LED Hi-Beams

[Hornblower]

SoCalMotoGear has introduced a new hi-beam LED upgrade for the GL1800 (including the F6B). You can check it out on their website under Gold Wing products. It appears to have been made to use in conjunction with their HID lo-beam kits. For those like me, who installed an HID kit only on the lo-beams, the stock hi-beams appear yellow and "wimpy" in comparison. These high-power LED bulbs surely take care of that little problem. It's an easy install (I just did both bulbs in about 30 minutes) since it is simply a bulb replacement.

Speaking of the install...it's easier on our F6B's than on the full GW's. Basically, you remove the left side cubby and the right side cover (where a right side cubby would be if we had one). Unlike the full GW, there is much less in the way so nothing further has to be removed to get to the bulbs. Still, it takes a bit of patience to reach in there and change the bulbs but it's not too bad at all. And, it's way easier than installing HID kits because it's just a bulb replacement and no ballasts involved. BTW, Cruiseman's Garage has a good YouTube on this install.

Now, there is no doubt these bulbs are much brighter and whiter than the stock halogen bulbs but SoCalMotoGear does not claim they actually reach out further however, they do provide more light to the sides and color-match quite nicely with the HID's.

The stock H7 bulbs are rated at 55 watts and these high-power LED bulbs have an 80 watt rating. So, while they do draw a bit more power, they run cooler than the halogens. Halogens actually are fairly inefficient with most of their energy output going to heat rather than light. The reverse is true with these LED's. Priced at $55/pair, I believe this is a good buy but then again, I'm a nut for LED's in general :icon_biggrin:.

[MichaelG]

Ken, thank you for bringing this up, as I needed to post something on this issue.

As some of you may know, I installed the complete set of HID lights in the front of my F6B a couple months ago. That is both Low Beams, and both High Beams. After doing the ride to the F6B Rally, and back, I have come to the conclusion that I can NOT recommend installing the HID High Beams on our bikes, and here is why:

While the HID Low Beams work GREAT, and I really like them...and you really should use the Electrical Connection Low Beam Cut-Out relay, so that it delays the starting of those Low Beam HID's until the bike has actually started........and finally you want to make certain that both of your Low Beams are adjusted to equal height, and not staring on-coming car drivers in the eyes...........................

The HID High Beams are NOT a good investment. I will be removing my HID High Beams, and keeping them as back-up...and replacement for the HID Low Beams, if I need a replacement ballast, or bulb. All of the HID ballasts and bulbs are the same...whether High or Low beam...they are all the same.

The "reason" I am removing the HID High Beams is because (whew...he finally gets to the reasoning behind all this)...is that when you have an opportunity to actually turn ON the HID High Beams, it takes several seconds for those HID's to come UP to full brightness. During that time you are waiting for them to come UP to full brightness, there is an equal chance that you will have to dim your High Beams, back down to just the Low Beams, because of an oncoming car or truck. That means you never really get the chance to ride for any distance with the High Beams ON. In trying to do this several times, between oncoming cars or trucks, you end up cycling the HID High Beams ON and OFF, and that is not good for the HID's.

I have decided to go with either the new LED High Beams like Hornblower has suggested, or...as an immediate fix...to install the PIAA Super White bulbs that I "did" have installed as Low Beam bulbs, prior to going to all 4 HIDs. I saved those PIAA Super White bulbs, as they cost a pretty penny, and now I will have a use for them.

You want your High Beams to be a light that can come ON instantaneously...without having to warm up or build up its' brightness. Having an H-7 bulb, or a LED bulb, will allow you to do what you want with the High Beams.

I do not mind switching my High Beams ON and OFF...when needed, as I want the extra light...when I need it. But to have to WAIT for the HID's to warm up and build up their brightness, became a safety issue.

For those of you that bought ONLY the HID Low Beams...that was a good move. For those of you wanting to go to HID's...only buy the Low Beam package...which is simply a box of two HID's, versus the four HID's for the full kit.

[GiddyupF6B]

Ken, thank you for bringing this up, as I needed to post something on this issue.

As some of you may know, I installed the complete set of HID lights in the front of my F6B a couple months ago. That is both Low Beams, and both High Beams. After doing the ride to the F6B Rally, and back, I have come to the conclusion that I can NOT recommend installing the HID High Beams on our bikes, and here is why:

While the HID Low Beams work GREAT, and I really like them...and you really should use the Electrical Connection Low Beam Cut-Out relay, so that it delays the starting of those Low Beam HID's until the bike has actually started........and finally you want to make certain that both of your Low Beams are adjusted to equal height, and not staring on-coming car drivers in the eyes...........................

