Front LED / HID Lighting

[Delta]

I recently installed Show Chrome LED Fog Lights. Today I installed SoCal Switchbacks with the clear lens. These are so bright that now the OEM headlights look defective as they seem so dim. I guess I have to order the HID Kit for my low beams. My question is will the low beam HIDs render the high beams useless? I don't ride much at night, my main concern is to be conspicuous. Did any of you find that you had to readjust your low beams after the install?

[53driver]

I went straight to the SoCal LED High & Low Beams.
I already had the Switchbacks and the Socal Fog lights.
They are now all the same color temperature and look like they are supposed to.

Steve 0080 has a neat HID rig - and Hornblower has forgotten more about lighting than most people know.

Let's see if they chime in.....

[Hornblower]

I recently installed Show Chrome LED Fog Lights. Today I installed SoCal Switchbacks with the clear lens. These are so bright that now the OEM headlights look defective as they seem so dim. I guess I have to order the HID Kit for my low beams. My question is will the low beam HIDs render the high beams useless? I don't ride much at night, my main concern is to be conspicuous. Did any of you find that you had to readjust your low beams after the install?

You can go with HID's for your low beams but don't forget that LED bulbs are also now a good choice. Either way, you will need to re-adjust. Personally, I don't care much for HID's in the high beams due to the warm-up time. I have LED bulbs in both low and high and it works great. And yes, you will be conspicuous with either HID or LED.

[Steve 0080]

Great lights either way you go...$$$$$ will/may determine that...yes you will need to adjust them.

[Craig_328]

You can go with HID's for your low beams but don't forget that LED bulbs are also now a good choice. Either way, you will need to re-adjust. Personally, I don't care much for HID's in the high beams due to the warm-up time. I have LED bulbs in both low and high and it works great. And yes, you will be conspicuous with either HID or LED.

Anyone know when the LED high and low beam lights will be available? It's the end of April and I'm curious to see what the update is.



Craig

[Hornblower]

Anyone know when the LED high and low beam lights will be available? It's the end of April and I'm curious to see what the update is.
Craig

Which LED lights are you referring to?

[Craig_328]

Which LED lights are you referring to?

High and Low Beam... http://socalmotorgear.com/

[ths61]

One of our vendors(SoCalMotoGear) was coming out with a P-N-P version of the high power FleaBay 4,800 lumen LEDs. I remember one of our members(cwjj2001) posting about testing the beta versions. I think it was the same member who was the beta tester for the Pathfinder cowl lights with the integrated eyebrow DRL/turn signal combo.

Update: Found the post by cwjj2001 for the new SoCalMotoGear LEDs:

http://hondaf6b.com/showthread.php?7012-LED-H7-Headlights-Revisited&p=109522&viewfull=1#post109522

COMING SOON! [NEW] GL1800/F6B LED HEADLIGHT KIT - HIGH BEAM - PLUG N PLAY (http://www.socalmotogear.com/HONDA-GOLD-WING-GL1800-F6B-LED-HEADLIGHT-SYSTEM-p/g18ledh.htm)

PLUG N PLAY. Simply install the included headlight ring, then twist to lock the bulb in place. It’s that simple!

Power: LED's draw about 1/2 the power compared to incandescent bulbs
Power: 12v @2.3AMPS per bulb (stock bulbs draw about 4-5AMPS per bulb)
HIgh Beam: 4800LM x 2
Color Temp: 5000K

http://hondaf6b.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19078&d=1456114627&thumb=1

Looks like the FleaBay versions are coming with spacers and a 40% price drop.

20503

[pilotguy299]

I just received a set from SoCal and I am not completely happy.

The instructions are lacking. There are no tie wraps/cable ties provided to secure the mini ballasts. And there are no suggestions in the instructions as where to mount/secure the mini ballasts.

