H-D Forums Asks: Halogen or LED?

By Cameron Vanderhorst - December 9, 2019

An illuminating conversation about headlights from the forums answers the questions you were afraid to ask.

One of the governing laws of the universe is that there are no stupid questions. Our forums operate on that principle as well. Nobody knows everything, and even the simplest questions can be the start of an enlightening conversation.

One of our members, SixDD, asked a relatively harmless question — does anyone prefer an OEM headlight over an LED? It’s pretty obvious that LEDs are far superior to old-school halogen bulbs. With that said, our members have a lot to say about the subject — and some of it is pretty enlightening.

With an LED headlight, you can see further down the road, with the light spread over a wider area. However, CWOFOR states that he doesn’t see roadside animal eyes “glow” with LED bulbs the way the do with halogen lights.

Neggy ZRXOA 5248 points out that LEDs work differently than halogen lights, and, as a result, require full replacement of the headlight. In his words, “you can’t pop a LED conversion bulb into a regular headlight, the parabolic reflector does not work well with them.”

For folks that prefer the old-school look of a halogen headlight, that’s a potential deal-breaker. Sherando falls into that category, and they state that they are careful to ride slower at night as a result.

In fact, the modern, somewhat futuristic design of many LED headlights is a major sticking point for some members. While safety is more important than looks, Harley-Davidson’s classic look is an important part of the package for many. It’s definitely something to take into consideration.

Then again, a lot of Harley-Davidson’s newer bikes were designed with LEDs from the factory, and they look great on these bikes. The “retro modern” look of a lot of the newer Harleys is something a lot of folks appreciate. Again, safety should be the main concern here, though.

Thankfully, there are solutions to both problems. Deadbroke recommends an aftermarket headlight that looks like a standard halogen unit, but hides a powerful LED. On the other hand, martinj points out that there is a good reason you don’t see animal’s eyes glow with LEDs. When everything is brighter, that glow is less apparent.

Allin all, we found ourselves learning a lot more than we expected from this thread. We hope that you did, too.

Photos: Harley-Davidson