Posted: 8/27/2015 10:34:39 PM EDT
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Looking into upgrading the headlight on my motorcycle
Been checking out the opt7 fluxbeam since they claim it does not "scatter" and cause glare like other LEDs Mainly looking for a "whiter" light, brighter is a bonus but not the main goal. Has anyone used one of these or similiar? |
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I'm running this one on my 90 Ultra and I like it. Not much difference between high and low, but a lot of light, much whiter and oncoming traffic doesn't seem to be bothered by it, nobody blinks.
http://www.fuelmotousa.com/i-21121603-moto-led-h4-headlight-replacement-bulb.html |
| I've been using this one for over a year now and it works great. I used to get off at 1130 at night so it got a lot of night time use. |
| My roommate has one of the TruckLite LEDs on his Harley. It's bright as hell and has good coverage but it can be hard to judge pothole depth due to the intense white. As for the replacement bulbs, there is a pretty long thread on them on Tacomaworld.com in the lighting section. The general consensus is that they are not quite ready for prime-time. Even with bulbs that are sold as replacement bulbs for use in stock housings the stock reflector assembly causes scatter and you don't get a good cut-off. Another issue is that they don't heat up the lenses enough to keep them from icing or building up snow- not as big of a deal on bikes since most folks don't ride in the snow. |
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I've been using this one for over a year now and it works great. I used to get off at 1130 at night so it got a lot of night time use. thats looks very much the same as the opt 7 one i have been researching. i see it has 4 bulbs how does it work as far as lo/hi 2 for lo and all 4 for hi or do they get brighter? |
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My roommate has one of the TruckLite LEDs on his Harley. It's bright as hell and has good coverage but it can be hard to judge pothole depth due to the intense white. As for the replacement bulbs, there is a pretty long thread on them on Tacomaworld.com in the lighting section. The general consensus is that they are not quite ready for prime-time. Even with bulbs that are sold as replacement bulbs for use in stock housings the stock reflector assembly causes scatter and you don't get a good cut-off. Another issue is that they don't heat up the lenses enough to keep them from icing or building up snow- not as big of a deal on bikes since most folks don't ride in the snow. main reason i am looking at the opt7 is they claim it doesnt scatter and i am in florida, no ice to worry about |
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thats looks very much the same as the opt 7 one i have been researching. i see it has 4 bulbs how does it work as far as lo/hi 2 for lo and all 4 for hi or do they get brighter? Quoted:
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I've been using this one for over a year now and it works great. I used to get off at 1130 at night so it got a lot of night time use. thats looks very much the same as the opt 7 one i have been researching. i see it has 4 bulbs how does it work as far as lo/hi 2 for lo and all 4 for hi or do they get brighter? I have the older version of that one with three diodes, so two are for low and the 3rd lights up in high. They still have quite a bit more glare than a halogen but not nearly as much a HID. |
this is the one i am looking at. it has 2 leds on each side. i am curious if its 1 on each side for lo and all 4 for hi. or 2 on one side then all 4. i would think part of the scatter problem is when you have part of the reflector not lit the same as the rest. i looked up the cree leds they use and cree claims a 120* (i believe) output so one on each side lit would in theory be close to how a halogen throws light in all directions. |
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Didn't know they had good quality LED bulbs out now. They don't. The LED retrofit bulbs look super-dazzley for a few months, and then fail. There's a good reason why you don't find them on patrol cars, utility trucks, taxi cabs and other vehicles that see a lot of night time use. |
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They don't. The LED retrofit bulbs look super-dazzley for a few months, and then fail. There's a good reason why you don't find them on patrol cars, utility trucks, taxi cabs and other vehicles that see a lot of night time use. Quoted:
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Didn't know they had good quality LED bulbs out now. They don't. The LED retrofit bulbs look super-dazzley for a few months, and then fail. There's a good reason why you don't find them on patrol cars, utility trucks, taxi cabs and other vehicles that see a lot of night time use. got any proof to back up that statement? genuinely curious before i buy one. |
| I replaced a halogen bulb with a LED retrofit bulb in one of my motorcycles. It's a brighter, whiter light, but it does not focus for shit in the headlight housing. Those oem headlight housings are made to focus light from a halogen. They don't work too well for LED replacement bulbs. Your mileage may vary and each headlight housing is different, yadda, yadda, yadda. |
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I replaced a halogen bulb with a LED retrofit bulb in one of my motorcycles. It's a brighter, whiter light, but it does not focus for shit in the headlight housing. Those oem headlight housings are made to focus light from a halogen. They don't work too well for LED replacement bulbs. Your mileage may vary and each headlight housing is different, yadda, yadda, yadda. which bulb did you use? there are 93987497387 styles out there from i have seen, so far the opt7 and headwinds seem like the best for non projector housings. |
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Seems the Opt7 will only work well in a projector lamp, which sadly I don't have on my bike.
