LED headlights that fit the Tiger 955i?

[thelonious]

Hi all, I am new to the forum. I have been doing a full mechanical restoration of a high mileage 2006 Tiger 955i, with a list of repairs and replacements as long as your arm!

It's pretty much done now and has become my winter bike and commuter, lots of fun.

One thing I am not happy with is the headlights on dipped beam (they are fine on full), I need to sort this out before I end up in a hedge on a dark evening. I have already done the mod so they both come on rather than just one.

Has anyone had success finding LED headlights that will fit? There is not a lot of space between the back of the bulb and the fairing frame, and most types have a chunky heat sink/fan just in the wrong place.

I would also be interested to hear of makes that are tried and tested not just the usual made in China rubbish.

Thanks!

[Lee337]

I ended up putting Osram Night Breaker bulbs in mine and a relay so both headlights came on at the same time, something UK bikes didn't do from the factory.

Made a difference but still not great. Never tried LED lights although I did have HID bulbs on my Blackbird which made a huge difference, but not certain HIDs would work on the Tiger due to lack of space behind the light cluster. I think they'd also be a problem going through the MOT.

[thelonious]

Hi Lee,

HID is certainly an option, as they seem to have less gubbins at the back of the bulb, and instead have a separate ballast box.

They work great on my 1050ST and have never been an issue for MOT - I think they changed the guidance recently to allow HID/LED to be used in conventional housings.

I would prefer LED though as they draw less current and are less of a faff to fit.

[Sin_Tiger]

I fitted an HID dip to my 1050 Tiger, worked so well I never bothered fitting the main beam unit (what the hell was that all about with 1050 lights  ) I'm not sure I totally understand the latest regulation changes, often comes down to the tester.

I've never seen HID's on a Girly, it'll depend a lot on the reflector shape as to how well they perform for light on the road.

[HockleyBoy]

https://tigertriple.com/forum/index.php/topic,13593.msg104004.html#msg104004

Looks like others have gone the LED route, this thread mentions Cyclops bulbs which seem to be still available but are a little pricey for me!

[thelonious]

I just wanted to follow up on the LED lights as I have had a good result.

In the end I chose Auxito lamps based on a few good reviews and the fact they are nearly the same size and shape as conventional ones. The model is "H4/HB2/9003" with an RRP of $130 per pair but available on ebay for more like £35 from seller "auxito_official_store". Picture attached.

The manufacturer claims "100W, 200000 Lumens" per pair and actually gives some quite detailed specs on their website. (https://www.auxito.com/products/9003-led-bulb-h4-hb2-led-headlight-bulb-20000-lumen?_pos=4&_sid=b30647d88&_ss=r)

Before fitting, I tested one out using a freshly charged battery and I measured 2.2A at 12.3V, giving a power consumption of 27W. At 14V with the engine running this would be closer to 30W. High and low beam consumption was identical. This is about half the power consumption of a standard H4 which is kinder to the bike's electrics but still high for LED drivers so they should be seriously bright.

Installation was a doddle, they are about 10mm longer than a standard H4 and slightly fatter at the back, but the boots still fitted over the bases. On these lamps the fan actually ends up inside the headlamp enclosure not outside which is unusual.

Immediate impressions were that they were a big improvement in brightness with a very crisp white light, and they switch on and off much more cleanly, making headlight flashes really stand out.

Adjusting the aim took a while, mainly because my Haynes manual had the incorrect information about which screw does what! You have to remove the screen, indicator fairings and nose fairing to get to the headlight adjusters. Then the ones on the top of the unit control the left and right aim (but work in opposite senses for the left and right headlight) while the ones on the sides adjust up and down. The dipped beam pattern is a little less focussed than with a conventional lamp and not as easy to aim. I suggest aiming the main beam first so it's dead ahead, then fine tuning the dipped beam.

Out on the road the improvement is very obvious particularly on dipped beam. Both verges are really well lit and ahead is pretty good too, with a slightly dimmer patch dead centre but not annoyingly so. Main beam is really strong, it does not light the verges so much but is incredible for seeing into the middle distance.

I have also noticed that when filtering on the motorway far more drivers see me coming than before.

I can't comment on longevity, but they do come with a warranty for two years and are rated for 50,000 hrs - we'll see.

Overall I am very impressed. Barely more expensive than a couple of good conventional lamps, much easier to fit than HID and a really signifiant upgrade in the effectiveness of the headlights.

[Sin_Tiger]

Good feedback  How does the dip beam cut off look compared to the standard halogens?