LED headlight

[bwringer]

The ADVmonster LED isn't perfect, but it's closer than the others I've seen. The biggest flaw is the size of the thing.

So far, I haven't seen an H4 replacement without an obnoxiously large heat sink or fan setup. The LEDs produce far less total heat than a halogen (they only draw 20 watts on high or low as opposed to 55/60 watts), but the heat they do produce MUST be moved away from the emitters efficiently. (Halogens actually depend on extremely high temperatures to work efficiently.)

ADVmonster could certainly do a better job of explaining their product -- information is scattered all over the thread. Basically, the H4 replacements come with a light shield installed that may or may not be needed in your setup. Try it both ways and see which light pattern you prefer -- in some headlamp assemblies, the pattern without the shield on low beam can blind oncoming drivers. In others, it's fine. There's a ton of variation because there are hundreds or thousands of different OEM headlamp assemblies.

Another interesting detail on their product is that there are four emitters, two on each side of the "stick" in the center. On high beam, one pair is lit, on low beam, the other pair lights. In other designs, there's a shield that moves with a motor or solenoid -- I consider this a deeply flawed design, because delicate moving parts just don't belong in something that operates in an environment this harsh yet so critical to safety. Automotive HID systems usually use a motor or solenoid, but they're designed from scratch and they're hellishly expensive.

Retrofit HID setups, especially the cheap ones, have proven to be unreliable. Or at least not reliable enough to satisfy me.

The ADVmonster H4 LED is solidly designed and made, and is cheap enough ($48 delivered) to be worth a try. Sure, you can get a light that's similar on AliBaba, and it's very likely made in the same factory, but I'd much rather order from a well-known vendor who can deal with any quality issues for me. I know for a fact I can use it in my V-Strom, so being able to try it in my other bikes is just a bonus.

My goal is more along the lines of brighter and higher-quality light -- from my perspective, the power savings are just a bonus.

 

[Dogma]

Well I am going to wait for Brian's report. If he likes it, I will try it. If, for some reason, I don't agree with Brian's report, I will have one of these available, while I get the Truck-Lite unit.

.

I look forward to comparing them head to head at BC next summer. Or sooner, if an opportunity presents itself. Remind me to ride the 1000G (TruckLight gen 7, for those who don't already know) for that reason. I'll probably forget by then.

 

[Guest]

i hate that they use such high color temperature for most automotive LED applications.

i prefer 4500k, maybe 5k max in alot of my LED flashlights.... many of which have the same Cree XM-L2 LED that they use in their design.

even though the actual lumen output is less than a cool white (6k+ color temp), they color is much more natural when compared to natural sunlight, so the colors are more accurate and my brain doesnt have to work harder to recognize what im looking at.

i regularly want to strap my homemade pocket flashlight to my bike and use it cause it blows the 8" stock headlight out of the water even though it would blind all the oncoming traffic. i stuffed a 5000k color, Cree MTG2 (6v, 3a, 2000 lumen single LED) in a light that is around 8" long.



Brian

 

[Gorminrider]

That's an excellent point,reliant-turbo - Who cares how bright they are if you need a bumblebee's eyes to see properly in their wave-length. But they are getting better.. a ton of other excellent points here-you guys have really been thoughtful about it!

Rant: Me, I'm not trying to save electricity on my bike, so I am puzzled by the led craze except in large arrays of daylight running lights. I don't think I am seeing any further down the road to any good purpose, than 20 years ago, because if the road curves or lifts, it's all for nought...otherwise, I fear a sort of an arms race and a vicious cycle of having to brighten up to see anything. ....Either that or it's another thing to blame the baby-boomers for- as their eyesight gets weaker, headlights get brighter.

 

[robertbarr]

.Either that or it's another thing to blame the baby-boomers for- as their eyesight gets weaker, headlights get brighter.

Hey. HEY. Just because my ophthalmologist is on my speed dial...

Can WE help it if designers continue to kiss our fannies, like they have for decades? Some day, later generations will have the jobs and the 401k's and they'll hear their favorite band's early works on commercials for digestion aid products. You just wait. We might squint and fart our way down the highway, but it'll be in vehicles designed around US until the death rate finally catches up.

When will devices be designed for a younger crowd? Only the actuaries know for sure.

 

[Dogma]

i hate that they use such high color temperature for most automotive LED applications.

i prefer 4500k, maybe 5k max in alot of my LED flashlights.... many of which have the same Cree XM-L2 LED that they use in their design.

even though the actual lumen output is less than a cool white (6k+ color temp), they color is much more natural when compared to natural sunlight, so the colors are more accurate and my brain doesnt have to work harder to recognize what im looking at.

i regularly want to strap my homemade pocket flashlight to my bike and use it cause it blows the 8" stock headlight out of the water even though it would blind all the oncoming traffic. i stuffed a 5000k color, Cree MTG2 (6v, 3a, 2000 lumen single LED) in a light that is around 8" long.



