I think I am BLIND. Just got some supercharged LED headlight bulbs

[fattyjr]

I will be the first to admit to being a little septical toward LED headlight bulbs.  I have watched over the last 10+ years the advance in lighting and even got a job at a lighting company. 

I have seen the market flooded with HID kits and I do admit to having them fitted in my american truck (using OEM parts).  They are good if you buy good parts, take the time to fit them correctly and adjust them to suit.  Now I have Always played with led's and have made numerous lights for motorbikes and vans (transits especially) and got good light output for turn signals, brake/running and fog lights.  But nothing bright enough for headlights.

I was going to try the latest cob and cree leds, but once you go over 10w which can run 12vDC, you start having to run voltage booster drivers to jump to 30+ volts and run heatsinks. Not an insomountable hurdle, but a a hurdle none the less.

I got the chance to try out a set of 80w 7600 lumen (40w each on hi) H4 hi/lo led bulbs (£32 a set) and a lower powered 18w on hi 1800 lumen (£9 each).  All i can say is DAMN.

Both kits are fitted with a heatsink and fan to cool the heatsinks. I fired them both up using my snap on test probe and you get instant light.  The 18w cheap unit was Bright.  I then fired up the big boys and all i can say is that its BRIGHT  with a capital B. 

I plan on fitting the big ones to my tiger so will take plenty of pics and i plan to fit the smaller unit to my honda ATC 200es that is road registered.

I did try to take some pics of the leds fired up and all i got was a ball of light.  I can say that both kits are pretty silent when the fans are running.

[Bixxer Bob]

 

[fattyjr]

righthoe then.  Decided to take tiger for a ride this morning and it decided to run on 2 cylinders for some reason.  Thinking it was a little damp on coilpacks due to recent weather we have had (torrential rain).  Seemed to clear so took bike for some gogo juice and a shot of cataclean.  Bike ran ok for first mile then cough bark cough bark.  Brought it back home and parked up.  Pulled out the gazebo and just about to pull bike apart when for some reason, i decided to start bike again and it was clear and running great so let it get really hot and then shot a little WD40 on coilpacks and called it good for now.

whle I had everything setup i decided to have at it and fit these LED bulbs, I also took some pics.

First pic is how the bulbs arrived.

2nd is bike stripped down

3rd is rear of stock light unit with stock H4 bulbs (mine are +120% xenon ones)

4th  is the NEW led unit with the stock rubber seal installed.  I had to remove the H4 mount so i could wiggle the rubber into place.

5th is stock light with LED bulbs installed, rubbers in place and heatsinks exposed.

6th is a test fire of low beam while everything exposed

7th is a test fire of High beam.

[fattyjr]

8th in the lot is low beam test stepped back

9th is high beam test stepped back.

10th pic is showing the led drivers fastened into place inbetween the headlights.

11th pic shows pattern of low beam when built back up.  Bright considering the pics were took during the day

12th pic is pattern of high beam

13th pic is high beam and led light bar on.

Will post up some more pics tonight when it gets dark

[fattyjr]

Here are the night shots off front of garage.

Will be mounting my gopro to my tiger so will be able to get some riding shots later this week.

1st is low beam

2nd is high beam

3rd is high beam + lightbar

[fattyjr]

Just a quick follow up on the bulbs.

I rode to work this morning at 7am and was amazed how much light is put out on low beam.  Flicked it onto highs once i got to the back country roads (just fields) and DAMN they are the NUTS.  The spread of light is unbelivable.  When i flicked on my lightbar as well and it lit everything up. 

Rode back at 5pm and it's surprising what you can see when you have good lights.    Because the grass is damp, you can actually see it light up .

[Bixxer Bob]

Ok I'm sold.   The big boys, where from and how much please???

Any chance we could get discount for a bulk buy????

[fattyjr]

I will make enquiries into a bulk buy, but will sort some vids so you can see them working.

[Bigfeesh]

Fleabag have these LED lamps for sale, sold as 18W Motorcycle LED Headlight H4 H6 Bulb Hi/Lo Beam Head Lamp for Harley 6V-36V on fleabag number 291640113259, they seem similar to Fatty's lamps?

[JayDub]

Almost all of the LED replacement bulbs I've bought from China/Hongkong etc even some from UK sellers have only lasted less than 3 months, then they either die or start to flash or flicker, probably built using cheap components.  They usually arrive in just a plastic bag with bubble wrap - maybe FattyJr has quality kit there, all nicely packed in their padded box + his look flat and the others look triangular... I'm not saying they're not the same but, I won't trust the cheap ones anymore.

[fattyjr]

Read the first post.  I purchased a good set (the big boys) and i also purchased a cheap one to compare.

The ones I am using in the tiger have better wiring and better heatsinks.

Time will tell.  But I have got high powered LED bulbs in the reverse lights of my truck and they have been in there nearly 5 years.  I have had the LED lightbar on my trophy for just over a year now and I used it everyday because of early starts at work.

[Dutch]

80w 7600 lumen (40w each on hi) H4 hi/lo led bulbs (£32 a set) and a lower powered 18w on hi 1800 lumen (£9 each).

Stupid question maybe, is 40 / 18 W the actual power consumption of these bulbs / units or is it used as a measure to compare against conventional bulbs (as you see on household packaging)?

[fattyjr]

I will find out more specs.  But to compare the 60w/55w halogens I took out, not sure how anyone else's bike is, but at idle you can tell a distinct engine note change when you turn on the halogens.  With the less, you don't get a change.

Push comes to shove, I will put the meter on and have a measure.

[Bixxer Bob]

Good man, we appreciate a good, sound analysis

[fattyjr]

well I had the bulbs in for 3 months now and they have been brillant.

I have only had two issues but that was down to the headlight switch being frozen and not putting power to the relays.  One morning it was -3c and the other was -7c

Got some deicer and shot it in the switch and it's been fine.