable animated display, powered by a brilliant array of automotive-grade LEDs.
So, what’s Lightstrike all about? Read on to find out more.
What is LightStrike Lighting?
Remember the brake modulator? Lightstrike™ Lighting has a similar mission, but its Bluetooth wireless technology lets you tune your taillight and turn signals with an app downloaded to your smartphone.
So, what can you do with Lightstrike?
Let’s start with Ciro Lighting’s Brakeburst feature. Not only does it magnify critical visibility in extended stopping circumstances, it lets you decide which burst or pulse modulations you want others to see.
You can also choose between sequential or flickering turn signal effects. And adjustable timer settings allow you to further customize and control your lighting. You can even add a strobe effect.
The options are endless.
Simply put, Lightstrike gives your ride more style and makes riding safer than any taillight on the market. Your bike will look great, and you’ll be seen when it matters most. What’s better than that?
And if you’re riding something other than a Street Glide, Road Glide or Road King Special, there’s other Ciro lighting products, like their Streak Trunk Light, and the Crown Taillight, each of them featuring Lightstrike technology.
Want to see Lightstrike in action? Hit the play button below, and then read on, to discover the inspiration behind it.
The Inspiration Behind Latitude & Lightstrike
Company founder Aero Rudd, and his Ciro 3D designers, wanted to give riders a way to bring style to the rear of their bikes. Harley-Davidson’s Stop-Turn tail light system was popular, but hardly known for great visibility. So when the Latitude taillight system came out in 2018, the rider got cool styling AND intense, can’t-fail-to-see-you brightness.
But modulation was still missing. That problem was solved when Lightstrike was added 3 years later. With the brightness of the Latitude Taillight, and the stimulating effects of modulated lighting on both brakes and directionals, riders could feel confident they were seen by everyone on the road. Which made for an infinitely safer ride.
Lighting is ultimately about safety. Read on, to find out why the Latitude Taillight with Lightstrike Lighting should be on your bike.
Why Ride with Ciro Lighting On Your Tail?
If you’ve read this far, and you’re still riding with an OEM taillight, or a lesser set of LEDs, you probably already know the answer. But since we asked the question, let’s take a spin through some sobering facts–
First, even though most (42%) accidents involving bikers are created by the left-turning car ahead of you, and “only” 7% of collisions occur from behind, that’s still too many. There were 5014 motorcycle fatalities in the U.S. in 2021, which means 350 of those road deaths occurred when the rider was struck from behind.
Secondly, that bike you’re riding weighs somewhere between 800 & 880 pounds. You’re being struck from behind by a vehicle weighing between 2,800 to 3,200 lbs. Add a simulated speed-at-impact of even 15 mph (often much higher), and you have an immensely unlevel playing field at the point of collision.
Which means death, or injuries, the most common injuries being—
- Brain trauma – from falling or being flipped (even when wearing a helmet).
- Spinal cord/neck injury – because a bike lacks the protective shell of a car, the spine will absorb the brunt of the impact. That means chronic pain and partial or full body paralysis.
- Internal organ damage — the same holds true for internal organs, which will also absorb much of the shock of collision.
- Eye damage – whiplash effects don’t end at the neck. Optic nerves (and eyeballs) may be affected due to the force of the rear impact.
- Burns, Road rash, Limb injuries — no need for details here.
So, why not put the odds on your side and upgrade those dim Harley backside bulbs with a cool taillight assembly that’ll make you seen by even the most distracted driver?
Ready to hear more? Read on for the details–
First look– November, 2022
Latitude Taillight Overview
The plug & play Latitude Taillight uses Ciro lighting’s proprietary Lightstrike™ technology to dramatically customize your rear fender and magnify rear-end visibility to traffic behind you.
Lightstrike™ goes beyond traditional brake modulators, giving you the option to create customizable, animated displays with your running lights, turn directionals, and braking lights. You can even program an added strobe effect if desired. And adjustable timer settings give you even more control and customization capability.
With Ciro 3D’s Brakeburst mode– a user-selectable option that creates multiple-frequency modulations of the brake light– you’ll magnify your visibility in extended stopping circumstances, where approaching traffic really needs to see you.
You get lots of choices with Lightstrike™ including—
- 12 power-on animations
- 10 turn signal animations with a strobe option
- 3 brake animations & selectable cool down times
- 5 brake burst modes with frequency and burst delay options
The plate holder is curved to match the contour of the rear fender, and you can choose between Chrome or Black trim, and Red or Light-Smoke lenses.
The Latitude Taillight assembly is an all parts included kit and it’s DOT-approved. Plug-n-play electrical installation uses OEM style connectors, and no permanent bike mods are needed.
There’s a 3-year warranty on the product, a lifetime warranty on the LEDs. Check the Specs below for fitment details.
Safety with Style. The Latitude Taillight with Lightstrike is all that and more.
