Cost of fitting LED Headlights?

[xjr1200basher]

I'm thinking of fitting a set of the 'LED additional headlights' to my '59 plate GSA, has anyone got an idea of what the total cost would be from a dealer (components + fitting)?

Also, can anyone recommend a long life main beam bulb, as mine seem to last about a year then they blow?

Cheers

 

[Frankh]

BMW LED

I'm thinking of fitting a set of the 'LED additional headlights' to my '59 plate GSA, has anyone got an idea of what the total cost would be from a dealer (components + fitting)?

Also, can anyone recommend a long life main beam bulb, as mine seem to last about a year then they blow?

Cheers

I had a set fitted by a main dealer, all in including revised switch, mounts and lights something just over 400 pounds.

 

[(RIP) Miff]

Also, can anyone recommend a long life main beam bulb, as mine seem to last about a year then they blow?

Cheers

Go HID in your dipped beam. No filament to break.

 

[GAJA]

Hi,

I went here last week to get my dipped beam changed to HID. They are close to Gatwick Airport.

http://www.motorbikeadventures.co.uk/product.php?id_product=18

Total cost including fitting was £120 (including a tiny set of bullet LED's which can be found here: http://www.motorbikeadventures.co.uk/product.php?id_product=252 )

 

[muppix]

Go HID in your dipped beam. No filament to break.

Nope, just ballast and lamp to replace every 45k, and the whole headlight assembly shortly after that. Bargain.

 

[Fanum]

Light mount £50
Leds, £85-£160 a pair, including switch, depending on which type (flood, fog or spot)

Fitting, £50

Better than BMW prices, better quality too.......no brackets made of easy-snap cheese, ours are stainless steel

 

[ThorH]

including a tiny set of bullet LED's

Where/how did you/they mount them? I have a set in the garage, but haven´t found the sweet spot for them.

 

[The Sea Dog]

Nope, just ballast and lamp to replace every 45k, and the whole headlight assembly shortly after that. Bargain.

Bollox, complete and utter bollox.

Fitted in the first bike 10 years and well over 100k ago, same burner & ballast been moved to a couple if bikes since then and still going strong when I sold it last month and left it fitted. Never had to replace any components as I bought a decent Philips kit to start with, let alone a headlight assembly.

 

[muppix]

Bollox, complete and utter bollox.

Really?

Never had to replace any components as I bought a decent Philips kit to start with, let alone a headlight assembly.

Very happy for you. I though mine was quality kit too, funny how you learn ...

 

[The Sea Dog]

and if you look around you'll find people with the same issue on their reflector using the standard oem filament bulb


funny how you learn ...

 

[muppix]

and if you look around you'll find people with the same issue on their reflector using the standard oem filament bulb

funny how you learn ...

From standard 55W bulbs? I think it's my turn to say "bollox" now.

 

[The Sea Dog]

From standard 55W bulbs? I think it's my turn to say "bollox" now.

Well you can say what you want, it doesn't change the fact, and incidentally that looks like the wrong burner for the housing you were using it in, the burner in your picture looks to be designed for use in a projector lens, not a reflector housing. The fact you state you get <45K use from them suggests they're not the best of quality and that probably extends to the quality of glass in the burner......

Regardless, there are people who have used standard 55w filaments who have suffered the same issue with their reflector that you have. See here for example of someone replying to someone who has suffered heat damage, which if you look you'll see is different to the damage on your reflector.

If it's the bulb/burner that's caused it then it's either been too hot, or UV damage. I'd suggest looking at your picture that it's not heat but UV from a poor quality burner of which there are plenty around. Did you run higher power bulbs ( be they higher wattage or just "high output" ) before putting the HID in? as that could have started the damage which the subsequent burner has accelerated. Also if the housing is not properly sealed then moisture inside which is then heated and cooled repeatedly will do nothing to enhance the service life of the housing.

 

[xjr1200basher]

Thanks for the info guys!

Sorry if i may have started an argument or 2 ???

 

[Flipfly]

The heat from an HID is much lower than a standard halogen bulb, so unlikely to be a heat issue IMHO.

I too have used cheap HIDs, but I have had no reflector issues with my high quality 1150 headlamps

I did have a bulb go, but it was replaced cheaply and without any further issues.

My guess at the damage would be piss poor quality reflector personally.

Gotta agree that the bulb doesn't seem to fit right though. Mind you, I'm a luddite and wouldn't really understand these new fangled bits of plastic

LED is a great choice for sheer AAAAAAAAAARGH lights. Just fitted 2 3100lmn Cree quad floods to mine and they are feckin unreal! I have HID on my dipped beam, but when I turn on the LEDs you can't even see the HID beam.
Only issue is lack of distance with LED's imho, they tail off quicker than an HID hi beam does on the 1150, so I'll be fitting an HID to the hi beam to finish the job properly.

