Clearwater are definitely at the quality end of the market, with high performance to match the prices. The post TJ put up is well worth a read, as it has a link to a very interesting document on lighting.
http://ozstoc.com/index.php?topic=8819.0 as well as comment on different approaches to setting up lights
I have been using the Ericas for nearly a year, and Lionel has had them on a bit longer with much more night time use than I have been able to. Other FarRiders like Fatman have been using them for a while as well. And yes, I can confirm the Ericas resist water ingress, as they went under along with Lionel's ST1300, but still work great. In fact the Ericas were the first thing Lionel thought to take off the ST1300 when in was lying in state - as you know Lionel loves his lights!
Unless you see them in action, it is hard to describe how much light they put out (6000 lumens each). On the ST1100 I am running the 55W HID setup that everyone is familiar with. This is still a great setup, but the Ericas are a step well above them. The advantage that I can remember are: Ericas have less glare back from signs than the HIDs, which is interesting given how much more light they put out; Ericas come on instantly; the reach down the road and spread are awesome; one set of lights is all I can really put on the Trophy (hmm...perhaps...) so the Ericas are the all in one solution (STs have more mounting options above and below the mirrors); relatively compact at 4" so don't stand out too much.
The first time I used them for a few hours was out Deniliquin way en route to the Lake Cargellico FarRide. At first I thought something was weird, and I realised that I could see so much further in the distance, plus the beam spread was lighting up the sides of the roads that you never see with the HIDs. In the flat country this seems a bit strange to start with, as usually a tunnel of light is all you see.In wooded areas you can easily see all the trees going way out to the side, as well as the tops of the trees. It makes previously familiar roads at night seem totally different.
So I recommend that you give the Clearwaters a serious look. Since I bought mine the $A has gone backwards against the $US (the Clearwaters are made wholly in the US), but I would buy them again even at the current prices.
