H4 LED bulbs and other LED lamps

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  • allojohn
    Forum Sage
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    • Jan 2011
    • 3515
    • NoMo, MN

    #31
    Originally posted by landshark
    Pardon my ignorance, but besides the SH775, did you have to change anything else to go to that headlight?
    No, for the H4 it is indeed plug 'n' play. It's a bit of a scrap to get the clip securing the unit in place in the headlight and then getting the headlight into the bucket but that's it.
    -Mal

    "The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once." - B. Banzai
    ___________

    78 GS750E

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    • landshark

      #32
      Originally posted by allojohn
      No, for the H4 it is indeed plug 'n' play. It's a bit of a scrap to get the clip securing the unit in place in the headlight and then getting the headlight into the bucket but that's it.
      Thanks Mate.

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      • landshark

        #33
        Have you got a link to that particular one?

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        • allojohn
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          • Jan 2011
          • 3515
          • NoMo, MN

          #34
          Originally posted by landshark
          Have you got a link to that particular one?
          This is the one.

          Courtesy of Gatekeeper.

          Tell them what machine the unit is going in - they'll make sure it fits.
          -Mal

          "The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once." - B. Banzai
          ___________

          78 GS750E

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          • Thumper88
            Forum Mentor
            • Jun 2012
            • 127
            • Ann Arbor, MI

            #35
            I bought one on eBay for $30...same thing, just doesn't have the H4 connector.
            1982 Suzuki GS450TZ
            1982 Suzuki GS1100EZ

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            • tkent02
              Forum LongTimer
              Past Site Supporter
              • Jan 2006
              • 35571
              • Near South Park

              #36
              Originally posted by Thumper88
              I bought one on eBay for $30...same thing, just doesn't have the H4 connector.
              What did it have, bare wires? Got a link?
              http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...tatesMap-1.jpg

              Life is too short to ride an L.

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              • Thumper88
                Forum Mentor
                • Jun 2012
                • 127
                • Ann Arbor, MI

                #37
                It's posted earlier in this topic...I can't access eBay at work...but it just has bullet terminals, otherwise the same.
                1982 Suzuki GS450TZ
                1982 Suzuki GS1100EZ

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                • jbird7262

                  #38
                  If you have to replace the 3 way plug, try to find a ceramic plug designed for the heat produced at the lamp.

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                  • Grimly
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                    • Sep 2012
                    • 5802
                    • Ireland

                    #39
                    Well, I finally shelled out and scored a cheapy Chinese LED H4 10/20W headlamp bulb and while it's not quite the same as the ADVMonster, it's actually quite reasonable for back road use.
                    It has a definite low beam and although the cut-off isn't all that sharp, it's defined enough to not dazzle oncoming drivers. Main beam is adequate, and on a par with the H4 halogen it replaced for total light output, but while it illuminates the far distance quite well, it lacks real centre distance punch, so I'll supplement that with the long-distance 27W group of LEDs in a 4x4" cluster of nine.
                    The halogen, being matched more closely to the reflector and lens, had better beam control, and this headlamp was one of the better ones of the day, being off a KZ1100, iirc. I went for reflector/lens size as my yardstick back then, and it rarely saw me wrong-footed.
                    Overall though, it's useable enough and gets me into the game. I'll buy another one or two or maybe more, if this one works reliably (and there's the rub, will it?) for long enough. We shall see.
                    Oh, it's one of these...