You need to be really careful putting the adapter ring in to the headlight housing and securing it properly. My first one fell as I was moving the bulb clamp and fell in to the headlight housing. So what should have taken an hour to install, took me another 6 hours as I had to figure out how to remove the front fairing and cowl so I could get a coat hanger in to the housing and retrieve the piece.

NOTE FOR OTHERS: Use a wire coat hanger or something similar as a guide, placing one end in to the headlight housing, and then slide the adapter around the wire and down to the housing. Secure the adapter in place before removing the wire coat hanger.

That said,

THE LIGHTS ARE AWESOMELY BRIGHT!


but the instructions still suck, and for $155 a set, a couple of cable ties should have been included.

i am sure that I will have to go back in there and rearrange how I have the right side wiring routed & secured. The left side I am comfortable with, but was getting tired towards the end and rushed a bit more than I should have.

I am interested in just how warm/hot the braided strips will get, especially if the bike is running but not moving. Might make a difference in how I reroute the wires.



https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/t31.0-8/13072696_238757596512680_4002514860550665970_o.jpg

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/13086755_238757586512681_573491997034853221_o.jpg

[ths61]

I just received a set from SoCal and I am not completely happy.
...

That said,

THE LIGHTS ARE AWESOMELY BRIGHT!

but the instructions still suck, and for $155 a set, a couple of cable ties should have been included.

Did you install them as low, high or both ?

[pilotguy299]

I bought both sets, high and low. they are supposed to be different bulbs for each.

[ths61]

I bought both sets, high and low. they are supposed to be different bulbs for each.

They look great.

[pilotguy299]

views from the other direction


https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/13072870_238773776511062_4791650109343730399_o.jpg

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/13087241_238773729844400_6338035551410069016_o.jpg

[Vondawg]

Bright white on white !

[Craig_328]

One of our vendors(SoCalMotoGear) was coming out with a P-N-P version of the high power FleaBay 4,800 lumen LEDs. I remember one of our members(cwjj2001) posting about testing the beta versions. I think it was the same member who was the beta tester for the Pathfinder cowl lights with the integrated eyebrow DRL/turn signal combo.

Update: Found the post by cwjj2001 for the new SoCalMotoGear LEDs:

http://hondaf6b.com/showthread.php?7012-LED-H7-Headlights-Revisited&p=109522&viewfull=1#post109522

COMING SOON! [NEW] GL1800/F6B LED HEADLIGHT KIT - HIGH BEAM - PLUG N PLAY (http://www.socalmotogear.com/HONDA-GOLD-WING-GL1800-F6B-LED-HEADLIGHT-SYSTEM-p/g18ledh.htm)

PLUG N PLAY. Simply install the included headlight ring, then twist to lock the bulb in place. It’s that simple!

Power: LED's draw about 1/2 the power compared to incandescent bulbs
Power: 12v @2.3AMPS per bulb (stock bulbs draw about 4-5AMPS per bulb)
HIgh Beam: 4800LM x 2
Color Temp: 5000K

http://hondaf6b.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19078&d=1456114627&thumb=1

Looks like the FleaBay versions are coming with spacers and a 40% price drop.

20503

When will they be available???

[ths61]

When will they be available???

Their website indicates Mid-May 2016 but it appears others already have them.

http://www.socalmotogear.com/HONDA-GOLD-WING-GL1800-F6B-LED-HEADLIGHT-SYSTEM-p/g18ledh.htm

[pilotguy299]

sign up for the notification, and they'll let you know when you can place an order. I signed up about three weeks ago, got an email monday morning, placed the order within 2 hours, and received the LEDs this afternoon.

YMMV depending on stock availability.