Ciro 3D Latitude With Lightstrike
Features
Ciro 3D Latitude With lightstrike
Specs
Our Take
Why You’ll Love the Latitude Taillight
Lots there with the Latitude Taillight, so a quick unpacking of why we can’t wait to get this on our bike—
- SUPER BRIGHT customizable backend lighting which greatly increases your visibility and safety
- Massive options for customization, including 12 power-on animations, 10 turn signal animations with strobe option, 3 brake animations & selectable cool down times, 5 brake burst modes
- A contoured license plate holder
- Plug & Play with ease of installation
- Rugged quality backed by a great warranty
You get everything you need at one price. Just install, download the app, customize your settings and ride confident you’ll be seen by even the most drama-riddled texter on the road.
Ciro lighting has their competitors–great products, a few of them– but from our perspective, nobody has anything as functionally customizable for backside visibility as the Latitude Taillight.
What Others Are Saying
The Heads-Up
DIFFICULTY, tips for success & Other WATCH-OUTs
Degree Of Difficulty
On a 1-5 Tool Box scale of difficulty– 1 being super-easy, 5 means it’s in the shop– we’re rating this one 2 tool boxes. Why? Well, it’s a fairly simple part switch that most riders can feel confident with. And, Ciro 3D’s step-by-step instructions are awesome.
Success Tips
Review the instructions before you start.
Then, watch someone else do it to get a sense of the steps involved. The best guys for this are Ryan Urlacher and the boys over at LawAbidingBiker.com. Their installation video is totally step-by-step. (I’ve put a few parts on my bikes with their guidance).
If that video doesn’t work for you, try this one.
Here’s Your Installation Instructions. The process?
- Remove and unplug the OEM Stop-Turn-Tail light.
- Install the Latitude in its place.
- Run the wire up under the seat and plug it in.
- Download the app and setup your lighting.
Here’s an easy-to-follow video that’ll walk you through the app setup and configuring your Lightstrike settings.
Handy FYI—based on how long it took them to do it, the guys at Ciro 3D figured the installation time at 2 hours or less. ‘Course–installation time will vary depending on your skill set, condition of motorcycle and tools available. If you’re slow and lack confidence like me, make it three or four hours. If you smoke, add another hour.
Other insider tips? A bike lift is ideal, but getting the bike vertical on a centerstand also works well. And get your hands on a short ratchet wrench, ideally one that has a hinged handle.
Lookouts
Some Samsung phones will require you to turn on the “location” function to allow the app to connect to the controller.
Warning
You saw this in the specs, but it’s worth repeating—
- The Latitude assembly will not work on Street Glide ST or Road Glide ST models.
- For International models—the Latitude Assembly will only work for models with 4″ tall x 7″ wide license plates. Be sure to confirm your plate size.
- The Latitude assembly will not work on international models with a tail light that’s mounted in the middle of the rear fender and a turn signal bar that’s mounted below the tail light.
The Verdict
Ciro 3D is many things, but Imitator isn’t one of them.
Since getting started back in 2014, Ciro’s been out in front of the Aftermarket on more than a few tricks. And whether it’s their Bag Blades LED Light (Ciro’s the original creator of bag-mounted directionals), their Filler Panel Lights (yup, first with that too), the coolest drink holder on the road, their Cybercharger Wireless Charging Phone Holder or their Frame-Mounted Adjustable Highway Peg Mounts (had these one-of-a-kinds on my Ultra Limited), you look at any of their products and you know someone asked the question–
How do we do it right, and do it different?
The Latitude Taillight follows the formula.
Latitude with Lightstrike is Innovation stamped with Cool. It gets you noticed by those you ride past, and seen by those on the road behind you. Get it on your bike while you can, and if your ride is something other’n a ’14-up Street or Road Glide (Straight up or Special) or 17-up Road King Special, Ciro Lighting has Lightstrike gear that’ll probably fit, like the Crown Tail Light or Streak Trunk light.
Click or tap any of the links below to check them out. The link will take you directly to Ciro 3D.
Latitude TAIL LIGHT & Plate Holder WITH LIGHTSTRIKE™ LIGHTING
CROWN TAIL LIGHT WITH LIGHTSTRIKE™ LIGHTING
STREAK TRUNK LIGHT WITH LIGHTSTRIKE™ LIGHTING
FAQs
The Wrap
So, there you have it. The Latitude Taillight and License Plate Holder with Lightstrike™ Lighting, by Ciro 3D. Ridiculously customizable, terribly stylish, and bright AF. Most importantly, it makes your ride immeasurably safer.
Check out Ciro’ 3D’s Latitude Taillight or their other Lightstrike Lighting products. And stay tuned for an upcoming AfterMarket feature on Aero and Azura Rudd, and the Ciro 3D story. Pretty cool people, excellent products, great company.
In the meantime, Ride Safe and Be Well.
Further Reading on JBetley.com: If you want to learn more about Harley lighting, check out this recent post on Accent and Underglow Lighting. In the market for a new headlamp? Check out this Top-10 Rundown of Best Harley Daymaker Alternatives.
About the Author
Jim Smurawa is a full-time blogger and enthusiast of all things that require him to get off his ass. Jim loves bikes, so much so that he sold his 2019 Street Glide to study advanced blogging and digital communications so he could write full time about the Harley Life. He looks forward to getting back on a bike of his own, and he’s currently deciding on whether he should get a Softail, an Ultra or another Street Glide, since he’s owned one of each in the past.