The HID High Beams are NOT a good investment. I will be removing my HID High Beams, and keeping them as back-up...and replacement for the HID Low Beams, if I need a replacement ballast, or bulb. All of the HID ballasts and bulbs are the same...whether High or Low beam...they are all the same.

The "reason" I am removing the HID High Beams is because (whew...he finally gets to the reasoning behind all this)...is that when you have an opportunity to actually turn ON the HID High Beams, it takes several seconds for those HID's to come UP to full brightness. During that time you are waiting for them to come UP to full brightness, there is an equal chance that you will have to dim your High Beams, back down to just the Low Beams, because of an oncoming car or truck. That means you never really get the chance to ride for any distance with the High Beams ON. In trying to do this several times, between oncoming cars or trucks, you end up cycling the HID High Beams ON and OFF, and that is not good for the HID's.

I have decided to go with either the new LED High Beams like Hornblower has suggested, or...as an immediate fix...to install the PIAA Super White bulbs that I "did" have installed as Low Beam bulbs, prior to going to all 4 HIDs. I saved those PIAA Super White bulbs, as they cost a pretty penny, and now I will have a use for them.

You want your High Beams to be a light that can come ON instantaneously...without having to warm up or build up its' brightness. Having an H-7 bulb, or a LED bulb, will allow you to do what you want with the High Beams.

I do not mind switching my High Beams ON and OFF...when needed, as I want the extra light...when I need it. But to have to WAIT for the HID's to warm up and build up their brightness, became a safety issue.

For those of you that bought ONLY the HID Low Beams...that was a good move. For those of you wanting to go to HID's...only buy the Low Beam package...which is simply a box of two HID's, versus the four HID's for the full kit.

Good advice Miles, that makes a lot of sense! I have the hid low beams and was going to install the hid high beams over the Winter. I will go with leds or the Piaa lights now. Thanks for info.

[GiddyupF6B]

SoCalMotoGear has introduced a new hi-beam LED upgrade for the GL1800 (including the F6B). You can check it out on their website under Gold Wing products. It appears to have been made to use in conjunction with their HID lo-beam kits. For those like me, who installed an HID kit only on the lo-beams, the stock hi-beams appear yellow and "wimpy" in comparison. These high-power LED bulbs surely take care of that little problem. It's an easy install (I just did both bulbs in about 30 minutes) since it is simply a bulb replacement.

Speaking of the install...it's easier on our F6B's than on the full GW's. Basically, you remove the left side cubby and the right side cover (where a right side cubby would be if we had one). Unlike the full GW, there is much less in the way so nothing further has to be removed to get to the bulbs. Still, it takes a bit of patience to reach in there and change the bulbs but it's not too bad at all. And, it's way easier than installing HID kits because it's just a bulb replacement and no ballasts involved. BTW, Cruiseman's Garage has a good YouTube on this install.

Now, there is no doubt these bulbs are much brighter and whiter than the stock halogen bulbs but SoCalMotoGear does not claim they actually reach out further however, they do provide more light to the sides and color-match quite nicely with the HID's.

The stock H7 bulbs are rated at 55 watts and these high-power LED bulbs have an 80 watt rating. So, while they do draw a bit more power, they run cooler than the halogens. Halogens actually are fairly inefficient with most of their energy output going to heat rather than light. The reverse is true with these LED's. Priced at $55/pair, I believe this is a good buy but then again, I'm a nut for LED's in general :icon_biggrin:.

Can you take a pic with the high beams on so I can see the color match? This sounds like a good idea but I need to know that they match well.

[Hornblower]

Can you take a pic with the high beams on so I can see the color match? This sounds like a good idea but I need to know that they match well.

Definitely, I can do that. In fact, SoCalMoto wanted me to take some pics as well so I was going to be doing that anyway. Also, I have the BikeMP3 960's in the lower cowl so I can compare that as well. From what I have read, the color temp of the SoCalMoto HID's are 6K, the 960's are 6.3K, and I haven't actually seen a spec on these new LED's. Judging by the color, I would say they are also around 6K. Both the HID's and the LED's are about as white as you can go without getting some blue tint. The 960's could be just on the threshold of seeing some blue but not too much. All considered, I think all three are a pretty good match, color-wise, and, without a doubt, a huge improvement over the stock bulbs.

