1150GSA - headlights - LED, HID, What's the latest?

I am still on standard type bulbs and I think they are bloody good - the bulb might be one of those Phillips higher output jobbies, I can't remember.

If the LED replacement works out OK I shall invest in one, because £20 is only the same price, near as dammit, to a replacement high output bulb.
 
If you think 1150GS headlights are good then you must have had some poor lights in the past (just pulling your leg).
Seriously, my GS standard lights rank among the worst I've ever had! (last few bikes were ZX7R, 1000 Fazer, 1200 Bandit. Buell X1 and they were all good to average) First thing I did was convert to HID then LED.
 
If you think 1150GS headlights are good then you must have had some poor lights in the past (just pulling your leg).
Seriously, my GS standard lights rank among the worst I've ever had! (last few bikes were ZX7R, 1000 Fazer, 1200 Bandit. Buell X1 and they were all good to average) First thing I did was convert to HID then LED.

Agree - Put it this way... I picked up my new 1150GS from Stoke last week, driving it back to Surrey in the dark and the pouring rain and there's no way I want to do that journey again with the stock lights :)

That said, maybe he does have the super-duper Philips bulbs fitted and not stock - I've read they're pretty good for standard Halogen bulbs

I'll tinker with the LED bulbs that arrived today over the holiday and report back, but initial thoughts are that I will need to do some kind of mod to the 'dust cover' (or create something) to make them fit AND be water/dust proof
 
If you think 1150GS headlights are good then you must have had some poor lights in the past (just pulling your leg).
Seriously, my GS standard lights rank among the worst I've ever had! (last few bikes were ZX7R, 1000 Fazer, 1200 Bandit. Buell X1 and they were all good to average) First thing I did was convert to HID then LED.

No, I have never had any bikes like that. If you think 1150GS lights are bad, you want to try a 1977 Morini 350. :D We used to have to catch new gloworms every couple of months to put in the jar on the forks. I still managed to put some trips in on her.
 
Agree - Put it this way... I picked up my new 1150GS from Stoke last week, driving it back to Surrey in the dark and the pouring rain and there's no way I want to do that journey again with the stock lights :)

That said, maybe he does have the super-duper Philips bulbs fitted and not stock - I've read they're pretty good for standard Halogen bulbs

I'll tinker with the LED bulbs that arrived today over the holiday and report back, but initial thoughts are that I will need to do some kind of mod to the 'dust cover' (or create something) to make them fit AND be water/dust proof


I had the same issue but a mate said he could 3d print me some deeper covers and they work like a charm- that way the headlight is still sealed and waterproof and i haven't had any problems with overheating. Obviously this is only of any use to you if you know anyone with a 3d printer but if you do- go tap them up!
 
Don’t suppose he’s still got the file and could make some more?
I’d be happy to pay for them if you say they work
 
Actually I can’t believe I didn’t think of this

Even if your mate has the CAD file I could get a local 3D printer to print it. The cover only needs to be ‘extended’ out I guess -= though maybe needs some small vents... dunno. A good option anyway

Might be a little money-spinner there
 
Actually I can’t believe I didn’t think of this

Even if your mate has the CAD file I could get a local 3D printer to print it. The cover only needs to be ‘extended’ out I guess -= though maybe needs some small vents... dunno. A good option anyway

Might be a little money-spinner there

I did say to him that he should sell them! They are the same as the originals at the bottom and top but just longer in the middle to clear the led heat sink and you just use the foam gasket off the original cover. I have the nighteye bulbs for about £20 from eBay that have the built in fan on them and have had no problems with heat build up even in france in the summer without vents in the covers so the light unit stays waterproof.
 
Following with much interest, I've got a spare rear cap that was cut for a hid but never got used and went with the phillips, be interested to see how it works out with the 3d printed covers.
 
Well... any chance you can give your mate a nudge - I'd be happy to pay for a set
 
Ok, so they arrived and they look pretty nicely made

Plugged one into the dipped/low beam and worked fine - really bright, easily as bright as my previous GS’s HIDs - haven’t tried the other one to see if the LED emulates the same DLR/High charcateristics of the OEM bulb.

So, the dust cap will have to go - not just because the LED’s heat-sink needs to poke out the back, but the OEM dust caps have the OEM bulb’s wiring in the way too.