Check out the pictures in this review. The spill is just horrible. http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R226O1RFR5C049/ref=cm_cr_pr_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00VNBEJ1G |
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My roommate has one of the TruckLite LEDs on his Harley. It's bright as hell and has good coverage but it can be hard to judge pothole depth due to the intense white. As for the replacement bulbs, there is a pretty long thread on them on Tacomaworld.com in the lighting section. The general consensus is that they are not quite ready for prime-time. Even with bulbs that are sold as replacement bulbs for use in stock housings the stock reflector assembly causes scatter and you don't get a good cut-off. Another issue is that they don't heat up the lenses enough to keep them from icing or building up snow- not as big of a deal on bikes since most folks don't ride in the snow. I can't even find a decent set of LED license plate light bulbs. It is weird that there are a million companies making LED light bars that work well, yet nobody seems to have gotten headlights right yet. I have a couple of no name cheapie LED offroad lights that are about 3 years old. They look like hell, powder coating chipping off, lenses are yellowed. But they still work great. |
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It is weird that there are a million companies making LED light bars that work well, yet nobody seems to have gotten headlights right yet. When you're designing a light bar from scratch, dealing with things like LED heat dissipation and beam shape are almost trivial matters. However, when you're trying to squeeze a LED and heat sink into the same package previously occupied by an incandescent bulb, things get a LOT more complicated. |
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My car has factory LEDs and they're nice. There is a kit to upgrade my motorcycle's headlight, but I don't trust it. I'll take reliability over performance/power use. LED has a lifetime of at least 100,000 hours, essentially it never burns out. Being solid state, it's immune to shock. Unlike incans. I think the primary issue is expense. New tech, hasn't become massively available / known yet so prices aren't where they should be for massive consumption walmart grade. I would think within a few years this will become widely popular and cheap. The advantages are obvious: 1. Never burns out - never replace a bulb again. 2. Resistance to shock. There is no bulb to break, it's all solid state. 3. Consumes just 20% the electric power of incans. Incan bulbs, along with CFL bulbs, should go extinct. CFL is hardly better than incan and maybe even worse, as it takes longer to warm up and it's really fragile, LEDs have none of these disadvantages. |
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They don't. The LED retrofit bulbs look super-dazzley for a few months, and then fail. There's a good reason why you don't find them on patrol cars, utility trucks, taxi cabs and other vehicles that see a lot of night time use. Quoted:
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Didn't know they had good quality LED bulbs out now. They don't. The LED retrofit bulbs look super-dazzley for a few months, and then fail. There's a good reason why you don't find them on patrol cars, utility trucks, taxi cabs and other vehicles that see a lot of night time use. Evidence? An LED is rated for 100,000 hours. It has to be properly cooled to get max power however, which can be accomplished in a moving car. It won't burn out if overheated, just the lifetime slightly reduced. The only thing that destroys an LED is too high a voltage. If it's rated for 12V, you don't want to give it anything else. |
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I have the Trucklite Gen 2 on my Wrangler JK. They work really nice and are much better than the original halogen. Cutoff is great but it's an entire bulb/reflector sealed package and have a 10-years warranty.