[Steve 0080]

I do agree with Miles on the High Beams….however, for me living in the land of old folks I use the High Beams during the daytime… and on occasion at night, the Low HID’s are plenty for the night… I mainly installed my High Beams to be seen! If any thing I will add the 960's Ken has to be even brighter!!!!

[BARRYS770]

I have a question. The LED bulbs are only rated at 800 lumens of light output each, whereas, the standard H7 bulb has a rated output of 1350 lumens + or - 10%. Therefore, it would seem to me that the projected light output would be better with the standard H7 bulb than with the LED bulb replacement. While LED's are very bright when you look at them, they don't put out as much actual light.

Osram Rallye H7+ 65watt bulbs have a lumen output of 2100 lumens. That is nearly as much light output as HID's.

http://store.candlepower.com/osraulhiouh7.html

[Steve 0080]

Barry you are right !!! Go HID or go home.

[Hornblower]

I have a question. The LED bulbs are only rated at 800 lumens of light output each, whereas, the standard H7 bulb has a rated output of 1350 lumens + or - 10%. Therefore, it would seem to me that the projected light output would be better with the standard H7 bulb than with the LED bulb replacement. While LED's are very bright when you look at them, they don't put out as much actual light.


A legitimate question, for sure. Color temp plays into this as well and the color was my first reason for going LED. Of course, you can't just keep going up the color scale and get more light down the road. From what I've read, once you start getting into the blue tint (over 6000K), the light projected down the road diminishes. The real test is taking the bike out at night and see how it does. Frankly, with my low-beam HID's and 960's, I'm not too sure I will ever need my hi-beams but we'll see about that soon enough.

[Hornblower]

OK, Giddyup, you asked for it, you got it!

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee106/HornblowerR3/F6BFrontLights.jpg (http://s233.photobucket.com/user/HornblowerR3/media/F6BFrontLights.jpg.html)

The front lights in all their glory :icon_biggrin: What you're seeing here are the low-beam HID's and hi-beam LED's from SoCalMotoGear and the 960 cowl lights from BikeMP3. Not a bad color match if I do say so myself.

[F6B-RICH]

Hornblower what k number are the HID'S on the low beam?

[MichaelG]

Hornblower what k number are the HID'S on the low beam?

The answer is....6000 kelvin.

[Rocky]

HID Bulbs scatter the light up to the trees.

HID Projectors focus the light on the road.

2343


3.0 lens HID Projectors on my 2004 Wing.
2344


I tried to make a more informative post, but this board won't let me add the pictures that would show the different types of set up's I have tried to save you from doing what I did to learn.

[GiddyupF6B]

OK, Giddyup, you asked for it, you got it!

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee106/HornblowerR3/F6BFrontLights.jpg (http://s233.photobucket.com/user/HornblowerR3/media/F6BFrontLights.jpg.html)

The front lights in all their glory :icon_biggrin: What you're seeing here are the low-beam HID's and hi-beam LED's from SoCalMotoGear and the 960 cowl lights from BikeMP3. Not a bad color match if I do say so myself.

That looks great...thank you! Nice color match. This is definitely an option now.

[MichaelG]

HID Bulbs scatter the light up to the trees.

HID Projectors focus the light on the road.




Rocky, from my own personal experience, I will NOT run Projector lights as the main source of light, or...even as an auxiliiary light that I want to use to "light up further down the road". I have no doubt that my experiences will differ from yours, but...when traveling at more than a ton, in the Nevada deserts, which is Open Range country, I want all my lights to light up as close to a 180 degree arch in front of me, rather than straight down the road. My experience with Projector lights is that the light gets TOO diffused, and does not go as FAR, or as WIDE as I need it to.

Now, if I was traveling around on a White Pimp-mobile, then I really have no need to see more than a mile down the road, as all my girls would be working the street corners in my immediate neighborhood. :shock: :icon_mrgreen: :icon_wink: :icon_rolleyes: :shock:

[Rocky]

Rocky, from my own personal experience, I will NOT run Projector lights as the main source of light, or...even as an auxiliiary light that I want to use to "light up further down the road". I have no doubt that my experiences will differ from yours, but...when traveling at more than a ton, in the Nevada deserts, which is Open Range country, I want all my lights to light up as close to a 180 degree arch in front of me, rather than straight down the road. My experience with Projector lights is that the light gets TOO diffused, and does not go as FAR, or as WIDE as I need it to.