[Hornblower]

Just a word to the wise for anyone looking to upgrade headlights...LED bulbs have come a long way in the past couple of years. From my experience, you'll need a true lumen output of around 2500 lumens OR MORE to be satisfied. Also, while color temp is a matter of personal choice, most seem to prefer something under 6000K. Any higher than that will produce a bluish-white color. OK, so here's the problem...most ads specifying lumens and color temp are LYING! These advertisers aren't stupid. They have learned that we're shopping for those specs. So, how do you get around that? First, try to find out what LED elements are in those bulbs. Very often, they are CREE elements since CREE is a leader in the LED industry. Of course, they could be lying about that too :yikes:. Anyway, if you can determine the CREE elements, go to the CREE website and find out the true specs. For example, a popular CREE element being used in these bulbs is the XHP50. Here is a link to that:

http://www.cree.com/LED-Components-and-Modules/Products/XLamp/Arrays-Directional/XLamp-XHP50

In the specs, you'll see the MAX lumens listed. Keep in mind, that is what the element is capable of when fully driven. To improve bulb life, these elements are rarely driven to the max so don't be surprised if the actual lumen output is less than the max listed. So, again, using the XHP50 as the example, you might expect to get around 2000 lumens per element and since there are 2 elements in many of the LED bulbs, around 4000 lumens per bulb. Believe me, that's plenty of lumens to "light it up". Also, notice that the XHP50 element is offered in several color temps ranging from cool white to warm white. For me, personally, I would be hoping to find something in the 5000 to 5500K range.

Next, the bulb needs to be easy to install. That is why I prefer the passive cooling strap design and it's also helpful to find a bulb that has a separate socket where you can first install the socket and refasten the retaining spring before twist-locking the bulb in place. I should mention, at this point, a word about spacers. The stock bulb utilized an H4 adapter with a thickness of approximately 5/16". In order for the retaining spring to clamp properly, you must allow for that thickness. It's not difficult to make your own spacers but it's ideal when those spacers are supplied with the H7 bulbs.

Finally, don't be surprised in finding the beam cutoff pattern not quite as good as your original halogen bulbs. This will be the case with HID or LED bulbs. The reflector was carefully designed for the halogen bulbs so any replacement bulb won't produce quite the same pattern. It's a trade-off really. For me, the higher lumen output LED bulbs with their lower amp draw and far greater life expectancy is well worth it. Happy upgrading :clap2:

[pilotguy299]

The throw of the lights is most definitely different than regular halogen bulbs. The LED emitters are at the 9 & 3 o'clock position when installed, which I guess is why the beam from the headlight is pretty wide left to right, and not as much top to bottom.

You can tell the difference in the intensity of the high vs low bulbs. It almost makes it look like they are different K's from this angle:

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/13086755_238757586512681_573491997034853221_o.jpg

[ths61]

We need to figure out how to get a set of those in the cowl lights.

[ths61]

New Pathfinder LED Install Video:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ5fURJLv_M

[pilotguy299]

Excellent video. The only thing I would change is that you don't have to cut the rubber boot. You can actually stretch the boot over the LED housing if you push the lamp in to the back of the boot, instead of placing the cables through the boot from the front. It's really snug though.

[pilotguy299]

And here's an example of what they look like...

Lo:

https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/13161727_246529805735459_7873672713034111227_o.jpg


and Hi:

https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/13131208_246529809068792_7511762536749439979_o.jpg

[dnegrich]

Excellent video. The only thing I would change is that you don't have to cut the rubber boot. You can actually stretch the boot over the LED housing if you push the lamp in to the back of the boot, instead of placing the cables through the boot from the front. It's really snug though.

I cut mine washed the bike and the lights fogged over inside. Bought new covers ($50) and put liquid soap on them at stretched them. they will never leak.

[ccasch]

views from the other direction


https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/13072870_238773776511062_4791650109343730399_o.jpg

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/13087241_238773729844400_6338035551410069016_o.jpg

any fairing removal/led mount ring retrieval references you could provide?:icon_doh:

[ccasch]

any fairing removal/led mount ring retrieval references you could provide?:icon_doh:


By the miraculous generosity of The Force, I was able to retrieve the mount ring from the headlight housing with a coat hanger with a wrap of 'super sticky' gaffer tape. Happiness is restored- let there be (LED) lighting.