Brian

Well, that raises an interesting question. Which "white" is the human eye most sensitive to at at the edge of illumination?

My personal preference is shifted away from the warm side. I hate yellow illumination.

 

[Steve]

And that brings up another point: human eye sensitivity.

Research has shown that the human eye is most sensitive to a slightly green-ish yellow color, much like the color of true amber fog lights.

For those who insist on having blue-ish lights because they are "closer to daylight in color", consider the success of all the "Blue Blocker"-type of sunglasses. Why do they work? Because they block the ultraviolet and blues that scramble inside the human eye, causing strain and fatigue. Why filter all the other colors out of an incandescent bulb so that it looks blue, when blue is not the best color for vision? :-k

The "color" of the lighting for any particular 'job' will depend on the job. For lighting the road under normal, dry conditions, something in the 4-5000 K range works well. For visibility in poor conditions, something closer to 3000 K works well. There was a time that I did not agree with that, but have had some proper "true amber" fog lights, and they showed me the difference. I have ridden with my wife's and son's LED lights, as well as my other son's car with HID lighting, and really like the light they put out.

However I still say that just as important as color is the pattern on the road. Most of the OEM lighting leaves a LOT to be desired there.

.

 

[60ratrod]

I will say that being in the aviation community in the navy, I can tell you that I prefer a more amber/yellow light. Blue irritates my eyes something horrible. Thank god that being an ordnance tech I get to use red lights. It's way easier on my eyes. I just wish I could change the gauge/button/panel lighting in my 07 silverado to red

 

[mikerophone]

Think I'll try one of these LED's out as well, I'm currently riding with 6500K LED driving lights and the yellowish hue of my H4 incandesant just doesn't quite look right with them.

Back when I owned VW's I would often upgrade the headlight housings with Hella's or E-Codes. I agree with Steve, the DOT spec just doesn't stack up against the E-Code.

But to each their own, around here I've seen quite few yellow HID/LED's in the "ricer" civics.

 

[Guest]

The ADVmonster LED isn't perfect, but it's closer than the others I've seen. The biggest flaw is the size of the thing.

So far, I haven't seen an H4 replacement without an obnoxiously large heat sink or fan setup. The LEDs produce far less total heat than a halogen (they only draw 20 watts on high or low as opposed to 55/60 watts), but the heat they do produce MUST be moved away from the emitters efficiently. (Halogens actually depend on extremely high temperatures to work efficiently.)

ADVmonster could certainly do a better job of explaining their product -- information is scattered all over the thread. Basically, the H4 replacements come with a light shield installed that may or may not be needed in your setup. Try it both ways and see which light pattern you prefer -- in some headlamp assemblies, the pattern without the shield on low beam can blind oncoming drivers. In others, it's fine. There's a ton of variation because there are hundreds or thousands of different OEM headlamp assemblies.

Another interesting detail on their product is that there are four emitters, two on each side of the "stick" in the center. On high beam, one pair is lit, on low beam, the other pair lights. In other designs, there's a shield that moves with a motor or solenoid -- I consider this a deeply flawed design, because delicate moving parts just don't belong in something that operates in an environment this harsh yet so critical to safety. Automotive HID systems usually use a motor or solenoid, but they're designed from scratch and they're hellishly expensive.

Retrofit HID setups, especially the cheap ones, have proven to be unreliable. Or at least not reliable enough to satisfy me.

The ADVmonster H4 LED is solidly designed and made, and is cheap enough ($48 delivered) to be worth a try. Sure, you can get a light that's similar on AliBaba, and it's very likely made in the same factory, but I'd much rather order from a well-known vendor who can deal with any quality issues for me. I know for a fact I can use it in my V-Strom, so being able to try it in my other bikes is just a bonus.

My goal is more along the lines of brighter and higher-quality light -- from my perspective, the power savings are just a bonus.

I am tempted to get one for the GK. I installed extra lights in the rear of the bike and I am drawing way too much power.

The only things I am concerned about are:

One the huge radiator on the tail end. Being inside the fairing there is no wind.

I know, I know....There is no wind in a bucket either.

Buckets are made of metal. The radiator would be very close to the plastic fairing (I have to go and check how much room there is actually) But then there are wires in a bucket....IDK.

How hot do they get anyway?

The other is loosing the rubber cap on the back of the lamp. Is it a big deal? I mean water does get inside the fairing....


EDIT:

Just read part of the ADV tread. The boot can be modded.

2nd EDIT:

Phew. 33 pages to read. The only references to heat (I found 2) is that it ain't that hot.

Now I need to check available space.

 

[msseldom]

My suggestion would be to not go any higher than 5000k as far as light temperature. I posted a thread about a similar led lamp I use in my 550l. Everyone precepts light differently. In my opinion white light is more effective than yellow light or blue light. I expected my housing to feel warm to touch with the radiator inside the housing. It did not seem to get warm even after hours of riding. If you are concerned about heat than go with a led that requires you to mount the ballast somewhere else on the bike. Hope that helps.

 

[Gorminrider]

I will say that being in the aviation community in the navy, I can tell you that I prefer a more amber/yellow light. Blue irritates my eyes something horrible. Thank god that being an ordnance tech I get to use red lights. It's way easier on my eyes. I just wish I could change the gauge/button/panel lighting in my 07 silverado to red

a bit off topic, but for interests sake I've heard green is better than red per night-vision...? something I mean to try.

 

[JamesWhut?]

Red lettering and colors (like warning signs on maps) disappear or are hard to see in red light.

 

[Guest]

OK.

For those who care. If any.

I took some pictures and measurments on my GK.

And the "ADVmonster" LED won't work.....Without modifying the fairring.

I will have to weight my options. See what else is out there. Don't really want to butcher the plastic any more than it is already.....

 

[Steve]

OK. I don't happen to have a real GK handy for comparison, how does your bucket compare to a stock G?

That information will be more relevant to others here, as I have a totally-different bucket in my AERO fairing.

.

 

[Guest]

IDK about other buckets.

I took pictures.

I will publish my findings.

 

[Guest]

This is the headlight in the fairing.



This is the headlight bucket seen trough the left flasher hole.
The bucket ends right by the yellow and green wires.



This is my spare GK bucket and headlight.



Back side of the enclosure or bucket.



From the rubber cap to the edge of the bucket. About 26 mm on the inside. Call it an inch. Enough for the connector to move with the headlight when it is being adjusted.



The cap covers up to the where the connector starts.



Inside the cap the bulb is held in by a screwed in ring with a spring.



The bulb itself.



More to come.

 

[Guest]

From ADV.

The bulb retainer though different from the one shown should work. It's short enough with a large opening. The rubber cap should work too. As it goes to just bellow the connector. That's a little bellow the fins on the new bulb.

Here is the problem:

I figure the rubber cap end just about where the plastic ring ends (Darker grey) and where the metal before the fins is.

That leave 26.3 mm + 12.5 mm= 38.8 mm or call it 4 cm.

Remember this picture?

Between the bucket and the inside face of the fairing I can put my fingers. So it's just about 1 cm.

If I cut the back of the bucket it could work....

Or not quite....

Then even more water will get in the fairing.....It leak like a sieve already.....That fairing isn't built like a submarine but still.

 

[Guest]

That thing sure looks like it would fit in a regular 7" round bucket.

 

[bwringer]

My ADVmonster LED superdeeeedooper light is FINALLY on its way. Should be here Friday.

To answer a concern above, the heat sink does NOT get hot at all -- barely warm. The unit puts out (wastes) FAR less heat than a halogen bulb -- remember, it only draws 20 watts, whereas the halogens draw 55W on low, 60W on high, and waste most of that as heat. The heat sink in the LED does not need air flow to do what it needs to do.

The reason for such an obnoxious heat sink is that the LED emitters cannot be allowed to get very hot, so they attached a large enough heat sink to do the job with or without air flow and also without resorting to delicate moving parts -- most other LED replacement bulbs use small fans inside, leaving the unit vulnerable when the fan fails due to dirt and water, or if airflow is restricted.

I'll try the bulb in my GS and in my KLR (which is wearing a 1983 GS650GL headlight) and report back. I sort of doubt it's going to fit in either bucket, honestly, but I'll give it a shot. I know it will fit my V-Strom, so it won't go to waste.





In other LED news, I saw last weekend for the very first time on a friend's bike an LED 1157 (tail/brake light) replacement that was a worthy replacement for an incandescent bulb in a normal reflective housing. Every other LED 1157 replacement I've seen is too dim, or has gaps in the angle coverage. In addition, these units have a very useful flashing pattern when the brake light is activated.

I found out where he got them and immediately ordered three (two for the V-Strom, one for the GS850). I'll report back.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...watt-high-power-led-w-brake-flasher/923/2274/

Note that this lamp has a unique reflector to scatter the light properly. I think this is the main reason it works as a replacement in standard housings.

It's a good bit brighter than a normal bulb, and the flash pattern is a crisp "pop-pop-pop--ON" -- I think the instant-on nature of LEDs really helps make them more noticeable. Plus, it's not much different in shape than a standard 1157, so it should fit just about anywhere.

These should be in Friday, so expect some photos this weekend...