LED Headlight Bulbs

Deleted account 211025001 · Sep 24, 2014

Has anybody had experience of fitting LED bulbs to bike headlights?

The link below looks quite interesting, the bulbs are fan cooled and seem to have a good lifespan. Having read a few reviews they seem to do the job and are well thought of.

Price seems ok(ish) too at $50 a bulb (the link though is for a twin bulb set up and canbus gubbins so comes in fairly pricey at $150).

LINKY

Andres

Fanum · Sep 24, 2014

As always, it's not the bulb that will let the idea down, it's the reflectors that they fit into.

LEDs give a very directional light, and even (if not ESPECIALLY) if the LED bulb uses multiple LEDs for all-around radiation of light, the 'beams' that come out of the LEDs rarely natch up well with the seperate facets of the internal reflector within the headlight casing, IYSWIM.

IF they match up, or IF these LEDS have been designed in a way that the light is broadcast from the bulb in the same way as from a conventional bulb, they could be (pardon the pun) brilliant.......but usually, you get an odd and often poor dispersal pattern out on the road.

I have no proof of this next bit, but I'd BET that the reflectors in lamp units that run LEDs from OEM are different from the versions that have the filament bulbs in.....REAL OEM might well back that up.

I guess the only way though is to try one, and light it up in real life conditions in a controlled place (EG up your back alley) so you can see if there are any underlit areas

Timolgra · Sep 24, 2014

Very timely as I've been thinking of fitting one to Ange's TTR to keep power consumption down etc.

They get good reports in a couple of trail bike forums, so Bill's right the only way is to try one and 'see' (pun) as there's so much speculation :augie

You can get them in 30w as well but that rather defeats the point for me to a certain extent

These are just a cheapish example of what some folk are satisfied with, Cree do them and it seems others who want to charge a premium :beerjug: