LED Spotlights

[pjpnz]

I am considering installing LED spotlights to (a) increase my visibility and (b) provide better illumination when on full beam.

Any thoughts, and ideas of what to purchase?

Thank you.

[caseye]

I am considering installing LED spotlights to (a) increase my visibility and (b) provide better illumination when on full beam.

Any thoughts, and ideas of what to purchase?

Thank you.

You can't get enough LIGHT AT NIGHT, anything is better than standard.LED's are truly amazing and so economical on battery juice.

[bogan]

Get some wide angle ones, no use having parts in bright light which degrade your night vision so you miss seeing shit which is not in the spotlight.

[98tls]

Fwiw a lot of blokes on the TL forum in Europe have replaced there oem lights with ones out of BMW cars and work well.

[The End]

Not a spotlight, but I'm looking at getting one of these to replace my bike's light:

http://www.cyclopsadventuresports.com/3800-Lumen-H4-LED-Headlight-bulb-_p_83.html

[AllanB]

I spied a Triumph wearing a pair of these recently - very obvious and bright in the daylight. And the magic visibility 'triangle' worked well with the stock headlight.

A good company to deal with too - I recommend them.

http://www.fastbikegear.co.nz/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=745_747&products_id=6835

[Moise]

Not a spotlight, but I'm looking at getting one of these to replace my bike's light:

http://www.cyclopsadventuresports.com/3800-Lumen-H4-LED-Headlight-bulb-_p_83.html
I wouldn't rush into buying one of those. There are issues with H4 LED bulbs to do with cutoff and low beam pattern because the light source is a different shape and size to a standard bulb.

Plus you need space behind the headlight for the fan and heatsink, remembering that it's going to get hot.

Finally, they may not be legal in NZ - HID retrofits aren't.

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[Shadowjack]

I replaced the halogen headlight bulb in the DR with a LED bulb (ex Jaycar).
Patterned against the garage wall for low beam showed a flat beam, which I adjusted for height, etc. High beam lights up extra emitters to project light centrally for high beam. Added a couple of 10 watt spot LED's for the dark-time rural commute. I can see...
Haven't been flashed by oncomers while on low beam.
I am aware that legality may be an issue, but not one I've had to explore...yet.
And low beam (constant-on, in the case of the DR) gets observable double-takes of recognition/observation from folks cruising up to intersections/Give Ways/Stops. I think it was worth the conversion just for that.

[Tazz]

I am considering installing LED spotlights to (a) increase my visibility and (b) provide better illumination when on full beam.

Any thoughts, and ideas of what to purchase?

Thank you.

I have tinkered with extra driving lights and a better headlight unit/bulb combo. The headlight unit/bulb combo has been the best use of time and money so far. You need decent LED spotlights with good spread to be any good, and it's mostly low/mid speed usefulness as anything with distance (spot) are only good for whatever they are adjusted to (flat straights, flat cornering, uphill corning, downhill cornering etc etc). A big fuck-off high beam set up with spread and distance covers all the bases :D


I wouldn't rush into buying one of those. There are issues with H4 LED bulbs to do with cutoff and low beam pattern because the light source is a different shape and size to a standard bulb.

Plus you need space behind the headlight for the fan and heatsink, remembering that it's going to get hot.

Finally, they may not be legal in NZ - HID retrofits aren't.

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They are legal. It has been covered on here. HIDs are a completely different kettle of fish. Read up on it all ;)

Cheap LED bulbs might not dip properly though. If you're worried you can get high intensity halogens that just have a shorter lifespan as a trade off.

[Moise]

Yeah, I know about HIDs, just wasn't sure what the situation is for LED bulbs.

The low beam cutoff is not simple. Some bulbs may be OK in a specific reflector but not in others. I did note that the bulbs in the link came with spacers to set the cutoff.

I've run heavy duty cables from the battery to the headlight relays. The combination of this with Plus 100 bulbs has made the headlights far brighter.

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[MarkH]

I have two of these: http://stores.advmonster.com/model-55-led-light-kit/
I'm using this controller http://stores.advmonster.com/wireless-waterproof-led-dimmer-with-high-beam-bypass/ to run the LEDs at 10% as DRLs, when I activate high beam it overrides the 10% setting and goes to full power.
One of them is on my ST1300 mounted to the forks, the other is on my DR650 on a JNS bracket mounted above the mudguard.

A couple of shots of the ST1300: Dipped (https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/hBgYVfiSGd4xtklCQziBUnv_PQ912yJ_PvSJ7tyJnZ7piJsv5T ysoHmxzZ6XDn2gbMAbUknEA2JzCP8z_3EUxBjHu48W7TJaTyYY nBmpwXRUtxhmvGMS1feBQr-DlF8wHxCB7MjsW255fbPcbfp753ORSR1zEFbmmN282D1toJ-fvkr2g1gM7K4GvgLd3wu3JyoI88FnTs56C8C5FMN1iBMM1l8E4 jO_6rZZrnc52QuEuHedLrz9h4JEIEMfOVqgIu9R8Q_jGl4GJV3 q3tScp1YpJCYGnc9aequGCEqM4Q7V7e63VqrSmyyZG6GlCpEtz KDWbh_8jFboel1yQsuyrDORvAvBiBMaTnbL_DRkDi59XaJ0xAW kZgyvdt-cgKburJa2clNGnqHGOf0sAZ06PWhmD4XdpvCw13ro_Rb7Kii4x eeh7AYf5eB4awlbBGqouKooxwLh6pZ9Pu7hjrTkvZQP6aD8wfS YLWIQSt0jMLA1Qw_c7cp0nBmynyaoIslAcMtlj3b4UFjgCkIbN mmNzjcx8UxQghMfE4QyvJ-NUsGNkuw431lPC3-Z70DlGwSoM3hxKaBGkXw3_dGQemTqTbDrDZ3pKTbtgIYO2aBXO FIBaoh9VA0x=w1008-h756-no) and Full (https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/K6E2v0iV_ehIck0UOlu-AZ2IOFny3hTOHbEv9XYnGjlao6eATI06GWxZ0GUU97asMUTpnB f5rmX4oFm5hmaQoKgs3H-Xil98Puo7dOCyO5EKk4MVAhPiPMJaD4uW6776Y7D7h8JzN3mXU 6hQ87IydmKg1CvpH6TbRgXp71zIhKlIBNO4CXF3_ME2yGeTOuR FVf5oWzWcuymD8IkZrRg1NFy6zyUFc2C6JbFZJC-7qLFcDExnp3McovDIjwReNFgGvBTsWH9YE5E2KiVQ2ry8gqzcC uVB6FZfaVxZpImNcA8IiusRK2_mk7saqnImIX1KR9dFKQ5e3hW jomuL0KnvzJfVhdz3qh-DkWJ_YqU70X8_oT244zV6vdrlfLjWiw0zKXt3NIGP51mNlJTy8 m5u38NNbaSTRrYIu0q_uCuFEZ7OW_u4tK9AsI2nrD0Okck9kG1 3Kv82kN0JGM7qOKurlt_k31ff_m5u3eCkEYvgeJGf30YYmelZ4 GA7HZq8pYYzt68MTffCMt8PGj2d6AL9mmVj-CkUKukoiqMOn9KPkJRlHkLONlMxGXcoK_X_ZZsJ2xaEVm0iFhj dWAoDqy7-7IHjEkFinakV4Jcf0ncOkh1jZ_VaPX3c=w727-h945-no)