LED headlight

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AntietamClassicCycle
Posts: 187
Joined: 15 Oct 2012 15:03
Location: Rohrersville, MD, US
Location: Rohrersville, MD, USA
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Re: LED headlight

Post by AntietamClassicCycle »

Eastern Beaver sells H4 headlight relay kits that are relatively easy to install.
http://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/Wirin ... _kits.html
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Daddy Dom
Posts: 512
Joined: 16 Nov 2006 19:48
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Re: LED headlight

Post by Daddy Dom »

Thanks Charlie, the claims they make are attractive but with my limited knowledge all I can do is stare at the pretty pieces of liquorice and wonder which one my auto electrician would need.
DD
MRC 3082½
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Tanshanomi
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Joined: 07 Sep 2016 18:27
Location: Kansas City, USA
Location: Kansas City, Missouri, USA

Re: LED headlight

Post by Tanshanomi »

An LED light source needs to be precisely located within a reflector designed precisely for it. With H4-style retrofit LEDs, neither of those characteristics are true. I have tested many those H4-replacement LED bulbs in several motorcycle headlights, and frankly found them unacceptable. The blotchy pattern of hot spots and dark areas make any increase in overall illumination irrelevant; you still can't see any better than a dimmer, even halogen bulb, and you probably won't be legal, technically speaking.

If you really want dramatically increased brightness, get a sealed LED and reflector unit, such as this 7"/175mm PAR56 unit. Truly THE way to get remarkably better light output while maintaining low power draw.

Image

This is a Peterson 701C LED headlight installed in a surplus Ural bucket I picked up quite cheaply. [Full disclosure, I work for Peterson Mfg. Co.] I'm in America, but Peterson DOES offer an ECE version for left-hand traffic: https://www.petersoneurope.co.uk/produc ... headlight/
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P&S
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Joined: 21 Oct 2017 18:18
Location: Rome Italy
Location: Roma

Re: LED headlight

Post by P&S »

I'm using this LED bulb in my headlamp.
Image
It has a fan in the front. you only have to plug it in the reflector (there is also the H4 version.)
It really does make a lot of light both with high and low beam, and gives an incredible new visibility in the dark and a really improved safety.
I drive a lot my 3 1/2 and often in the dark, and I would never go back to ordinary or halogen lamps.
The first one I bought lasted for almost one and a half year and around 20000 Km.
Another one was malfunctioning (it was blinking) and I fixed it only by resolding the contacts.
This means that they neither last 50000 hours nor are very well manufactured, nevertheless I'll never do without. They are cheap enough to buy many spares.
One has to point them carefully cause they can disturb other drivers, something that never happened in the past even with the hi beam.
Last edited by P&S on 24 Sep 2018 14:42, edited 1 time in total.
hendre
Posts: 600
Joined: 11 Aug 2007 06:51
Location: The Netherlands

Re: LED headlight

Post by hendre »

do you have a link where to buy?
AntietamClassicCycle
Posts: 187
Joined: 15 Oct 2012 15:03
Location: Rohrersville, MD, US
Location: Rohrersville, MD, USA
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Re: LED headlight

Post by AntietamClassicCycle »

Tanshanomi wrote:An LED light source needs to be precisely located within a reflector designed precisely for it. With H4-style retrofit LEDs, neither of those characteristics are true. I have tested many those H4-replacement LED bulbs in several motorcycle headlights, and frankly found them unacceptable. The blotchy pattern of hot spots and dark areas make any increase in overall illumination irrelevant; you still can't see any better than a dimmer, even halogen bulb, and you probably won't be legal, technically speaking.

If you really want dramatically increased brightness, get a sealed LED and reflector unit, such as this 7"/175mm PAR56 unit. Truly THE way to get remarkably better light output while maintaining low power draw.

This is a Peterson 701C LED headlight installed in a surplus Ural bucket I picked up quite cheaply. [Full disclosure, I work for Peterson Mfg. Co.] I'm in America, but Peterson DOES offer an ECE version for left-hand traffic: https://www.petersoneurope.co.uk/produc ... headlight/
I just installed this one from JW Speaker in my Guzzi Convert:
https://www.jwspeaker.com/products/refl ... odel-8720/
Works very well, very bright with a nice wide beam spread. Doesn't stick out past the headlight rim.
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P&S
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Joined: 21 Oct 2017 18:18
Location: Rome Italy
Location: Roma

Re: LED headlight

Post by P&S »

hendre
Posts: 600
Joined: 11 Aug 2007 06:51
Location: The Netherlands

Re: LED headlight

Post by hendre »

thanks for that, that is little money to try out new stuff :)
Sicxtyone
Posts: 121
Joined: 29 Sep 2018 07:34
Location: Worthing
Location: Worthing West Sussex

Re: LED headlight

Post by Sicxtyone »

Evening all,
Have just fitted to my 82 500 sport a Paul Goff supplied wipac H4 lens/reflector + H4 led bulb. On offer at the moment at £62.
After tidying up the spaghetti mess in the shell, the shallow dished reflector and bulb fitted the shell fine.
(The bulb has cooling fins on the back) also got a led sidelight bulb.
The silvering had all but come adrift on the original and very rusty under the varnish? backing. So for the small outlay it was a no brainier.
You'll also need a pack of W clips £4.
The bulb has an Allen screw so it can be adjusted to get the beam pattern right.
The difference is staggering, talk about see and be seen!
Hope this helps anyone who might want to upgrade.
harrymuffin
Posts: 292
Joined: 07 Apr 2014 16:06
Location: west midlands

Re: LED headlight

Post by harrymuffin »

Don't you mean 'see and blind everyone else'?
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