                    Attached Files
                    Dave
                    '79 GS850GN '80 GS850GT
                    Only a dog knows why a motorcyclist sticks his head out of a car window

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                    • posplayr
                      Forum LongTimer
                      GSResource Superstar
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                      • Dec 2007
                      • 23673
                      • Tucson Az

                      #40
                      Originally posted by Grimly
                      Well, I finally shelled out and scored a cheapy Chinese LED H4 10/20W headlamp bulb and while it's not quite the same as the ADVMonster, it's actually quite reasonable for back road use.
                      It has a definite low beam and although the cut-off isn't all that sharp, it's defined enough to not dazzle oncoming drivers. Main beam is adequate, and on a par with the H4 halogen it replaced for total light output, but while it illuminates the far distance quite well, it lacks real centre distance punch, so I'll supplement that with the long-distance 27W group of LEDs in a 4x4" cluster of nine.
                      The halogen, being matched more closely to the reflector and lens, had better beam control, and this headlamp was one of the better ones of the day, being off a KZ1100, iirc. I went for reflector/lens size as my yardstick back then, and it rarely saw me wrong-footed.
                      Overall though, it's useable enough and gets me into the game. I'll buy another one or two or maybe more, if this one works reliably (and there's the rub, will it?) for long enough. We shall see.
                      Oh, it's one of these...



                      Not sure if you took the time to calculate the actual power consumption setting for the Lamp? You would have to measure current and voltage taking the product. I presume that round disk is an DC-DC convertor that maintains a fixed current level in the LED. Voltage goes up, current drops.

                      I have noticed that the actual power levels are usually quite a bit lower than "rated". On the Cyclops it is rated at 40W on Hi and it comes in at 32W. I bought another bulb and while it claims 18W it was actually 12W.

                      One thing to watch is that you do not have dirty connections. The amplifier for the Cyclopse for example woukld curent limit at about 5.2Amps even though teh max draw at 14.5V should be only about 2.2amps (32W/14.5=2.2amps).

                      So what can happens is if you have dirty connections to the lamp, and the voltage at the bulb is at say 10V instead of 14.5 the current will go up by 14.5/10 or 45%.
                      Last edited by posplayr; 06-04-2015, 09:21 PM.

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                      • Grimly
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                        • Sep 2012
                        • 5802
                        • Ireland

                        #41
                        Oh, yeah; good point. At the moment the connections are all clean but will be undergoing a total rip-out and replacement when the fairing goes on. I'll put an ammeter in line and see what's actually being drawn for now and see if there's any improvment to be had.
                        Dave
                        '79 GS850GN '80 GS850GT
                        Only a dog knows why a motorcyclist sticks his head out of a car window

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                        • Grimly
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                          • Sep 2012
                          • 5802
                          • Ireland

                          #42
                          Think I'll get one of these, next. The copper-braid cooled ones, direct from China.
                          Dave
                          '79 GS850GN '80 GS850GT
                          Only a dog knows why a motorcyclist sticks his head out of a car window

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                          • Guest

                            #43
                            I like the cooling method, looks like what ADVMonster is doing with it's newer lights, more room in the back.

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                            • Grimly
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                              • Sep 2012
                              • 5802
                              • Ireland

                              #44
                              Originally posted by OldVet66
                              I like the cooling method, looks like what ADVMonster is doing with it's newer lights, more room in the back.
                              It allows me to use a pair of 5.25" self-contained headlamp units with very tight space at the back of the bulb. Prior to this, they were sitting unused and with no great prospect of being used, on bikes with no great electrical output. Pretty much this unit (cropped off the integrated indicator that appears on later ones).

                              Interestingly, I notice the current earthmover headlamps are twin-bulb, with an H4 and H3 combo, which if replaced with LEDs will provide a ton of light.
                              Dave
                              '79 GS850GN '80 GS850GT
                              Only a dog knows why a motorcyclist sticks his head out of a car window

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                              • Grimly
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                                • Sep 2012
                                • 5802
                                • Ireland

                                #45
                                Finally got a pair of the newer braid-cooled H4 LEDs and they work very well with the Koito headlamp shell I fitted in the Vetter. A really nicely defined dip cut-off and a main that's very good indeed. Ignoring the BS claims about lumen output, what I can say is they're 'adequate' and then some. I would have preferred a warmer white, but they're harder to find.
                                I'm up for another set of these, asap.


                                Dave
                                '79 GS850GN '80 GS850GT
                                Only a dog knows why a motorcyclist sticks his head out of a car window

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