ducatipaso.org

I just bought a Yamaha dual beam headlamp unit to put into the 907, and of course, I need to put some bulbs in it. I see that there are some really nice LED headlight bulb options out there, but the options, and i'm sure the quality, are wildly variable. There are all kind of crazy heatsinks and even ones with fans in them.

Anyone have a recommendation of which set up finds the happy medium between reasonable cost, and good performance?

Some of the first LED tailights I bought were miserably dim. My riding buddies told me my tailight was out, but it was just plain dim. Don't want to spend $100 on wimpy replacement bulbs. On the other hand, the power draw of LED bulbs and being able to run both low beams all the time would be pretty nice. I know its not the cheap option, but good lighting and less watts is attractive if I'm going to take the time change out my old headlamp.

Cheers, Phil

cree lights are fine but not cheap

The Cyclops LED bulbs have a great review on the Yahoo ST Owners Group.
I would buy them myself if they were available in the UK.
http://www.cyclopsadventuresports.com/3 ... _p_83.html
Which Yamaha headlamp did you use?

I tried an H4 version of one of these off eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261930852921? ... EBIDX%3AIT

The light output was great but the dip beam pattern was crap. It would have failed a UK MOT test.

[quote="
Which Yamaha headlamp did you use?[/quote]

I got a used Yamaha one off of Ebay for $35. I referenced this thread.
http://forums.ducatipaso.org/viewtopic. ... +headlight

Haven't gotten any further than getting the part in the mail right now.

Cheers, Phil

Thanks Phil,
I have been looking for ages for the type of light in the thread you refer to, but they seem to be non-existent here in the UK.
I have improved my lighting by using this type of bulb;
http://www.philips.co.uk/c-p/22109428/x ... light-bulb
in the standard headlamp, but still feel that I would like to fit a twin beam unit. I need a left-hand dip for the UK, does anyone know if the following type will fit with a little modification?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/YAMAHA-FZ-600 ... xyp-BSIK37

I've done this conversion a while ago and I decided to run dual 35w HID's. The HID's are wired for power through an accessory relay to the battery (less voltage loss that way) and use the factory headlight plug as the control circuit (the set up was originally meant for a car using one of the original headlight sockets as controller). So all the dashlights (lights on / high beam) work just like normal.

Looking at the current draw i couldn't run any more than 2 x 35w HIDs (mine are relatively new style low current / fast start up models). But you should keep in mind that 1 x 35W HID produces about double the light of 1 x 35W halogen (let's not argue the specifics) so by running 2 x 35W HIDs i've ended up with about 2 and a half times more light than the factory 55W halogen on high beam for only marginally more current draw.

The difference night time riding is amazing... it's like driving a modern car in terms of the light produced. With highway speeds on country roads now being fun rather than taxing.

You could run a single 55W HID for a significant improvement over factory...

I'd tried out some LED driving lights on cars and found that they never seem to have as much "throw" into the distance as HID's or even better halogens although they are fantastic at lighting up the near ground (so great work lights or "low" speed 4WDing for example).

and in terms of the current draw my battery still charges at idle with the headlights on, and can even turn my heated handgrips on low too and still be okay (but after that it's a bit close)... at actual riding rpm's everything is fine.

You might want to go to:
accessnorton.com page two "permanent solution for dim commando headlight

Thanks for all the input, and especially the Norton link. (needless to say, I did not read all of the pages of the post)
I think that LED headlights have just recently turned the corner of reliability and usability from all that I have read so far. The one I am leaning towards so far is the Cyclops one. Oddly, someone else sells the Cyclops bulb for a bit cheaper.
https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/p/38 ... AgkL8P8HAQ
20 Watts on low should be good to go.

Until I hear of a better lamp from a more reputable company, this seems to be my choice. Certainly lots of tall claims out there.

One side note, retrofitting LED bulbs into your housing is not approved by the DOT or MOT. So if you have vehicle inspections, you may not pass with an LED bulb.

Cheers, Phil

I don`t see the sense in spending so much money for a questionalble result. I`d rather go for some good H4 bulbs and update the wiring/electrics. jm2c

Can't say I disagree G. I am happy with my current setup. I have a friend who put them on his Harley and swears they are by far the best lights he has ever used. Harley is a bit of a different ride. My concern is the complaints I hear with these lights while pitched over in a tight corner. What I hear is LED lighting tend to light the sky and the ground immediately in front of you leaving the exit of the corner suddenly dark. The only solution currently is adding cornering lights. Not a viable option for our taxed electrical system. I currently have silverstars on the 907 and am very happy with them now the charging system is up to the task. I can always flash all 4 elements if I find I need( deer on the side of the road) some extra beam. I do have an HID system I could install but don't much see the point at the moment

You raise a good point of whether this is folly or not. And I question it myself. But that's kinda why I delved into this this week.

Basically, the technology is advancing at a rapid rate, and LED lights have just now become bright enough for use in headlamps. Anything a year old is probably half the output of what you can buy now, and the price continues to drop. The landscape is changing very fast. In another 10 years, I predict LED lighting will be the norm, and a filament bulb will need to be explained to children, like an LP, 8 track or a carburetor.

My basic reason for looking into this, is twice the light output at half the power input.
Oddly, none of the major bulb makers are selling LED headlamps. (except OEM) This certainly is the frontier of the technology, and indeed does have a boatload of risk involved. And yes, its technically illegal for a road bike just about everywhere. Buyer beware. If you are risk adverse, I can not recommend it.

Cheers, Phil

Totally agree that the best it yet to come as the technology advances

PS

Historically, motorcycle headlight design and output have usually proven themselves sub-optimal for serious night work. However, modern-day motorcycle light systems have come a long, long way. The highly developed reflector housings of machines such as the Honda ST1300 and Yamaha FJR1300 are something to behold. The new Honda Gold Wing GL1800 has set the de facto standard for exceptional factory lighting: four (4) 55-watt H7 bulbs put a tremendous amount of lumens on the road.

For older machines, the first and most economical option is to replace the standard H-4 bulb with a known high-quality equivalent. The PIAA Xtreme White series, the Sylvania (Osram) Silver Star series, or Philips Vision Plus series, are all outstanding bulbs.

An alternate upgrade option is to install a bulb of higher wattage. Some amount of care must be used here to ensure the electrical system can handle sustained use of these bulbs, and perhaps just as important, to ensure the lamp housing can handle (over time) the increased amount of heat generated by the higher wattage. Current generation Hondas and BMWs, for example, can generally handle these bulbs if all connections are free from corrosion. Note that some benefit is derived from augmenting the ground wire directly to the frame.

If the bulb wattage is significantly higher that stock, then experience dictates that the entire wire harness should be upgraded as well, and the circuit appropriately fused and relayed. An example of a bulb fitting into this category would be the Philips 100/130 ceramic-based H4 Ralley bulb.

One more important detail, without upgrading our regulators to the newest Shindengen True demand type regulator(SH847) any lowering of draw overheats both the stock regulator and stator