I tried some aftermarket LED bulbs on the blinkers, reverse and brake lights and the only one that worked was the reverse. As previously mentioned, the reflector has to be designed for the new light source. It's actually one of the reasons we see those shifty results when some people replace halogen bulbs by HIDs in standard reflectors that end-up blinding drivers in oncoming traffic. |
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I have Evolution J's on the Wrangler. They are very bright and very white. I like them a lot. http://www.jwspeaker.com/wp-content/uploads/8700-EVO-J-banner-image-4x4-market-page.jpg These are also great lights. I know a guy with these on his H1. |
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LED has a lifetime of at least 100,000 hours, essentially it never burns out. The manufacturer of the LED die might rate it for 100,000 hours, but that's only if: 1. The LED conversion bulb it's mounted in has a heat sink capable of keeping it at a reasonable operating temperature, and 2. The manufacturer of the LED conversion bulb doesn't drive the piss out of the LED, in an attempt to get adequate light out of it. Overheat and/or overdrive a LED, and that fabled "100,000" hour lifespan becomes more like "dozens" of hours. Heat management is a huge problem in a LED headlamp conversion bulb. Unlike the incandescent bulb it replaces, the lifespan of a LED die starts falling off dramatically if it gets hotter than a couple hundred degrees F. There's essentially no airflow inside the headlamp housing, so all that heat has be drawn outside the housing. That's why you see all kinds of funky heat sinks and computer fans hanging out the other end of the bulb. 
Example of crap-tastic LED conversion bulb lifespan HERE. |
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The manufacturer of the LED die might rate it for 100,000 hours, but that's only if: 1. The LED conversion bulb it's mounted in has a heat sink capable of keeping it at a reasonable operating temperature, and 2. The manufacturer of the LED conversion bulb doesn't drive the piss out of the LED, in an attempt to get adequate light out of it. Overheat and/or overdrive a LED, and that fabled "100,000" hour lifespan becomes more like "dozens" of hours. Heat management is a huge problem in a LED headlamp conversion bulb. Unlike the incandescent bulb it replaces, the lifespan of a LED die starts falling off dramatically if it gets hotter than a couple hundred degrees F. There's essentially no airflow inside the headlamp housing, so all that heat has be drawn outside the housing. That's why you see all kinds of funky heat sinks and computer fans hanging out the other end of the bulb. Example of crap-tastic LED conversion bulb lifespan HERE. Quoted:
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LED has a lifetime of at least 100,000 hours, essentially it never burns out. The manufacturer of the LED die might rate it for 100,000 hours, but that's only if: 1. The LED conversion bulb it's mounted in has a heat sink capable of keeping it at a reasonable operating temperature, and 2. The manufacturer of the LED conversion bulb doesn't drive the piss out of the LED, in an attempt to get adequate light out of it. Overheat and/or overdrive a LED, and that fabled "100,000" hour lifespan becomes more like "dozens" of hours. Heat management is a huge problem in a LED headlamp conversion bulb. Unlike the incandescent bulb it replaces, the lifespan of a LED die starts falling off dramatically if it gets hotter than a couple hundred degrees F. There's essentially no airflow inside the headlamp housing, so all that heat has be drawn outside the housing. That's why you see all kinds of funky heat sinks and computer fans hanging out the other end of the bulb. Example of crap-tastic LED conversion bulb lifespan HERE. I mentioned the heat problem above- I would think that in a moving car, directing some air towards the unit should be feasible, must like a in a radiator. Right now I have a 350-lumen hand-held light that runs on 4x123 batteries and does so for 2 hours -- and does not get that hot. You could drive with that thing for sure if you taped it to the hood of the car. The throw is a little weak, it's a mix between flood/throw but that's only because of the bezel that's not very large. Increase the bezel and get more throw and you are ok. You don't need 10,000 lumens. Spotlights mounted on police cars are about 800 lumens and 100,000 candlepower. Lumens as a criteria is not helpful, that's the total amount of light created but does not show the intensity at a given point. Candlepower is more useful. A 60 watt bulb makes 800 lumens, but it's not focused. A Surefire generates 300 lumens, but is focused tight so is a brighter light per square inch. Throwy 800-lumen lights, with a good heat sink, that's not a problem at all. These lights exist already among the enthusiasts and their biggest problem is the runtime is relatively awful on handheld batteries (either 123s or 18650 or even a bunch of AAs) and even then runtime is maybe 2 hours. An HID light generates 2000-3000 lumens and getting to that level is trivial with LEDs, they have existed for the last 5 years. You need fairly high voltage to get there. Not 3V but 6 or 12v. Which the vehicle can provide. Check out some bright lights in the flashlight community, they have hand-held devices that run on a bunch of 123 cells (about 9 or 12 of them) or 6x18650 that have so much throw they can reach the clouds or throw 1,000 meters. it's marketing and getting the public to accept it, that's it. |
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So which is it? LEDs have little to no heat output, so users that live in colder climates are leery to purchase? Or they give off too much heat and will only last dozens of hours?