Word of warning with LEDs though is to make sure you get a decent reflector for the LED. As an example, I used a couple of H3 LED bulbs as a trial in my micro De's. The light output was an embarrassment because the bulb tries to use a halogen reflector to intensify it's light, and that just doesn't work.
LED's must have individual reflectors on each LED to make them work as a spot/flood light. Otherwise you'll be seen, but won't be able to see yourself.

Hope this helps.

An example of well sorted LEDs is here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhIg2sQks98&list=UUYua_L2LHqcxOgUXMy7Y7Cg&index=3&feature=plcp

Ps The video doesn't actually do the brightness of these lights justice

 

[RSavage]

Well you can say what you want, it doesn't change the fact, and incidentally that looks like the wrong burner for the housing you were using it in, the burner in your picture looks to be designed for use in a projector lens, not a reflector housing. The fact you state you get <45K use from them suggests they're not the best of quality and that probably extends to the quality of glass in the burner......

Short of going into the cold and wet to check, this looks to be identical to the burner in my 1200GSA as supplied my Motorbike Adventures.

Richard

 

[The Sea Dog]

Thanks for the info guys!

Sorry if i may have started an argument or 2 ???

Nah not at all, informed (hopefully reasoned) discussion

Flip, correct they should operate at a lower temp due to the burner converting more of the power to light than heat unlike a filament bulb.

LED's are plenty bright enough these days, the biggest issue up until very recently has been that lens design has lagged miles behind and that has been the thing that has delayed widespread and reasonably priced LED use for headlights and effective driving lights, which is the penetration issue that you mention. Those that were/are available and designed properly are expensive as a result. I have a set of LED lights that I use on Main beam and each LED within the housing has it's own lens, they are phenomenal in their output and have good penetration due to each LED having a purpose designed lens on it. Accordingly never bothered upgrading the main beam as it is just not required, but unless you pwm them to reduce output you just cant use them as anything other than full beam.

They are definitely the way forward as the power requirements in relation to the output is much reduced and there is imperceptible delay in output unlike HID used in a switching application. Expect to see LED headlights becoming more common and affordable in the future which can only be a good thing.

 

[newboy]

The heat from an HID is much lower than a standard halogen bulb, so unlikely to be a heat issue IMHO.

I too have used cheap HIDs, but I have had no reflector issues with my high quality 1150 headlamps

I did have a bulb go, but it was replaced cheaply and without any further issues.

My guess at the damage would be piss poor quality reflector personally.

Gotta agree that the bulb doesn't seem to fit right though. Mind you, I'm a luddite and wouldn't really understand these new fangled bits of plastic

LED is a great choice for sheer AAAAAAAAAARGH lights. Just fitted 2 3100lmn Cree quad floods to mine and they are feckin unreal! I have HID on my dipped beam, but when I turn on the LEDs you can't even see the HID beam.
Only issue is lack of distance with LED's imho, they tail off quicker than an HID hi beam does on the 1150, so I'll be fitting an HID to the hi beam to finish the job properly.

Word of warning with LEDs though is to make sure you get a decent reflector for the LED. As an example, I used a couple of H3 LED bulbs as a trial in my micro De's. The light output was an embarrassment because the bulb tries to use a halogen reflector to intensify it's light, and that just doesn't work.
LED's must have individual reflectors on each LED to make them work as a spot/flood light. Otherwise you'll be seen, but won't be able to see yourself.

Hope this helps.

An example of well sorted LEDs is here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhIg2sQks98&list=UUYua_L2LHqcxOgUXMy7Y7Cg&index=3&feature=plcp

Ps The video doesn't actually do the brightness of these lights justice

hmmm

So sticking some H3 LEDs in doesn't work..

I want more light - my 1150 has a PIAA pair and a SW-Motech type Hawk (which need electrics sorting next week) light - I was hoping to put LED in the lights when they are sorted out...

Some thing like this:
http://www.auto-lighting.co.uk/prod...REE-LED-with-lens-5-10W-WHITE.html#tabs_58676

 

[Mistacat]

I fitted a pair of 4th generation H7 Led`s from Horizons LED`s using the latest Cree EHP50 chips, changed from HID 50w.
The installation and results are on this thread. http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/414202-A-good-question/page2

 

[lawvar]

I'm thinking of LED like the look of these anyone got an opinion ?

http://www.horizonleds.co.uk/cree-l...-bulbs/h7-cree-led/h7-reflective-cone-led-45w

 

[Bendy toy]

I have Les Wassall HIDs in main and dip beams. At 30W they put out near enough half of the energy from a 55W Halogen. HIDs also put out 3x the light of the 55W halogen so that must be 3x less heat and as said its already using half the electrical energy so heat must be 3x lower. On power consumption alone a good quality HID can't be anything less than beneficial for the headlight unit.

The latest generation LEDs might be better and should be more convenient. Light focus will be and issue but it can't be impossible with a properly engineered "bulb". Avoid the cheap stuff. Casing failure is more likely than LED failure.