When choosing to upgrade Powersport or Motorsport halogen Headlight bulbs to LED headlight Bulbs it is important to consider the beam pattern of the LED Headlight bulb itself. This includes headlight upgrades on Snowmobile, ATV, Side by Side and any other Off-road Motorsport or UTV. Things to consider are the temperature (k or kelvin) rating of the headlight bulb and lumen rating (LM or brightness) of the headlight bulb in addition to if the beam pattern is adjustable (clockable) on the bulb itself.
It is important to keep in mind that Powersport headlight housings are usually designed for a specific beam pattern that’s provided by the stock halogen bulb that was in place from the manufacturer. So any time you choose to put an aftermarket LED headlight bulb in a halogen housing, it is good to be aware of changes in the beam pattern or projection of those headlights. This can even vary when swapping different types of halogen bulbs with each other. This is why most headlight housings are adjustable up and down and sometimes side to side with either set screws or adjuster knobs.
In addition to adjustments on your headlight housings in your snowmobile or other Powersport, some LED headlight bulbs are clockable. This allows for the adjustment of the led bulb itself in combination with adjustments on the Motorsport headlight housing.
So what does it exactly mean if a LED headlight bulb is clockable? Is it better? Usually clockable will be a better option for almost any headlight housing because you are getting adjustability of beam pattern on the LED bulb itself. The simple answer of what clockable means is that you can adjust or “clock” the led bulb itself in its own locking collar. The beam pattern can be adjusted by turning the led in its collar with set marks on the collar to keep track of where the bulb is being adjusted to and then checking the beam pattern in front of the Powersport correspondingly to each adjustment or “turn of the clock.” Most clockable led headlight bulbs will have lines or dashes like a clock on them.
LEDs that aren’t clockable can sometimes have dark spots in the beam pattern when being put in a halogen housing. This is why usually a clockable led will be better in most Powersports applications. A fully clockable led headlight bulb has the potential to have a much more full and further beam pattern than its non adjustable counterpart.
Some LED headlight bulbs are partially clockable which means they may have one or two separate lock in positions in the collar. These aren’t technically considered fully clockable LEDs however.
In conclusion, clockable led headlight bulbs in snowmobiles, side by sides, ATVS, UTVS and all other powersports are usually going to be a much better option with a much better beam pattern than non adjustable bulbs.