I've never felt an LED that felt hot to the surface, but incandescant and halogen? You bet. I've been using LEDs on my H1 for 5 years now. All still emitting proper light. Also, TruckLite Gen3 LED headlights have a heating element to deal with snow/ice/slush/frost. 
Edit - can't spell for crap on ipad. 
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Check out some bright lights in the flashlight community, they have hand-held devices that run on a bunch of 123 cells (about 9 or 12 of them) or 6x18650 that have so much throw they can reach the clouds or throw 1,000 meters. Quoted:
Check out some bright lights in the flashlight community, they have hand-held devices that run on a bunch of 123 cells (about 9 or 12 of them) or 6x18650 that have so much throw they can reach the clouds or throw 1,000 meters. Compared to a LED headlamp conversion bulb, designing a LED flashlight is easy. Most really bright LED flashlights are only designed to produce maximum brightness for brief periods. Operate them continuously for hours on end, and they'll overheat (or revert to a dimmer setting, or deplete their batteries). Conversely, an automobile headlamp may need to operate for many hours at a time. Also, unlike a LED headlamp conversion bulb, flashlights don't have to carry the LED's heat a long distance out the back of a bulb socket. Quoted:
I've been using LEDs on my H1 fir 5 years now. All stll emitting proper light. Also, TruckLite Gen3 LED headlights have a heating element to deal with snow/ice/slush/frost. Truck Lite LED headlights aren't LED conversion bulbs designed to replace an existing incandescent bulb. They're complete headlamp assemblies, designed from scratch to use LEDs. |
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Truck Lite LED headlights aren't LED conversion bulbs designed to replace an existing incandescent bulb. They're complete headlamp assemblies, designed from scratch to use LEDs. Quoted:
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I've been using LEDs on my H1 fir 5 years now. All stll emitting proper light. Also, TruckLite Gen3 LED headlights have a heating element to deal with snow/ice/slush/frost. Truck Lite LED headlights aren't LED conversion bulbs designed to replace an existing incandescent bulb. They're complete headlamp assemblies, designed from scratch to use LEDs. I'm aware they are a complete assembly and not just a replacement bulb. I bought and installed them. Plug and play. Very simple and possibly an option for the OP! Crazy huh? |
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Quoted: They don't. The LED retrofit bulbs look super-dazzley for a few months, and then fail. There's a good reason why you don't find them on patrol cars, utility trucks, taxi cabs and other vehicles that see a lot of night time use. Quoted: Quoted: Didn't know they had good quality LED bulbs out now. They don't. The LED retrofit bulbs look super-dazzley for a few months, and then fail. There's a good reason why you don't find them on patrol cars, utility trucks, taxi cabs and other vehicles that see a lot of night time use.  I've had aftermarket LED low beams for over a year. I like them alot. About like HID bulbs, without the warm up. My wifes 2016 Mazda CX5 came with LED low beam bulbs and fog lights. They are very nice. |
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I'm aware they are a complete assembly and not just a replacement bulb. I bought and installed them. Plug and play. Very simple and possibly an option for the OP! Crazy huh? Quoted:
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I've been using LEDs on my H1 fir 5 years now. All stll emitting proper light. Also, TruckLite Gen3 LED headlights have a heating element to deal with snow/ice/slush/frost. Truck Lite LED headlights aren't LED conversion bulbs designed to replace an existing incandescent bulb. They're complete headlamp assemblies, designed from scratch to use LEDs. I'm aware they are a complete assembly and not just a replacement bulb. I bought and installed them. Plug and play. Very simple and possibly an option for the OP! Crazy huh? ive checked into the trucklites and jwspeaker lights. both are a little more than i am wanting to spend. as i said i am mainly wanting whiter light. |
