Anyone using an LED bulb in the headlight?

[Janx101]

cool ... good that you can run them when you want .. over here they get a bit funny about aftermarket fog/driving lamps being used at incorrect times ... mainly on cages .. to do with light angle and dazzle issues for oncoming traffic.

good mounting points though!... main headlight static ahead but add ons sweep when you turn  ... thats best of both worlds  ... and the hardest bit i had to get used to while i had my fairings off and some of those little 'bug eye' cheapo lights mounted to fork tubes .. it cool for the light to point where you look .. but ahead at same time like on the fairing was needed too

[Funderb]

the whole LED bulb thing though ... cheap chinese led units..... are cheap and fail much much quicker ... so if anyone wants light to

well, depends what you get. Any man made object can fail with little or no warning.  I got a set of cheap chinese LED strips for kicks for my jetta, the've been on the front of the car for 3 years and 50k miles of all weather driving, including some fun rally stints with the buds. They run for the entire time the key is on, as they're hooked into the DRLs. They're not imperative to my vision so im not concerned, but i can't say they haven't dealt with ridiculous punishment and stood up to it.

[weedahoe]

Pretty much all LEDs are made in China or Hong Kong.........get over it

[iclrag]

I mount them on the lower fork using the reflector mount that is on the newer forks. There is a bracket to mount them on the lower triple or where ever you want. Lower fork is best in my opinion when you have a fairing. Hence a reason I also like the Harley stick-on fork reflectors!


I do run them all the time. make me more visible during the day.

that.is.awesome, i wanted to put fog lights on but i wasn't sure if they would look stupid, but that's a big improvement!

as for LED headlight, all i have to say is not yet. i installed LED lights on my car's brake lights and holy crap are they bright!

[adidasguy]

LED does not mean "BRIGHTER!" There are LEDs of varying light output, just as there are incandescent lights with different wattages.

I replaced all 4' fluorescent tubes with LED tubes. You can get 15, 17 and 19 watt LED tubes (standard you can get 34 and 40 watt). Also different color temperatures: warm, daylight, cool white (as you can with standard fluorescent tubes).

Frontal view:

[Rob_02gs500]

I just installed an HID so i have no worries. The LEDs i tried scared me since they seem too weak for a headlight.

I have LED fog lights. Main light is stock.
Anything you get must be DOT approved or in Europe be E-marked. If not, it won't equal your stock light for light output and pattern.

A real DOT approved 7" round replacement is right now about $300
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Truck-Lite-7-LED-Motorcycle-Headlight-Round-Standard-Classic-Cruiser-Universal-/310404699972?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item48458fd744&vxp=mtr

If you're doing it to reduce power, no worry. We have plenty of extra power available.

If for light, add fog lights. The 2 extra points of light make you appear a bugger object. 3 points of light make it easier for cagers to judge your distance.

These are the headlights that we had in our MATVs in Afghanistan. Hi/low very nice and bright.

[Funderb]

I replaced all 4' fluorescent tubes with LED tubes. You can get 15, 17 and 19 watt LED tubes (standard you can get 34 and 40 watt). Also different color temperatures: warm, daylight, cool white (as you can with standard fluorescent tubes).

how do you like those? is there a transformer for the bulbs?
I've seen what AC input can do to LED's and its, well, nauseating. A refresh rate you cant really notice optically, but somehow the brain does, and its terrible.

[adidasguy]

I replaced all 4' fluorescent tubes with LED tubes. You can get 15, 17 and 19 watt LED tubes (standard you can get 34 and 40 watt). Also different color temperatures: warm, daylight, cool white (as you can with standard fluorescent tubes).

how do you like those? is there a transformer for the bulbs?
I've seen what AC input can do to LED's and its, well, nauseating. A refresh rate you cant really notice optically, but somehow the brain does, and its terrible.

Remove the ballast thingy. Connect directly to the AC per the wiring diagram (different ones wire differently - there is no standard yet).
They are wonderful - no faint buzzing. No flickering. Better light. Have them in my office and we have a 10% reduction in power. I use them in my Bike Cave and carport next to the Cave. There the best thing is no flickering for 5 minutes when cold. Freezing and they turn on to full brightness. I prefer "natural white" where the color temp is 4800k to 5400k. In a 2 or 4 tube fixture, you could put half cool white (6000k) and half warm white (3500k) and you get a nice balanced natural white if you can't get natural white.

Florescent lamps have that imperceptible flicker. The LED fixtures do not because they convert AC to DC and run them on filtered DC with some capacitors. When you turn them off, they stay on for about 1/4 second while the caps drain out.  Everyone loves the LED tubes.

[007brendan]

Every LED headlight I've ever seen was super dim

[weedahoe]

My reverse lights in my truck have LED bulbs and they make daylight out of darkness. My tint on my windows is 20% and my rear is 15%

[weedahoe]

UPDATE - my bulbs came in today. Being I have a pair, if this works out (I'll know for sure tonight) then the other single bulb I will have left over along with the lower CREE parking light bulb will be up for sale

Here are some hands-on pics. I did light it up and it is bright! Unfortunately though, the camera auto adjusts for the brightness so it wont capture if correctly.

[noiseguy]

I have LED fog lights. Main light is stock.
Anything you get must be DOT approved or in Europe be E-marked. If not, it won't equal your stock light for light output and pattern.

A real DOT approved 7" round replacement is right now about $300
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Truck-Lite-7-LED-Motorcycle-Headlight-Round-Standard-Classic-Cruiser-Universal-/310404699972?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item48458fd744&vxp=mtr

Those look like they'd be reasonably effective. I have to say, though, at $300/pop I'd only run them if power availability was a real concern (like on an electric vehicle.) Otherwise I'll wait for the prices to come down.

The one I put on the electric dirt bike... I think the bulbs were $2/pc shipped from China... and they work about $2 good.

[weedahoe]

As for the bulb I put in, getting pics of it at night is really hard. But overall I would have to say it is as bright as my stock halogen. it is a more bright and pure white light unlike halogen with a filament but an HID bulb with a projector would be better.

[Bluesmudge]

If you really think it is as bright as the stock halogen I would be willing to buy the second bulb off you to give it a try!

[crzydood17]

this thread is worthless without pics 

[iclrag]

while yes LED doesn't always mean brighter, i would definetely make my lights brighter with the upgrade, though on the country roads by me wont make a difference since i can already see to the next blind corner lol... but i would like the brighter light

[weedahoe]

this thread is worthless without pics 

I know bud. I wish I could get pics that came out right. Maybe I could line my two bikes up side by side when I get back in town and do a comparison for you.

[crzydood17]

ehh, doesnt matter I will keep my normal bulb, my coils don't need any more power to zap me.

[Janx101]

i'm just waiting for the test results

  ... then the many/varied calls for proof scientifically by means unimportant to the installer ... the cries for quantifiable lux meter data, otherr tests that should be carried out by some gov't licensed place that exists 'somewhere else' , the calls of  and 'no way!!... i'm sticking to my candle and/or shellite lamp... it was the standard since Adam was an itch in his daddys pants!' ... then the back and forth 'my statistics are bigger and harder than your statistics' debate .... then the various throwing up of hands and shaking of jowls......... 

but if the pic above is as i think ... there are perimeter located rows of led around the 'shaft' and another in the little front cup?? .... and then a night time photo from rider perspective shows a good result.... then sure i'll jump on!! ... without even any further "consulting electrical engineer's " 57 page report!! 

[weedahoe]

Slight follow up. Thought I would post some pics