It might be a while until I have time, but basically the process (I think) will be a generic rubber ‘boot’ dust cap to replace the OEM plastic one, with a hole cut in it to let the LED bulb’s heat sink poke through. Then just need to connect the LED bulb’s spade connectors to the bike’s ‘bullet’ connections somehow - could strip off the connectors from the stock wiring and just solder/crimp on female spade connections (or work out what size the stock ‘female’ bullet sockets are and fit male bullets to the LED wiring), but I like the idea of keeping to stock connectors and making the LEDs plug-and-play - so maybe a little ‘bridging wire’ with female spades on one end and male bullets the other.

Either way, the bulbs seem great and a mod doesn’t seem hard

I’ll report back whenever I get the time to do more :)
 
excited to see as I do want to change from my original bulbs to either HID or LED! Thanks for the post.
 
Changed my hid to led today and would be interested in the dustcover as original will not fit have to say better light than HID
 
I fitted a night eye bought off eBay, 2 for £19 delivered, look like good quality.
Due to the size of the heat sink there’s no way it will fit without modifying the black plastic housing....
So, I removed the headlight adjuster which was disconnected anyway as full adjustment wasn’t enough to satisfy the mot tester (headlight can be adjusted by removing the screen and then slacking the bolts either side of the headlight)
This is in the centre at the back of the housing, I then hole sawed a 30mm hole which allows the connections to go outside the headlamp fitting . At present I have used the rubber dust cover over the back of the connectors , it needed a couple of snips to the central hole to go over the connector and then some black tape. Hopefully this will keep out any crap ! The bulb claims to be waterproof anyway Forgot to mention that the metal bulb securing ring needed a small bend inwards to allow the new bulb to fit. After all this bodging it works well....however I’ve bought a new (second hand) plastic housing (£22) from Motorworks in case I have to revert to original Disclaimer ! The bikes a garage queen I’ve had for 22 years, so it doesn’t matter if I f..k anything up ! I always make sure anything that I do is reverseable .
 
Rode home in the dark last night and on a long straight with hedges I stopped and parked up, having noted where the headlamp reached to on full beam. Paced it out - it gives GOOD light for 187 paces (near as doesn't matter 200 yards). On dip it is 65 though. Dip not brilliant, but enough to see by even in the pouring rain, it slows me down to sensible speeds! On full beam the visability provided by the 'standard' headlamp is plenty, to my mind. How do I tell if the bulb is an uprated one - any easy IDs? I don't want to have to go to the throuble f taking the bloody bulb out. :D
 
Ok, so they arrived and they look pretty nicely made

Plugged one into the dipped/low beam and worked fine - really bright, easily as bright as my previous GS’s HIDs - haven’t tried the other one to see if the LED emulates the same DLR/High charcateristics of the OEM bulb.

So, the dust cap will have to go - not just because the LED’s heat-sink needs to poke out the back, but the OEM dust caps have the OEM bulb’s wiring in the way too.

It might be a while until I have time, but basically the process (I think) will be a generic rubber ‘boot’ dust cap to replace the OEM plastic one, with a hole cut in it to let the LED bulb’s heat sink poke through. Then just need to connect the LED bulb’s spade connectors to the bike’s ‘bullet’ connections somehow - could strip off the connectors from the stock wiring and just solder/crimp on female spade connections (or work out what size the stock ‘female’ bullet sockets are and fit male bullets to the LED wiring), but I like the idea of keeping to stock connectors and making the LEDs plug-and-play - so maybe a little ‘bridging wire’ with female spades on one end and male bullets the other.

Either way, the bulbs seem great and a mod doesn’t seem hard

I’ll report back whenever I get the time to do more :)



Hi, Interested in this also as mine are basically non existent in dark....
 
I got a Cyclops LED for my full beam on my R1200GSA the cover went straight back on not sure if the 1150 has a smaller clearance on the bulb cover??

Cyclops LED is much brighter and imporves visibility than the standard bulb and Xenon HID bulbs, not £20 mind, I think i paid around £80 for one.
 
I keep going back to this idea but don’t want to do anything drastic when I’m due to take the bike away on a long trip in under a fortnight. If it was just a case of plug them in and go I’d be happier because I could change them back at the side of the road by torchlight.
 


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