Now, if I was traveling around on a White Pimp-mobile, then I really have no need to see more than a mile down the road, as all my girls would be working the street corners in my immediate neighborhood. :shock: :icon_mrgreen: :icon_wink: :icon_rolleyes: :shock:

I understand your point. but your point is exactly why I went this route. I couldn't see the road that far in front of me with HID bulb kit.They didn't throw the light far enough down the road.Sort of a halo effect.
Now with the projectors I can see the road further down the road than with just the HID Bulbs. They are a more focused light.

Keep in mind now, that my HID Low Beams are also High beams in the same projector. via the internal solenoid.

I guess a side by side would help see the differences between Projectors/HID Bulbs. I'm like a lot of you "A visual guy". It they don't cut the mustard,they are out of here.


Now for the OP's LED Bulbs.

Here is a thread with pictures showing the differences between Halogen/LED 85 watt bulbs to check out. http://*****************/forums/showthread.php?356275-LED-Headlight-Bulb&highlight=bulbs

[4DI2D]

"I have decided to go with either the new LED High Beams like Hornblower has suggested, or...as an immediate fix...to install the PIAA Super White bulbs that I "did" have installed as Low Beam bulbs, prior to going to all 4 HIDs. I saved those PIAA Super White bulbs, as they cost a pretty penny, and now I will have a use for them."

PIAA sells their name just like IBM, etc.
Nokya makes better bulbs and they're available for $25.00/pair.

Light above 5000K starts to diminish its usefulness. Any shift toward the blue spectrum becomes a negative for the human eyeball which does not respond to infra-red or ultraviolet light.

Nokya bulbs are available in 5000K rating which is about as close as you can get to actual sunlight (5150K).
I can not imagine why HIDs are not available at 5000K.

[hondabikepro]

"I have decided to go with either the new LED High Beams like Hornblower has suggested, or...as an immediate fix...to install the PIAA Super White bulbs that I "did" have installed as Low Beam bulbs, prior to going to all 4 HIDs. I saved those PIAA Super White bulbs, as they cost a pretty penny, and now I will have a use for them."

PIAA sells their name just like IBM, etc.
Nokya makes better bulbs and they're available for $25.00/pair.

Light above 5000K starts to diminish its usefulness. Any shift toward the blue spectrum becomes a negative for the human eyeball which does not respond to infra-red or ultraviolet light.

Nokya bulbs are available in 5000K rating which is about as close as you can get to actual sunlight (5150K).
I can not imagine why HIDs are not available at 5000K. You have to be very carefull when adding any light bulbs that draw more then 55 watts. the relays that run these lights will not always handle the extra loads, and the three wire harness plug in will also melt, i no some of you are running large bulbs, but i would have a extra relay and socket in the bike, and it may fail at a bad time. we have installed many relays and sockets on Gl1800 from overloading. dale

[srkeet]

:icon_cool:
Plus one on Hondabikepro's warning about heavy wattage bulbs. And Piaas ARE overpriced but have a great warranty on lamps.

Three years ago one of my Piaa 1100 lamps cracked leaving me with no ground for the bulb. I called Piaa USA and they replaced the 6 year old lamp(minus the H-7) free!

Thank y'all for the feedback on lamps; i'm fixin' to add more light to the front of 'Big Red", so keep the feedback coming!

God bless,

srkeet

[Scotrod]

Dayum, Been a 'single-bulb' kinda guy all these years before the F6B,,, Y'all must look like a 747 coming down the pike! LOL!

[Hornblower]

You have to be very carefull when adding any light bulbs that draw more then 55 watts. the relays that run these lights will not always handle the extra loads, and the three wire harness plug in will also melt, i no some of you are running large bulbs, but i would have a extra relay and socket in the bike, and it may fail at a bad time. we have installed many relays and sockets on Gl1800 from overloading. dale

Dale-Thanks for that word of caution. The LED hi-beams are advertised at 80 watts (16-5W elements in each bulb) so this has me wondering. I've been dealing with LED bulbs in general for quite a while now and I think it's accurate to say they are often wattage-overrated. Perhaps that's the case here and, if so, that might be a good thing. I may check the amp draw with a clip-on ammeter just to see what's really going on. I'll report back later on that. I'll have to say though, considering we're only talking about roughly 2 amps difference, I'm a little surprised this represents a possible fuse or wiring problem.

[JesseS]

Along this line, does anyone have spec's on the Alternator output on our bikes?(my shop manual hasn't arrived yet), and the maintenance power requirements for the bike when running. Trying to figure how much excess wattage we have to play with. I will sat the alternator looks like a heavy duty unit.

[MichaelG]

Along this line, does anyone have spec's on the Alternator output on our bikes?(my shop manual hasn't arrived yet), and the maintenance power requirements for the bike when running. Trying to figure how much excess wattage we have to play with. I will sat the alternator looks like a heavy duty unit.


Jesse, the F6B alternator output is 1200 watts, or...100 amps. I can assure you...there is MORE than enough electrical output to power-up anything and everything you could ever want to have on this bike. The important thing is...as Dale and others are pointing out...make sure that the wiring and connectors for aftermarket items, such as lighting...can handle the load that the lighting is asking for. The bike can power a small city...but the individual wires going to and from particular connectors, may not be designed to handle additional loads above what they were originally designed for. :icon_doh:

[hondabikepro]

Dale-Thanks for that word of caution. The LED hi-beams are advertised at 80 watts (16-5W elements in each bulb) so this has me wondering. I've been dealing with LED bulbs in general for quite a while now and I think it's accurate to say they are often wattage-overrated. Perhaps that's the case here and, if so, that might be a good thing. I may check the amp draw with a clip-on ammeter just to see what's really going on. I'll report back later on that. I'll have to say though, considering we're only talking about roughly 2 amps difference, I'm a little surprised this represents a possible fuse or wiring problem.

you are correct at 2 amp per bulb =4 amp draw, stock draw at 55 watts time s two is about 8.8 amps, at 80 watts times two it is about 12.8 amps, that is a big increased load on the one relay, there are two relays in this head light system one for high and one for low beam. we have had customers tie into the low beam wiring to run after market lights, and power them off this connection, if you do this you will destroy the starter button in the right handlebars switch Assembly, the dual contact switch will not handle the extra load. you can tie into low or high beam wiring if you use just a relay, and use this wiring as the trigger point for the relay, it will not add any load to the head light systems wiring. dale

[CruiserCustomizing]

Rocky, from my own personal experience, I will NOT run Projector lights as the main source of light, or...even as an auxiliiary light that I want to use to "light up further down the road". I have no doubt that my experiences will differ from yours, but...when traveling at more than a ton, in the Nevada deserts, which is Open Range country, I want all my lights to light up as close to a 180 degree arch in front of me, rather than straight down the road. My experience with Projector lights is that the light gets TOO diffused, and does not go as FAR, or as WIDE as I need it to.

Now, if I was traveling around on a White Pimp-mobile, then I really have no need to see more than a mile down the road, as all my girls would be working the street corners in my immediate neighborhood. :shock: :icon_mrgreen: :icon_wink: :icon_rolleyes: :shock:

I agree. HID Non- Projector lights seem to be a better solution especially at night. Being able to see in a 180 degree pattern of light and what might be lurking on the side of the road and may potentially dart into my path is more important and more immediate than seeing a narrower field of light at a greater distance.

[JesseS]

Jesse, the F6B alternator output is 1200 watts, or...100 amps. I can assure you...there is MORE than enough electrical output to power-up anything and everything you could ever want to have on this bike. The important thing is...as Dale and others are pointing out...make sure that the wiring and connectors for aftermarket items, such as lighting...can handle the load that the lighting is asking for. The bike can power a small city...but the individual wires going to and from particular connectors, may not be designed to handle additional loads above what they were originally designed for. :icon_doh:

Thanks Miles, as a 'HAM' radio operator of many years (N5CRK, or in Germany DA1YM) I am well aware of load limitations vs wire gauge, learned some of it the hard way :shock:

[BARRYS770]

This thread started out as "LED Hi-Beams". One question that hasn't been answered is, How do they work? Do they light up the road better than the OEM bulbs or do they just add light to the front of the bike?

[Hornblower]

This thread started out as "LED Hi-Beams". One question that hasn't been answered is, How do they work? Do they light up the road better than the OEM bulbs or do they just add light to the front of the bike?

So far, I can tell you this...they do not project light further down the road than the stock hi-beams. In fact, with my HID lo-beams and 960's running, I can hardly see any difference when I add in the hi-beams. It's more of a "fill light" kind of thing. OTOH, I'm very happy with these since overall, I have plenty of light going down the road and the color match is very good.

[Steve 0080]

Barry.... HID's Rock !!!!! I would not own a vehicle w/o them..... having said that to me they are worth the money and time....for me...you really don't need the high beams as the low beams do such a great job they are not needed...and...if/when you turn them off and on it causes damage to them... I have them because here in Fl. we have a lot of older folks that seem to have trouble seeing motorcycles...there for I have the high beams to blind them in the daylight !!!

[hiflyer]

This thread started out as "LED Hi-Beams". One question that hasn't been answered is, How do they work? Do they light up the road better than the OEM bulbs or do they just add light to the front of the bike?

I put LED's on my last bike, won't do it again. I couldn't see as well down the road as I could with the stock. However, I can guarantee that people will see you coming, as they are really bright to oncoming traffic, so much so, people were always flashing the high beams at me at night. Just my experience

[Bama Bagger]

OK, Giddyup, you asked for it, you got it!

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee106/HornblowerR3/F6BFrontLights.jpg (http://s233.photobucket.com/user/HornblowerR3/media/F6BFrontLights.jpg.html)

The front lights in all their glory :icon_biggrin: What you're seeing here are the low-beam HID's and hi-beam LED's from SoCalMotoGear and the 960 cowl lights from BikeMP3. Not a bad color match if I do say so myself.

Hornblower,

A month later, how are those lights working out for you? Any wiring issues as had been discussed in the thread? I do agree the color match is excellent. My only concerns are the LED cowl lights...I want the additional lights for being seen, but also want light thrown down the road filling in where the HID's don't illuminate.

Any feedback is appreciated as I am going to upgrade my lights once I upgrade the windshield and seat! :bowdown:

[Hornblower]

Hornblower,

A month later, how are those lights working out for you? Any wiring issues as had been discussed in the thread? I do agree the color match is excellent. My only concerns are the LED cowl lights...I want the additional lights for being seen, but also want light thrown down the road filling in where the HID's don't illuminate.

Any feedback is appreciated as I am going to upgrade my lights once I upgrade the windshield and seat! :bowdown:

I recently posted an update concerning this on another thread but should have mentioned it here as well. Let me get right to it for you...first, the 960 lower cowl lights are great.They generate a lot of light which spreads out and basically, lights the road right in front of you. These are not "just-to-be-seen" lights but are super-functional. The HID lo-beams from SoCalMotoGear provide great light on down-the-road to the extent the need for hi-beams is somewhat reduced (unless you're Sparky and tend to outrun normal lighting) :icon_rolleyes:. Just remember though, if you go with HID lo-beams, be sure to install the lo-beam relay cut out kit to protect your bulbs from early failure. The LED hi-beam bulbs from SoCalMotoGear...well, let's just go through some pros and cons. First, pros...easy install, good color match with HID lo-beams, not particularly expensive, long bulb life, great for conspicuity, and low power draw (note: bulbs were advertised at 80 watts each but that is an equivalent wattage rating while the actual power is closer to 10 watts ea., therefore no problems created for fuses, relays, wiring, etc.). Now, for cons...basically, only one that comes to mind... light output down-the-road is not great. In fact, with the 960's and HID lo-beams on, the LED hi-beams add little additional lighting aside from some fill-in effect. So, in essence, I would like to see a hi-beam LED bulb that would do better as a true hi-beam and I have no doubt this will be available in the not-too-distant future.

Since I've breached the subject of LED lighting, perhaps it would be good to add this little interesting note... current LED technology yields around 100 lumens/watt (and often less). No doubt, that will improve as time goes by and, in fact, Phillips is already claiming to have technology that doubles that. From what I can tell, once we get in the 200 lumen/watt range, you will then have an LED bulb that will be much more effective as a headlight bulb, especially hi-beam.

[Hornblower]

Miles, forgive me for being skeptical, but I really don't see how that would make sense. Now, what does make sense to me is that by directing light back more to the reflecting surface, the beam pattern could be altered and possibly improved. There really is no way, that I can see, that light output (basically lumens) can be amplified simply by a reflective surface. That's a bit like getting into a perpetual motion machine type of thing, don't you think? OTOH, maybe what you've seen is a better method of focusing the beam so it would project better at distance. Now, that does make some sense to me. At any rate, I surely don't know it all and there are many things that I don't fully understand in this life, but I keep trying:icon_biggrin:

BTW, it's my understanding that the way some of the high end car manufacturers are being successful with LED headlights is by the use of multiple bulbs and not a single bulb like we are using here. As you point out, there is no doubt the bulb housing and the associated reflective surface plays an important part by providing the right lighting pattern.