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Compared to a LED headlamp conversion bulb, designing a LED flashlight is easy. Most really bright LED flashlights are only designed to produce maximum brightness for brief periods. Operate them continuously for hours on end, and they'll overheat (or revert to a dimmer setting, or deplete their batteries). Conversely, an automobile headlamp may need to operate for many hours at a time. . Quoted:
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Check out some bright lights in the flashlight community, they have hand-held devices that run on a bunch of 123 cells (about 9 or 12 of them) or 6x18650 that have so much throw they can reach the clouds or throw 1,000 meters. Compared to a LED headlamp conversion bulb, designing a LED flashlight is easy. Most really bright LED flashlights are only designed to produce maximum brightness for brief periods. Operate them continuously for hours on end, and they'll overheat (or revert to a dimmer setting, or deplete their batteries). Conversely, an automobile headlamp may need to operate for many hours at a time. . If you mean by "most" cheap chinese lites, maybe. I have an expensive - $55 just for the module itself - light and it works just fine for 2.5 hours without overheating because it has a copper heat sink. It would be trivial to build a massive metal heat sink for a bright module because size and weight are no longer a concern like they are for pocketable torches. A few thousand lumens are very possible. "Most cheap" chinese lights rated for 900 lumens only give that much for 10 minutes and then drop down to a much lower figure. |
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Don't know where you are but I remember growing up in FL it would ice over all the time in the mornings during winter north of Tampa. Quoted:
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main reason I am looking at the opt7 is they claim it doesn't scatter and I am in Florida, no ice to worry about Don't know where you are but I remember growing up in FL it would ice over all the time in the mornings during winter north of Tampa. east coast. it has "snowed" once in the last 15-20 years and it melted before it hit the ground. 2 winters ago it got cold enough to sorta ice up the windshield for like 2 nights. and its going on a motorcycle,if its that cold out I am driving the truck
I am torn between taking the gamble on going with a led or just ordering a Philips diamond vision halogen bulb, they claim a 5000k color temp which it right what I am needing. The problem there is the sivlerstar ultra I had on before only lasted like 8 months before the low beam blew out. Honestly this is all for aesthetic purposes, I have led running lights which are white and the yellow headlight light is annoying and ugly. |
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So which is it? LEDs have little to no heat output, so users that live in colder climates are leery to purchase? Or they give off too much heat and will only last dozens of hours? I've never felt an LED that felt hot to the surface, but incandescant and halogen? You bet. I've been using LEDs on my H1 for 5 years now. All still emitting proper light. Also, TruckLite Gen3 LED headlights have a heating element to deal with snow/ice/slush/frost.
Edit - can't spell for crap on ipad. The lens on a typical headlight is further from the bulb than on an aftermarket driving/spot light or light bar and they are often outside of the vehicle or in a bumper where they get better air flow. They often have reflectors in front of the bulb which further reduces heat to the lens; not a big deal on a hot halogen but more so on an LED. The conversion bulbs have the part that gets hot, the electronics behind the diode, an area that typically gets little air flow, the engine compartment, and is often behind the battery and the windshield washer reservoir. I haven't tried them myself (due to the cost vs all of the negative reviews) but almost everything I've read is that they don't last as long as claimed. Another issue is that many of the ones being sold now have small fans on them to help with the heat; great idea on a road vehicle but they don't work as well on vehicles that go off-road and in dusty conditions. When they start making ones that work well I'll be eager to switch, but for now I'll stick with Silverstars or something similar in my headlights, both on my truck and on the motorcycle, and use LED lights for driving lights. I currently use a flush mount LED in my rear bumper and have a 20" bar on the front ARB. |