[Hornblower]

by turning the LEDs to face rearward, and reflecting that LED light off the housing reflector...the light that is then projected forward is like X (x5) amount of light. It seriously increased the amount of light that was projected forward.

To further clarify my skepticism with this claim, I guess the part I really have trouble with is the X5. As you can read in my previous post, I started off questioning the entire claim but sort of started "coming around" by looking more at the focusing properties of a well-designed reflector housing and seeing how projecting light down-the-road might be substantially improved compared to simply aiming LED light straight ahead. And Miles, I imagine that was your original point.

Considering the particular LED bulb in question, there are 16 Cree chips involved. Most of those chips are NOT facing forward and are utilizing the reflector. As has been pointed out, that's a good thing. So, here's the problem...those bulbs produce only 800 lumens. When you consider the 35-watt HID lo-beam bulbs are putting out a claimed 3200 lumens, is it any wonder the LED's can't compete with the HID's? To me, this explains a lot. In fact, it's pretty amazing that the LED bulbs (again, running around 10 watts/bulb) are doing as well as they are. Before long, I'm pretty sure someone will introduce an even more powerful LED bulb that will work much better as a hi-beam OR Honda will come out with a multi-bulb LED setup like some high-end cars have. As my friend Miles has pointed out, reflector design will be key:biggthumpup:

[MichaelG]

Okay, Ken, the sun has attempted to shine here, but it is like pea soup with the heavy fog we are having this morning. Fog Lights are definetly needed today. I went to the Post Office, went to my favorite coffee stand, now have a cup of mocha in my hand, and...I can now reveal to your utter amazement...all this was done just to UP your post count. :icon_razz:

Have a nice day, buddy. :icon_mrgreen:

[Bama Bagger]

Okay, Ken, the sun has attempted to shine here, but it is like pea soup with the heavy fog we are having this morning. Fog Lights are definetly needed today. I went to the Post Office, went to my favorite coffee stand, now have a cup of mocha in my hand, and...I can now reveal to your utter amazement...all this was done just to UP your post count. :icon_razz:

Have a nice day, buddy. :icon_mrgreen:

:lolup: ROFLMBO - You guys are too funny! I love it, technospeak with levity!!!

[Hornblower]

Yes, more levity please :clap2:

[Bama Bagger]

Hornblower,

Thanks for the information. I think I am going to go the same route as you did knowing that the LED Hi-beam is really more of a "fill" light on top of the LED Fogs and HID Low-beam. I just couldn't stand having the standard near yellow bulbs in those Hi-beam sockets. I am also aware of the low-beam relay cut out kit from reading the boards here.

I have a 2011 Suzuki Hayabusa that I have both low & high beams lit out with HID's plus I added Twisted Throttle LED's as running lights and between all three I light up the road very well. Living here in rural Alabama we have critters on the roads all of the time and no street lights to illuminate anything so I need all the light I can muster.

Thanks again!!! :bowdown:

[Hornblower]

You're welcome, Bama Bagger! I do believe you'll be pretty happy with this setup. One really attractive thing about going this route is the lower wattage you will be running. On lo-beam, you're going from 55 watt halogen bulbs down to 35 watts per bulb. And, with the LED hi-beams, you're going from 55 watt halogen down to around 10 watts per bulb. So, in terms of total wattage, you're saving around 130 watts. Why is this good? We can spend more money and add many more electrical goodies without taxing the electrical system! Yea! :clap2:

[Deer Slayer]

I will say as Hornblower and I ride from time to time. His big ole LED WHITE lights are are very noticeable in daylight.

[Hornblower]

I will say as Hornblower and I ride from time to time. His big ole LED WHITE lights are are very noticeable in daylight.

Does that mean I'm usually looking at your tail lights? :icon_rolleyes: I'm used to looking at Big Dawgs tail lights too and his comment on my front light setup was "brutal". Oh well, there is something to be said for being conspicuous. :clap2:

[Deer Slayer]

Hard not to see ya....